The great Canadian football weather dilemma

Slight cold keeps fans away in droves

The Eskimos and Roughriders play a bad weather game Nov. 4, 2017.

    When it gets cold, they won’t go.

    If you’re a football team at any level in Canada, you fear cold weather of any type, because it keeps the fans away. If fans don’t come to games, they don’t spend money on concessions, merchandise or donate to scholarship programs in the case of university and junior teams.

    There was a time cold and snow didn’t keep fans away in Canada. During the past two seasons, it is apparent the social media age has played a part in changing this dynamic.

    People would prefer to sit in the comforts of home and see a quick hit of a football highlight on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat versus watching a game live for three hours in the cold. If you add in you pay anywhere from $15 to $27 to see a post-secondary game and $100 for a prime seat at a CFL game, you ask yourself why would you pay that type of money to go sit in the cold and snow for three hours and be uncomfortable.

Fans enjoy the CFL West final in 2013 in Calgary.

    These days, cold weather doesn’t have to be that cold. It seems like ticket buyers in Canada for outdoor sports are looking for the weather to be 20 C with sun and no wind. You are basically looking to be seen in nice weather at a sporting event, and you have prime conditions to use your mobile phone.
    If the weather is around even 10 C and still sunny, but you can feel the cold, ticket buyers in Canada won’t go to a football game. The efficiency of the mobile phone is hampered the colder it gets too.

    Unfortunately, that is the reality football teams in Canada are dealing with these days. Judging by crowds on televised NFL and National Collegiate Athletic Association football contests, the football culture in the United States isn’t deterred by bad weather games.

    For some early season football games in the United States, weather can go too far the other way where it is 40 C and sunny and spectators have to worry about health problems related to the heat.

The Roughriders Cheer Team is ready for the cold in 2017.

    With all that said, football teams Canada, where the citizens seem really addicted to social media, face a current country trend that any type of cold keeps people away.

    The Saskatchewan Roughriders, who are the CFL’s most popular team, even feel the effects of colder temperatures hurting attendance. Their last sellout at Mosaic Stadium of 33,350 spectators came on Sept. 15, when they fell 30-25 to the Ottawa Redbacks. The daytime temperature in Regina was 19 C.
    Saskatchewan’s last two regular season home games were played in October and they hosted a CFL West Division semifinal game in November.

    On Oct. 8, the Roughriders downed the Edmonton Eskimos 19-12 and 31,335 was the announced attendance at Mosaic Stadium, and the daytime temperature in Regina was 9 C. On Oct. 27, the Roughriders beat the British Columbia Lions 35-16 with an announced attendance at Mosaic Stadium was 30,091, and the daytime temperature was 13 C in Regina.

    On Nov. 11, the Roughriders fell 23-18 in the West Division Semifinal to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers with an announced attendance of 30,609 spectators and the daytime temperature is Regina was 4 C.

    In the week leading up to each of those games, I was looking to possibly impulse purchase a ticket, if my busy schedule lightened up to allow for a drive from Saskatoon to Regina for one of those contests. My schedule didn’t lighten up, so I didn’t go.

Christion Jones heads upfield for the Roughriders on Nov. 4, 2017.

    When I was looking for tickets, I couldn’t believe how easy it would have been to purchase a good seat even on the day before the game, if I was able to go.

    This was for a Roughriders team that went 12-6 during the regular season. In the past when the Roughriders had that strong of a regular season record, it was almost impossible to get tickets to games.

    On a side note, the Grey Cup in Edmonton, Alta., held last Sunday that saw the Calgary Stampeders down the Redblacks 27-16 was deemed a sellout at 55,819 spectators in cold conditions at Commonwealth Stadium.
    At the university level in the U Sports ranks, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team, who have had average attendances around 6,000 in some recent seasons, saw their crowds at Griffiths Stadium shrink, when it got cold.

    The Huskies best attendance of 5,114 came when they fell 37-28 to the U of Calgary Dinos on Sept. 14. Weather at game time in Saskatoon was reported at 7 C and cloudy, but attendance was boosted by the fact Huskies honoured legendary retired head coach Brian Towriss before the contest.

Huskies DE Riley Pickett ready for a cold game on Sept. 21.

    When the archrival U of Regina Rams paid a visit on Sept. 21, it was a different story. The Huskies won 33-20, but the game drew 2,715 spectators in conditions that were -1 C and lightly snowing at game time. It snowed for maybe a quarter of that contest.

    For the Huskies final home game Oct. 20, they downed the visiting U of Manitoba Bisons 27-4 and drew 2,440 spectators to Griffiths Stadium. Temperature at kickoff was 3 C and sunny.

    On the Canadian Junior Football League front, the Saskatoon Hilltops hosted the league championship game – the Canadian Bowl – and elected to keep tickets prices the same as their regular playoff games at $20 per adult for the Nov. 17 league title contest.
    In the Canadian Bowl, the venerable Hilltops, who relish playing in cold weather games, drew their biggest crowd of the season of 1,465 spectators to Saskatoon Minor Football Field as they claimed a fifth straight CJFL title thumping the Langley Rams 58-21. The temperature in Saskatoon that day was -7 C and sunny. They likely would have drawn a lot more fans had it been warmer.

    There are no easy fixes when it comes to drawing fans in adverse weather to football games in Canada. By nature, football is an outdoor game made to be played in the elements, which adds to the challenge of the sport.

Fans at Griffiths Stadium are bundled up for a cold clash on Sept. 21.

    In Canada, cold weather and even snow can strike in summer months. You could move up the schedule, but that might not be practical in some leagues, and you will still get bad weather.

    You could give discounted ticket prices for games that will be played in months when the weather is cold. The Roughriders tried that out with walk up tickets in 2017 for games played in October and November.

    You could spend hundreds of millions of dollars collected from taxpayers to build domed football stadiums for everyone. That wouldn’t go over well with a sizable portion of the public, especially when you see the ongoing talks in Calgary about getting a new NHL rink and CFL stadium.

    Unfortunately in Canada, there aren’t that many good-hearted deep pocketed good Samaritans out there willing to build multiple domed football facilities.
    It has to become cool again in Canada to head out to bad weather football games. During the 1980s and early 1990s, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers teams led by iconic head coach and general manager Cal Murphy were seen as “bad ass,” because they played in the snow and cold in the same gear they used in summer.

The family of Hilltops LB Bobby Ehman enjoys a cold Canadian Bowl win.

    The Ron Lancaster, George Reed and Ron Atchison era of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 1960s excelled in bad weather games and were deemed cool.

    When you went out to see cold weather games to see those teams play, you viewed yourself as being as tough as the players you watched.

    Unless heading out to cold weather football games becomes cool again, a large number of fans will remain plugged into their mobile phones and stay at home when conditions become slightly adverse.

    Unfortunately, there is no answer for how to bring back the feeling that it is cool to go to bad weather football games.

Four named all-Canadians for Huskies

Huskies OG Mattland Riley (#55) was a second team all-Canadian all-star.

    The University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team received some final nods for a fantastic year with four players being named U Sports all-Canadians all-stars.

    Last Thursday at an awards gala in Quebec City, Que., Huskies fifth-year running back Tyler Chow was a first team all-Canadian on offence and fourth-year defensive lineman Evan Machibroda was a first team all-Canadian on defence.

    Third-year offensive guard Mattland Riley was a second team all-Canadian on offence and fifth-year defensive end Tristian Koronkiewicz was a second team all-Canadian on defence.

    During the Huskies eight regular season games, Chow carried the ball 100 times for 640 yards and scored two touchdowns. During his regular season career with the Huskies, Chow carried the ball 385 times for 2,372 yards and scored 13 touchdowns to finish as the third all-time leading rusher in the program’s history.

    Machibroda had 14 total tackles, three sacks, forced one fumble and recovered one fumble for the Huskies in regular season action.

    Riley helped power a strong offensive line that allowed the Huskies to top the Canada West Conference with 1,376 yards rushing and place third with 2,565 yards passing as a team in the regular campaign.

Tristian Koronkiewicz (#90) was a first team all-Canadian all-star.

    Koronkiewicz topped Canada West with seven sacks to go along with 24 total tackles, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries for the Huskies in regular season play.

    The Huskies finished third in Canada West with a 5-3 regular season record. In a Canada West semifinal contest on Nov. 3 in Vancouver, B.C., the Huskies upset the host University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 31-28 in overtime. That win ended an eight-game post-season losing streak for the Huskies.

    On Nov. 10, the Huskies upset the U of Calgary Dinos 43-18 in the Canada West final in Calgary, Alta., to capture the Hardy Cup. That marked the first time the Huskies had won the Canada West title since 2006.

    The Huskies post-season game to an end in a U Sports semifinal contest on Nov. 17 in London, Ont., when they fell 47-24 to the U of Western Ontario Mustangs in the Mitchell Bowl.
    Last Saturday, the Mustangs fell in the Vanier Cup in Quebec City, Que., 34-20 to the host Universite Laval Rouge et Or.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Huskies fifth years go down fighting in final bow

U of S playoff run ends in Mitchell Bowl loss

QB Kyle Siemens and the football Huskies had a remarkable playoff run.

    It was Vanier Cup or bust for the fifth-year players on the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team.

    Going into the Mitchell Bowl semifinal game of the U Sports playoffs, the Huskies faced their biggest challenge in their run of post-season upsets taking on the defending Vanier Cup champion University of Western Ontario Mustangs in London, Ont., last Saturday.

    U of S was trying to break up what had been a projected Vanier Cup rematch at the start of the season between the Mustangs and the powerhouse Universite Rouge et Or.

    Earlier in the day on Saturday, the Rouge et Or made short work of the St. Francis Xavier X-Men in the other U Sports semifinal game – the Uteck Bowl – in Quebec City, Que., romping to a 63-0 victory. The X-Men finished the campaign at 8-3.

Tyler Chow had a huge touchdown run for the Huskies last Saturday.

    The Huskies ensured there was intrigue in their encounter with the Mustangs posting leads of 7-0 and 17-14 in the game’s first half. The two sides entered halftime locked in a 17-17 tie. Western pulled away in the second half earning a 47-24 victory on the strength of scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter before 3,536 spectators at TD Stadium.

    In the process, the Mustangs ran their overall winning streak to 23 games. They will travel to Quebec City, Que., this coming Saturday to face the Rouge et Or in a battle of 11-0 teams.

    Western and Laval were rated first and second respectively in the final U Sports Top 10 football rankings. Last year, the Mustangs dumped the Rouge et Or 39-17 in the Vanier Cup.

    The Huskies, who finished the campaign at 7-4, did everything in their power to try and appear in the Vanier Cup for the first time since 2006 and the fifth years led the charge. Like Rocky in his first encounter with Apollo Creed, U of S’s graduating players came out swinging.

Tristian Koronkiewicz had two sacks for the Huskies last Saturday.

    Fifth-year star quarterback Kyle Siemens completed 26-of-35 passes for 256 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Fifth-year star running back Tyler Chow carried the ball 21 times for 143 yards and scored one touchdown. Fifth-year defensive lineman Tristian Koronkiewicz had a pair of sacks.

    Early in the first quarter, the Huskies manufactured and eight-play touchdown drive that covered 76 yards. The march was capped, when Siemens hit Colton Klassen with a 22-yard touchdown pass to put the visitors up 7-0.

    Western tied things up at 7-7 before the first quarter ended, when receiver Harry McMaster hauled in a 21-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Chris Merchant. Merchant hit McMaster with a 31-yard touchdown pass just 72 seconds into the second quarter to give the Mustangs a 14-7 advantage.

    The Huskies answered back. Fifth-year star kicker Sean Stenger booted a 41-yard field goal to cut the Mustangs lead to 14-10. With seven minutes to play in the second quarter, Siemens hit Klassen with an eight-yard touchdown pass to put the Huskies up 17-14.

Sean Stenger booted on last field goal for the Huskies on Saturday.

    Klassen caught nine passes for 107 yards to go along with his two receiving majors.

    On the final play of the first half, the Mustangs tied things up at 17-17 with a 37 yard field goal from kicker Marc Liegghio.

    At that point, Western started to take control. Merchant ran in a touchdown from four yards out and the Huskies had to concede a safety due to bad field position giving the Mustangs a 26-17 lead at the end of the third quarter.

    Running back Alex Taylor ran in a major from 48 yards out to give the Mustangs a 33-17 advantage early in the fourth quarter.

    Chow stuck back for the Huskies rattling off an electrifying 71-yard touchdown run to cut Western’s lead to 33-24 with 9:56 to play in the fourth quarter. It appeared there was a chance the comeback would be on.

    The Mustangs then sealed victory on a 16-yard touchdown run by Taylor and a four-yard touchdown run by Cedric Joseph. Western piled up an unreal 319 yards rushing as a team against the Huskies.

QB Kyle Siemens is the Huskies all-time leader in completions.

    Merchant completed 17-of-28 passes for 251 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He ran the ball 10 times for 82 yards including his rushing major.

   The setback brought an end to the playing careers of Siemens, Chow, Koronkiewicz, Stenger, defensive back Lance Bashutsky, offensive lineman Ryan Breadner and linebackers Brendan Ernst and Brad Kotania. All eight played five seasons for the Huskies.

    Siemens 604 total career pass completions in the regular season rank first on the Huskies all-time list and his 7,932 career yards passing in the regular season rates second overall in team history. He completed 604-of-998 passes for 7,932 yards, 55 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.

    Chow sits third all-time on the Huskies career regular season rushing yards list having carried the ball 385 times for 2,372 yards and 13 touchdowns.

    Those regular season accomplishments look greater now that they are backed by a long playoff run.

    U of S also loses defensive back Arnold Osam to graduation. He came to the Huskies after spending four seasons with the powerhouse Saskatoon Hilltops of the Canadian Junior Football League.

HC Scott Flory and his staff did a stellar job guiding the Huskies.

    The graduating players helped the Huskies take huge strides in a playoff run that included a 31-28 overtime victory over the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in a Canada West semifinal match on Nov. 3 in Vancouver, B.C., and a 43-18 victory over the University of Calgary Dinos in the Canada West final on Nov. 10 in Calgary, Alta.

    The Huskies were rated sixth in the final U Sports Top 10 football rankings.

    Since the Huskies hadn’t ventured this far in the post-season since falling in the Vanier Cup 13-8 at Griffiths Stadium to Laval in 2006, the excitement for U of S’s playoff run this year felt new again.

    The drought of not winning a playoff game since 2009 and the team’s eight-game post-season losing streak heading into this season’s playoffs are now a distance memory.

Guard Mattland Riley and the Huskies O-line was strong in 2018.

    The playoff run gives extra reinforcement to the organizers of team fundraisers that their efforts are worth it. The fundraisers include the annual Dogs’ Breakfast and the various coaches’ kickoff luncheons that are held during the season. Members of the Huskies Football Foundation will likely have an extra jump in their steps this off-season.

    Head coach Scott Flory and his staff did an amazing job. In his second season guiding the Huskies, Flory is showing he has a style that is a mix of star head coaches he had in his playing career including Huskies legend Brian Towriss, “The Don” in late-great Don Matthews and Marc Trestman.   
    The latter two men coached Flory in his CFL days with the Montreal Alouettes.

    From the outset, Flory created a feeling of belief inside the team that the Huskies could win and have success now. That feeling was shared inside the team, even when those on the outside didn’t think success would be possible for the Huskies.

Colton Klassen scored two touchdowns for the Huskies on Saturday.

    In Flory’s first season as head coach in 2017, the Huskies were rated fifth in the Canada West pre-season coaches’ poll and missed the playoff with a 2-6 record. Entering the 2018 campaign, the Huskies were ranked last in the Canada West pre-season coaches’ poll.

    For those that didn’t believe, the Huskies proved they are back in a big way. They can again compete with and beat the big teams in U Sports.

    The dream is alive again like in 1990, 1996 and 1998, when the Huskies won their Vanier Cup titles.
    Their best years lie ahead in the future and the graduating fifth-years left a new high bar to shoot for and exceed.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Huskies’ Chow going out in a blaze of glory

U of Saskatchewan faces Western in U Sports semifinal

Tyler Chow had a monster game for the Huskies in the Hardy Cup.

    Tyler Chow saved his greatest homecoming game in his final U Sports football appearance in Calgary.

    Last Saturday, Chow had his most memorable game to date with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. The star running back, who is in his fifth and final season with the Huskies, carried the ball 24 times for 222 yards and scored two touchdowns. The alumnus of Calgary’s Notre Dame High School Pride football team hauled in two passes for 19 yards for the Huskies as well.

    Thanks to Chow’s efforts, the Huskies pulled off a huge 43-18 upset over the previously undefeated University of Calgary Dinos in the Canada West Conference championship game – the Hardy Cup at McMahon Stadium. The Huskies, who improved to 7-3 overall, claimed the Canada West title for the first time since 2006.

    The Dinos, who finished the campaign at 9-1 overall, were trying to win a third straight Canada West title and their ninth conference crown in the past 11 seasons before falling to the Huskies.

    Chow, who stand 5-foot-11 and weighs 195 pounds, thrilled a large contingent of family and friends he had in the crowd of 1,877.

    He had a touchdown on a one-yard run late in the second quarter to give the Huskies an 18-8 edge on the Dinos.

    With the Huskies holding a 25-18 edge, Chow had the game’s defining play running in a touchdown from 23 yards out just 91 seconds into the fourth quarter to give the Huskies a 32-18 lead.

Tyler Chow was named a Canada West all-star this season.

    That started an 18-point surge for the Huskies to close the game. The surge was completed by a kickoff single from kicker Sean Stenger, a 42-yard field goal from Stenger and a one-yard touchdown run by Adam Machart.

    On Wednesday, Chow was named the U Sports offensive player of the week for his efforts against Calgary. Stenger took the U Sports special teams player of the week award making 2-of-3 field goals for the Huskies and averaging 41.5 yards on four punts landing one of those kicks inside the Dinos 20 yard line.

    Coming into this season, there were questions marks surrounding how effective Chow might be. He missed four games last season and was limited in four other contests due to a lower body injury.

    He carried the ball 100 times for 640 yards and scored two touchdowns to earn Canada West all-star honours and help the Huskies post a 5-3 regular season record in 2018.

    During his regular season career with the Huskies, Chow carried the ball 385 times for 2,372 yards and scored 13 touchdowns.

    The Calgary, Alta., product just edged Tyler Siwak for third on the Huskies career rushing yards list.

Tyler Chow is the Huskies third all-time leading rusher.

    Siwak was a red shirt during the Huskies last Vanier Cup winning season in 1998 and he carried the ball 361 times for 2,365 yards and scored 11 touchdowns during a five year career as an active player from 1999 to 2003. During his time with the Huskies, Siwak was a fan favourite due to being a power tailback that could crush up to six would be tacklers on any running attempt.

    Doug Rozon is the Huskies all-time leading rusher piling up 4,086 yards playing from 1995 to 1999. Terry Eisler sits second on the Huskies’ all-time rushing list with 2428 yards playing in 1985 and 1987 to 1989. David Stevens rounds out the Huskies career top five rushing leaders with 2,276 yards playing from 2001 to 2005.

    Entering the 2018 post-season, Chow had never been part of a playoff win with the Huskies unlike the other four top five rushers in team history, who all had a hand in various playoffs runs that saw the Huskies reach the Vanier Cup. In Rozon’s case, he helped the Huskies win two Vanier Cups in 1996 and 1998 running behind an offensive line that contained a star named Scott Flory, who is now the Huskies head coach.

    Chow was able to dump the unwanted distinction of never being part of a playoff win on Nov. 3 in Vancouver, B.C., when he helped the Huskies post a 31-28 overtime upset victory over the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds.

Tyler Chow scored two touchdowns in the Hardy Cup.

    In that contest, Chow had a solid outing grinding out 89 yards rushing on 21 carries and running home touchdowns from one and 16 yards out. He hauled in six passes for 54 yards to go along with his efforts on the ground.

    Combine that game with his efforts against the Dinos in a Canada West title winning game for the Huskies, Chow has created his own storied playoff run and has vaulted his name firmly into the conversation of who are the top all-time running backs in the history of the U of S football program.

    While the Huskies have pulled out two giant upsets at this point in the U Sports playoffs, they now face their greatest David versus Goliath match.

    The coming Saturday, the Huskies travel to London, Ont., to face the defending Vanier Cup champion University of Western Ontario Mustangs in the Mitchell Bowl, which is one of two U Sports semifinal playoff games. The Mitchell Bowl will be shown live at 3 p.m. Saskatchewan time on Sportsnet.

    The Universite Laval Rouge et Or (10-0) host the St. Francis Xavier University X-Men (8-2) in the other U Sports semifinal - the Uteck Bowl – also on Saturday in Quebec City, Quebec.

    The Mustangs enter their match with the Huskies ranked as the top rated team in the final U Sports Top 10 rankings and have won their last 22 games overall in a row.

Tyler Chow and the Huskies fifth-year are having a memorable final run.

    Western’s last loss came back on Nov. 12, 2016 in the Yates Cup, which is the Ontario University Athletics conference championship game, to the Wilfred Laurier University Golden Hawks 43-40. The Mustangs led that contest 40-19 in the fourth quarter, before the Golden Hawks pulled out an incredible comeback.

    Western thumped the mighty Rouge et Or 39-17 in last year’s Vanier Cup.

    So far, Chow and the Huskies have shown the role of giant killer fits them just fine.

    It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Chow and the Huskies come up with another giant performance, and if they do, they might be heading to the Vanier Cup to be held on Nov. 24 in Quebec City, Quebec.

On to the Mitchell Bowl.#HuskiePride #HardyCup82 pic.twitter.com/lGXPX5gkF0

— Huskie Football (@skhuskies) November 11, 2018

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Huskies playoff upset of T-Birds a monumental one

Sean Stenger (#23) hit the OT playoff winning field goal.

    Sean Stenger made the kick that was heard around the U Sports football world.

    On Saturday at Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver B.C., the fifth-year kicker and all-time leading scorer for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team booted a 38-yard field goal in overtime to give his squad a 31-28 victory over the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in a Canada West Conference semifinal playoff match.

    Stenger’s kick before 738 spectators gave the Huskies their first post-season victory since November 7, 2009, when they downed the University of Regina Rams 53-23 at Griffiths Stadium in a Canada West semifinal match. In the process, the Huskies ended a playoff losing streak that had spanned eight games.

    Before Saturday’s game, the Huskies were 1-11 in their previous 12 post-season contests.

    Both the Huskies and the Thunderbirds posted 5-3 regular season records heading into their playoff clash. UBC earned second place in the conference and home field advantage for the post-season encounter due to beating the Huskies 20-10 in the lone regular season encounter between the two sides on October 12 in Vancouver.

    While the two sides had identical records, this was a game the Huskies, who failed to make the post-season last year, weren’t supposed to win.

Jesse Kuntz caught the TD pass that forced overtime.

    Their playoff struggles since last making the Vanier Cup and falling to the Universite Laval Rouge et Or 13-8 at Griffiths Stadium on November 25, 2006 have been well publicized.
    The playoff stumbles weren’t the only thing standing in the Huskies way.

    They were heading on the road to play a Thunderbirds team that has Blake Nill as head coach. Nill’s teams had made the Canada West title game – the Hardy Cup – for the last 10 straight years and claimed victory on seven of those occasions.

    That run included seven straight appearances with the University of Calgary Dinos from 2008 to 2014 and three straight appearances the past three years with the Thunderbirds.

    Going into the playoffs this season, the Thunderbirds had won their last three straight games. Despite their early struggles, it appeared UBC had righted the ship.

    Teams coached by Nill just don’t lose at this point in the U Sports playoffs. Playing at home and riding a hot streak, it was supposed to be impossible to see an opponent come out with a victory.

    The Huskies were expected to put in a good effort and proceed to bow out into the off-season with the fifth-year grads crying tears of sadness.
    The Dogs defied all odds and came away winning a post-season classic that the Huskies players will remember for the rest of their lives.
    After falling behind 10-0, the Huskies stormed back to take a 20-10 lead in the third quarter. UBC forced a 20-20 tie early in the fourth quarter, but the Huskies went in front by a single point 21-20 on a 46-yard punt single by Stenger.

Kyle Siemens delivered a TD toss that forced overtime.

    It appeared that would be the last U of S lead on the day.

    The Thunderbirds mounted an 11-play, 75-yard drive that ended with star fourth-year quarterback Michael O’Connor hitting standout receiver Trivel Pinto with a four-yard touchdown pass with 1:46 remaining in the fourth quarter. The two connected on a pass for a two-point convert to give the Thunderbirds a 28-21 advantage.

    On the ensuing Huskies possession, Thunderbirds defensive back Stavros Katsantonis intercepted fifth-year Huskies star quarterback Kyle Siemens at the UBC 33 yard line with 75 seconds remaining in the frame.

    Thanks to having a couple of timeouts to use, the Huskies forced the Thunderbirds to punt after two running plays. On the punt, a no yards penalty and an unnecessary roughness facemask penalty on the Thunderbirds allowed the Huskies to start a march at the UBC 47 yard-line with 51 seconds remaining on the clock.

    Siemens drove the Huskies offence that distance in four plays and connected with receiver Jesse Kuntz on a 14-yard touchdown reception with 21 seconds to play in the stanza to tie things up at 28-28 and force overtime.
    In the shootout style overtime format, the Thunderbirds had the first possession. UBC kicker Greg Hutchins missed a 33-yard field goal and Huskies running back/receiver Colton Klassen ran the ball out of the end zone to ensure the score remained tied at 28-28.

Tyler Chow ran in two major scores for the Huskies.

    Stenger hit his winning field goal on the Huskies ensuing possession.

    This was a win where the Huskies found a way to get it done.

    O’Connor completed 28-of-41 passes for 435 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Besides throwing a touchdown toss to Pinto, O’Connor threw major scores to Ben Cummings from 25 yards out and Blake Whiteley from 24 yards out.

    Siemens, who has thrown the second most passing yards in the history of the Huskies program, had a more pedestrian day hitting on 19-of-31 passes for 222 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

    Fifth-year running back Tyler Chow grinded out 89 yards rushing on 21 carries and ran home touchdowns from one and 16 yards out. He hauled in six passes for 54 yards to go along with his efforts on the ground.

    Hutchins hit field goals from 12 and 21 yards out to round out UBC’s scoring.

    Stenger hit field goals from 33 and 37 yards out in regulation for the Huskies.

    Defensively, Bowan Lewis had 10.5 total tackles for the Huskies, while linebackers and brothers Thomas and Ben Whiting had nine and seven total tackles respectively.

Thomas Whiting had nine tackles for the Huskies.

    Under second-year head coach Scott Flory, this playoff victory by the Huskies was monumental and a big step forward for the football program.
    The Huskies showed they can finally win again in the U Sports football post-season, and they knocked off a team guided by a head coach in Nill, who continually guides teams on long playoff runs.

    Now, the Huskies get to travel to Calgary, Alta., to face the Dinos, who are a combined 9-0 in the regular season and post-season, in the Hardy Cup final to determine the Canada West champion this coming Saturday at McMahon Stadium at 1 p.m. Calgary time.

    The Dinos took the other Canada West semifinal 37-13 last Saturday in Calgary against the University of Manitoba Bisons. U of C will be appearing in the Hardy Cup final for the 11^th straight year.

    U of S is once against faced with the task of manufacturing another monumental upset.

    Still, it appears you can’t count these football Huskies out. The belief is there that anything is possible.

Here's your game-winning kick from Sean Stenger 🔥#HuskiePride #WinTheWest pic.twitter.com/B6a7NntrSb

— Huskie Football (@skhuskies) November 4, 2018

Hilltops to face Rams in Canadian Bowl

Congratulations to the @LangleyRams on advancing to the 2018 Canadian Bowl with a 39-14 victory over the @CanesFootball63 in the #CJFL National Semi-Final pic.twitter.com/3GxYgY4Kw6

— CJFL News (@CJFLnews) November 4, 2018

    The Jevon Cottoy show powered the Langley Rams into the Canadian Bowl.

    On Saturday in Langley, B.C., the 22-year-old receiver hauled in nine passes for 190 yards and scored three touchdowns, ran in a major from a yard out and kicked a 54-yard punt single to power the Rams to a 39-14 romp over the Hamilton Hurricanes in a Canadian Junior Football League national semifinal contest. Quarterback Duncan Little hit Cottoy with the three touchdown tosses in the semifinal game at McLeod Stadium in Langley, B.C.

    With the win, the Rams, who improved to 10-3 overall, advance to the CJFL title game – the Canadian Bowl – to face the four time defending champion Saskatoon Hilltops on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Hilltops are 10-0 overall on the campaign and trying to complete their fourth perfect season in team history and first since 2003.

    The Hurricanes finished the 2018 campaign with a 10-1 overall record.

    The Hilltops and Rams are familiar foes in the Canadian Bowl as they will meet in the CJFL title game for the third time in seven years.

    The previous two encounters were both held in McLeod Stadium.

    In 2012, the Hilltops claimed one of the all-time classic CJFL title encounters downing the Rams 23-21. In 2014, the Hilltops ran away with a 39-14 victory, which started their current run of winning four straight CJFL championships.

    The Hilltops will be trying to win their 21^st CJFL title in their upcoming Canadian Bowl clash with the Rams.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Hilltops’ O-line gets love with PFC all-star awards

RT Kirk Simonsen, right, was named a PFC all-star.

    Saskatoon Hilltops offensive line received their due for a dominate 8-0 regular season.

    On Friday, three of the Hilltops five starting offensive linemen were named to the Prairie Football Conference all-star team. Right tackle Kirk Simonsen was voted unanimously as a PFC all-star. Also receiving all-star nods were right guard Taylon Elderkin and left tackle Mason Ochs. The trio were named PFC offensive all-stars for a second straight year.

    “It is pretty good,” said Simonsen, who is in his fifth and final season with the Hilltops. “They couldn’t name five of us, but I think all five are pretty deserving of the award.

    “It is good to get the recognition out there for the three of us, but it is a five man award pretty much to me.”

    Saskatoon’s starting offensive line is rounded out by centre Patrick Arno and left guard Ryder Klisowsky. As a five-man unit, the Hilltops offensive line did earn a PFC offensive player of the week award after Saskatoon crushed the Colts in Calgary 79-7 on Sept. 15.

    The offensive linemen were joined as PFC all-star selections by the Hilltops version of “The Triplets” in quarterback Jordan Walls, running back Josh Ewanchyna and receiver Jason Price. The PFC offensive all-stars were released a day after the defensive all-stars.

    The Hilltops, who are 9-0 overall, host the PFC final against the Edmonton Huskies, who are 7-2 overall, at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

    Walls, Ewanchyna and Price were all able to enjoy special seasons because of the work of the club’s O-line.

    Walls had an outstanding campaign completing 122-of-197 passes for 2,010 yards, 18 touchdowns and four interceptions in the regular season. He topped the PFC in passing yardage.

    Ewanchyna appeared in seven regular season games carrying the ball 134 times for 1,007 yards and 14 touchdowns. He led the PFC in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns and was named the PFC’s offensive player of the week on four occasions.

    The graduate of Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School Crusaders football team became the first Hilltops player to surpass 1,000 yards rushing in a season since Wayndel Lewis turned that trick back in 2014.

RG Taylon Elderkin, right, was named a PFC all-star.

    Price was by far the PFC’s most productive pass catcher. During the regular season, he hauled in 31 passes for 709 yards and scored four touchdowns. The fifth-year veteran collected the most receiving yards in the PFC.

    Walls said his team’s offensive line is the reason his club’s offensive unit can put up the points and yardage that it does.

    “They don’t get the recognition that they deserve, so when they get awards like that, it is awesome,” said Walls. “They work so hard in practice and so hard in the off-season to get themselves in playing shape, and they do their job when they get on the field.

    “I like those guys. I hang around with them lots. They are good people.

    “They are always coming to work and ready to work hard. I am super happy to have those guys there to back me and just perform like they have been performing.”

    Simonsen said continuity has been the biggest thing that has helped Saskatoon’s offensive line succeed. Klisowsky was the only new starter among the Hilltops “hogs” this season.

    “I think just knowing each other,” said Simonsen. “We’ve all played together.

    “I’ve played with Taylon (Elderkin) now for three years. You just know where he is going to be. You don’t even have to communicate.

    “He is just there, and you know how to work with each other. It helps a lot.”

    The Hilltops offensive line also takes a lot of pride in helping the club’s quarterbacks, running back and receivers have good years.

    “It is good for them,” said Simonsen. “We want to make sure that they have good years and make sure they get their awards and their goals they set for themselves at the start of the year.”

    Walls took his own all-star selection in stride.

    “It is nice,” said Walls. “I think my goal at the start of the year was just to execute and give this team a chance to win.

Mason Ochs, left, was named a PFC all-star.

    “Whether that was throwing the ball 30 times or handing the ball off 30 times, it didn’t matter to me. To get recognized is nice, but my goal is the Canadian championship. Hopefully, we can get a win this week to get there.”

    While the PFC all-star selections are great, the Hilltops have their sights set on winning an unprecedented fifth straight CJFL title. The winner of the PFC final advances to host the CJFL title game – the Canadian Bowl – on November 17.

    Walls said his team is focused on the challenge they face in the Huskies.

    “I’m very excited to get to the PFC final,” said Walls. “It is a big game.

    “It is a big stage. We like being there. I am excited.

    “I’ve got a lot of family coming down for it, so it is going to be a fun day.”

Thunderbirds get second in Canada West on crazy comeback

Michael O’Connor guided UBC to a big comeback win.

    It seems like the football Gods love the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds.

    Back on Sept. 28, the Thunderbirds dropped a 26-21 decision to the University of Alberta Golden Bears in a U Sports regular season game in Edmonton, Alta. At the time, the loss dropped the Thunderbirds record to 1-4 heading into the bye week for the Canada West Conference.

    Before the Canada West teams returned to action, the University of Regina Rams self-declared they had been playing with an ineligible player. That led to the Rams forfeiting three wins including a 19-17 victory over the Thunderbirds on Sept. 14 in Regina.

    The Thunderbirds received new life improving to 2-3 with that development. UBC proceeded to down the University of Saskatchewan Huskies 20-10 on Oct. 12 and the Golden Bears 30-11 on Oct. 20 to improve to 4-3. Both those wins came in Vancouver, B.C.

    Entering play Saturday, the Thunderbirds needed to beat the University of Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg, Man., to lock up second place in Canada West and earn the right to host a Canada West semifinal playoff game. If the Thunderbirds lost, the Huskies, who posted a 5-3 regular season record, would take second place.

    The Bisons jumped out to a 31-10 lead and held a 31-13 advantage at halftime at Investors Group Field.

    The Thunderbirds rallied to claim a 38-34 victory in overtime to improve to 5-3 and take second place. The Bisons fell to 3-5 to finish fourth in Canada West and hold the conference’s last playoff berth.

    UBC claims the standings tiebreaker with U of S due to winning that Oct. 12 encounter, which was the only regular season meeting between the two sides.

    Thunderbirds star quarterback Michael O’Connor hit receiver Trivel Pinto with a 46-yard touchdown pass and running back Ben Cummings ran in a two-point convert to force a 31-31 tie with 7:30 remaining in the fourth quarter. The 46-yard reception marked Pinto’s second touchdown catch of the game.

    In overtime, Bisons kicker Brad Mikoluff hit a 50-yard field goal to put the host side up 34-31. Mikoluff had two field goals in the contest.

    On the ensuing overtime shootout possession, O’Connor hit Cummings with a two-yard touchdown pass to give the Thunderbirds their third straight victory, with every one of those wins coming after the Rams forfeited all their wins.

    O’Connor completed 36-of-49 passes for 467 yards, four touchdowns and one interception for the Thunderbirds. Bisons quarterback Jamie Ybarra, who started in place of the injured Des Catellier, completed 20-of-26 passes for 396 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

    Trey Kellogg had a touchdown catch for the Thunderbirds, while Greg Hutchins made all three of his field goal attempts. Dylan Schrot and Shai Ross had touchdown receptions for the Bisons, while Jesse Walker and Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette ran in major scores.

    The Bisons travel to Calgary, Alta., to face the University of Calgary Dinos (8-0) in one Canada West semifinal contest this coming Saturday, while the Huskies face the Thunderbirds in the other Canada West semifinal to be held in Vancouver on the same day.

Siemens leaves mark on Huskies career passing records

QB Kyle Siemens vaulted up the U of S Huskies’ all-time passing lists.

    With one great final regular season game, Kyle Siemens ensured he will go down as one of the top quarterbacks to ever play for the U of Saskatchewan Huskies.

    On Friday facing the U of Regina Rams at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Siemens completed 21-of-31 passes for 321 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. In helping the Huskies post a 5-3 record, Siemens completed 155-of-249 passes for 2,118 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions.

    A graduate of Saskatoon’s Aden Bowman Collegiate Bears high school football team, Siemens finished the regular season portion of his five-year Huskies career completing 604-of-998 passes for 7,932 yards, 55 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.

    Siemens 604 career completions rank first on the Huskies all-time list surpassing the 586 completions of Drew Burko. Burko played from 2012 to 2016 and was a former teammate of Siemens.

    The 7,932 yards passing Siemens piled up ranks second on the Huskies all-time list surpassing 7,675 yards put up by Burko. Siemens 55 career touchdown passes equals Steve Bilan for second on the Huskies all-time list. Bilan played for the Huskies from 2001 to 2005.

    While Siemens will still get to guide the Huskies through one more venture into the U Sports playoffs, he has to be given big props for posting some lofty accomplishments.

Chow passes Siwak for third in Huskies career rushing

Tyler Chow is the Huskies third all-time career leading rusher.

    Running back Tyler Chow vaulted to a spot that will be tough for future ball carriers to hit as the sport of football continues to evolve into more of a pass heavy game.

    Chow, who is a fifth-year veteran for the U of Saskatchewan Huskies football team, finished the regular season with a strong outing carrying the ball 14 times for 99 yards and scoring one touchdown and hauling a pass for 11 yards as the Huskies thumped the U of Regina Rams 57-14 on Friday at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

    On the season, Chow carried the ball 100 times for 640 yards and scored two touchdowns to help the Huskies post a 5-3 regular season record. During his regular season career with the Huskies, Chow carried the ball 385 times for 2,372 yards and scored 13 touchdowns.

    The Calgary, Alta., product just edged Tyler Siwak for third on the Huskies career rushing yards list.

    Siwak was a red shirt during the Huskies last Vanier Cup winning season in 1998 and he carried the ball 361 times for 2,365 yards and scored 11 touchdowns during a five year career as an active player from 1999 to 2003. During his time with the Huskies, Siwak was a fan favourite due to being a power tailback that could crush up to six would be tacklers on any running attempt.

    The Prince Albert, Sask., product was a physical runner who favoured initiating contact and powering through defenders as opposed to running around them. Fans at Griffiths Stadium used to rise to their feet and cheer, when Siwak gave one of his textbook punishing runs.

    Away from the field, Siwak was a very personable, jovial and upbeat when he interacted with everyone on campus and in the city.

    Siwak had been the Huskies third all-time leading rusher since he graduated from the program. With that in mind, the fact that Chow cracked into the top three of the Huskies career rushing list is impressive.

Back in the Express assisting on female hockey story

Emily Clark, left, and Grace Shirley are hockey greats from Saskatoon.

    I was back in the pages of the Saskatoon Express this week helping out with a story on the growth of female hockey in Saskatoon.

    I gathered pictures and quotes from head coach Greg Slobodzian and captain Grace Shirley from the defending Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League champion Saskatoon Stars for this piece. I helped add some details for the facts that were used as well.

    Theresa Kirkpatrick, who is a veteran sportswriter, did a masterful job of crafting the piece. I was happy with how the article turned out and contributions I was able to make to it.

    The Express article can be found by clicking right here.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Klassen sparks Huskies runaway win over Rams

Colton Klassen has been a key playmaker for the Huskies.

    Colton Klassen proved he is the unselfish and consummate athlete for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team this season.

    On Friday night at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, the Huskies were stuck in first gear trailing the host University of Regina Rams 7-3 after the first quarter in a U Sports regular season clash. At that point, the game’s completion changed in lightning fashion due to Klassen.

    Facing a second and seven at their own 40 yard line, Huskies quarterback Kyle Siemens connected with Klassen on a 70-yard pass and run touchdown to put the visitors up 10-7. That sparked a surge where the Huskies outscored the Rams 24-7 in the frame to go ahead 27-14 at halftime.

    U of S cruised from that point posting a lopsided 57-14 victory. The win allowed the Huskies to finish the regular season with a 5-3 record, and they will place no lower than third in the Canada West Conference.

    The Dogs could finish second in Canada West and host a conference semifinal playoff game on Nov. 3, if the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds (4-3) fall to the University of Manitoba Bisons (3-4) on Saturday in Winnipeg, Man. The Thunderbirds hold the standings tiebreaker with the Huskies winning the only head-to-head contest between the two sides 20-10 on Oct. 12 in Vancouver, B.C.

    The Rams fell to 1-7 and finished last in the six-team Canada West Conference. U of R was forced to forfeit three wins this season for using an ineligible player.

    Klassen, who is a third-year running back, has been a sparkplug for the Huskies this season. In Friday’s win over the Rams, he led the Huskies with 121 yards receiving on five catches, which included his 70-yard touchdown reception. The graduate of Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School Crusaders football team also ran the ball five times for 21 yards.

Colton Klassen led the Huskies with eight TD catches.

    Last season, Klassen led the Huskies in rushing carrying the ball 76 times for 395 yards and three touchdowns. The alum of the Canadian Junior Football League’s Regina Thunder hauled in 21 passes for 185 yards and scored one touchdown through the air a year ago as well.

    Coming into the current campaign, Klassen found himself in a logjam at the running back position with the Huskies. Rugged star fifth-year tailback Tyler Chow was back to full health after missing half of the Huskies games last season due to injury and being limited in the other half he appeared in.

    The Huskies landed running back Adam Machart as an off-season recruit from the Saskatoon Hilltops. Machart had an outstanding 2017 campaign with the Hilltops and was a member of their CJFL championship teams in each of the past three years.

    In Klassen, Chow and Machart, the Huskies had three players who could all make plays, when they were on the field. Huskies head coach and offensive coordinator Scott Flory and his staff have to be commended for finding a way to give that trio significant field time.

    For Klassen, that meant sliding into the role of receiver, which he filled professionally. His pass catching abilities became that much more important, when the Huskies lost standout receiver Sam Baker due to injury in a 48-46 victory over the Bisons on Sept. 7 in Winnipeg.

    Klassen, who stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 200 pounds, ended up leading the Huskies with 676 receiving yards and eight touchdown receptions all coming on 38 catches. He wasn’t just a fill in at receiver. He became a go-to target who ensured the Huskies passing attack didn’t drop off.

    While being mainly a pass catcher, Klassen did chip in with the running game carrying the ball 14 times for 97 yards and one touchdown.

    Klassen was a key contributor in helping the Huskies return to the post-season after one-year absence. Without the numbers he put up as a receiver, the Huskies easily could have finished further down the Canada West standings.

Kyle Siemens threw four TD passes for the Huskies on Friday night.

    During Friday’s encounter with the Rams, the Huskies took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter on a 28-yard field goal from star kicker Sean Stenger.

    The Rams went ahead 7-3 on a three yard touchdown run by star fifth-year tailback Atlee Simon before the first quarter expired.

    That set the stage for the Huskies to go ahead 10-7 on Klassen’s 70-yard touchdown reception. Chow followed that score up with a 34-yard touchdown run to give the Huskies a 17-7 edge.

    The Rams cut the gap to 17-14 on a 65 yard touchdown run from Kyle Borsa.

    In the final 65 seconds of the first half, the Huskies surged ahead 27-14 on a 13 yard field goal from Stenger and a 34-yard touchdown reception from Machart.

    Early in the third quarter, the Rams conceded a safety to put the Huskies up 29-14. Siemens proceeded to throw respective touchdown passes of eight and 18 yards to Joseph Trumpy and Jesse Kuntz to give the visitors a 43-14 lead.

    Backup quarterback Mason Nyhus entered the contest in the fourth quarter and hit receiver Kyle Newton with a four-yard touchdown pass.

    Machart rounded out the scoring with a four-yard touchdown run.

    Siemens completed 21-of-31 passes for 321 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Nyhus hit on 8-of-10 pass attempts for 104 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.

    Chow had 99 yards rushing on 14 carries to go with his major score on the ground, and Machart 86 yards rushing on 15 carries to go with his touchdown run.

    Kuntz hauled in seven passes for 106 yards to go with his receiving touchdown.

    Defensive ends Riley Pickett and Tristian Koronkiewicz each had a sack for the Huskies.

Adam Machart scored two TDs for the Huskies on Friday night.

    Colton Hippe started at quarterback for the Rams in place of injured fifth-year star Noah Picton and completed 9-of-21 passes for 51 yards. Borsa topped the Rams with 88 yards rushing on seven carries.

    Linebacker Cole Benkic, who is a Hilltops alum, led the Rams with 8.5 tackles, while U of R defensive lineman Ryan Warner had a sack.

    While the Rams season comes to an end, the Huskies play a short waiting game to see where they will begin their venture through the 2018 U Sports playoffs.

    If U of S makes any noise in the post-season, it is a safe bet to expect Klassen will play a key part in creating that noise.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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