DB Clovis Lumeka (#18) defends a pass for the Huskies.
In defeat, all the University of Saskatchewan Huskies had to
do was look at the University of Calgary Dinos to know they made a mark.
Going into Friday’s U Sports regular season football tilt at
Griffiths Stadium, the Huskies and Dinos were sporting identical 2-0 records.
There was a chance that this could have been the game where the Dinos, who have
won eight of the last 10 Canada Conference championships, brought the Huskies down
to earth. U of S missed the post-season a year ago with a 2-6 mark.
The Dinos won the game 37-28 before 5,114 spectators, but
they didn’t look like victor after the contest. They departed the field looking
a bit sombre as opposed to looking quietly satisfied in posting another victory
in a match they were favoured to win.
QB Adam Sinagra threw for 569 yards for the Dinos on Friday.
Dinos star quarterback Adam Sinagra had an insane great
night completing 32-of-40 passes for 569 yards, three touchdowns and no
interceptions. Even with those spectacular numbers, the Dinos seemed to know
they had hiccups on their side and could have been beaten had the Huskies made
a couple of big plays.
On a night where the Huskies honoured their retired Canadian
Football Hall of Fame head coach Brian Towriss and announced the street that
runs past Griffith Stadium will now be known as “Brian Towriss Crescent,” the
hosts came out with good jump in their annual homecoming game.
The Dogs had the first possession of the game and drove 59
yards in four plays and capped the march with a seven-yard touchdown reception
by running back Colton Klassen.
In powerhouse form, the Dinos responded with three major
scores of their own to go ahead 21-7. U of C running back Jeshrun Antwi ran in
a major score from 69 yards out and receivers Karl Hunter and Jalen Philpot
hauled in respect touchdown catches from nine and 12 yards out.
Colton Klassen muscles his way into the end zone for a Huskies touchdown.
At that point, the Dinos appeared to get ahead of themselves
in trying to manufacture a blowout. They were stopped on a third-and-one gamble
from the Huskies 48 yard line and a third and five fake punt pass at the
Huskies 51 yard line.
Those turnovers on downs resulted in two field goals by
Huskies star kicker Sean Stenger, which cut the Dinos edge to 21-13 at
halftime. Had the Huskies manufactured a touchdown on one of those chances, they
would have really tightened things up on the night.
Stenger kicked a third field goal on the Huskies first
possession of the second half to further trim the Dinos edge to 21-16.
The Dinos seemed to restore order with a field goal from
star kicker Niko DiFonte and a 50-yard touchdown reception for Philpot to go up
31-16 at the end of the third quarter.
Jalen Philpot goes into the end zone for a Dinos major score.
Philpot caught eight passes for 135
yards to go along with his two major scores.
With 11:20 to play in the fourth quarter, DiFonte hit
another field goal to put the Dinos up 34-16, but the Huskies refused to go
away.
On the second play on their ensuing offensive possession,
Huskies fifth-year quarterback Kyle Siemens hit Klassen with a 72 yard touchdown
pass to cut the Dinos edge to 34-23. Klassen caught seven passes for 134 yards
to go with his two major scores through the air and ran the ball once for 11
yards.
U of C’s edge shrank to 34-25 after conceding a safety due
to bad field position with 9:33 remaining in the fourth quarter. A DiFonte
42-yard field goal with 2:10 to play in the fourth put the Dinos up 37-25 and
pretty much sealed the victory.
The Huskies kick cover unit wraps up Dinos returner Brycen Mayoh (#84).
On the final play of the contest, Stenger hit a 27-yard
field goal to ensure the Huskies lost by just nine points. That play might be
an important one in the future, if the Huskies win the Sept. 29 encounter
between these two sides in Calgary and the points scored in the two head-to-head
clashes possibly becomes a regular season standings tiebreaker.
With Friday’s game in the books, the Dinos remain the only
undefeated team in Canada West with a 3-0 record, while the Huskies fall to 2-1
to sit in a tie for second in the conference with the University of Regina Rams
(2-1).
Of course when the Huskies look at the video of Friday’s
game with the Dinos, they will see missed plays and mistakes they need to
correct going forward.
Siemens was unable to connect on at least three deep passes
that could have potentially gone for touchdowns due to timing issues with the
intended receivers.
Dinos pass rushers close in on Huskies QB Kyle Siemens, right.
Still, the Huskies proved they won’t be pushovers. They are
also playing with house money, because they were listed last in the Canada West
Conference pre-season coaches’ poll.
All they can do is try to keep creating a new excitement around
the team. The Huskies next opportunity to do just that occurs this coming
Friday, when they host the Rams at 7 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium.
NOTE – The Huskies
were without head coach Scott Flory for Friday’s game. Flory was in Hamilton,
Ont., being inducted in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame for his storied CFL
career as an offensive lineman with the Montreal Alouettes that spanned 15
seasons from 1999 to 2013.
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The Elgar Petersen Arena set up for a vigil on April 8.
Deep down, you knew you hadn’t shed your final tears over
the Humboldt Broncos.
A little over five months after a bus collision on April 6
claimed the lives of 16 players and team personnel, the Broncos returned to the
ice Wednesday to host the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s regular season
opening game against the Nipawin Hawks, who are the circuit’s defending
champions. With the clash at the Elgar Petersen Arena broadcast nationally on
TSN, it was a certainty the water works would come from anyone in any part of
the world watching that game.
In a really well-played junior A clash, the Broncos, who are
under the guidance of new head coach and general manager Nathan Oystrick,
scored first with a power-play goal coming from the stick of centre Michael
Clarke at the 2:08 mark of the second period.
Inside of the final 5:30 of the second, the Hawks received
singles from Cole Beamin and Jeremy Bisson to go up 2-1. That score held up as
the final outcome despite a Broncos golden last chance in the dying seconds of
the third coming off the stick of Clarke following an offensive zone faceoff.
Hawks star goalie Declan Hobbs made the stop, which was one
of his 39 saves on the night. Broncos standout netminder Dane Dow played
valiantly on the other end making 24 saves.
For the community of Humboldt, everyone affected by the tragedy
and the community at large all over the world whose hearts sank on April 6,
Wednesday’s game was a big step forward in the healing process. That healing
process still has an uncharted ways to go, but a new normal for the community
of Humboldt just got a lot closer.
When the Broncos and Hawks collide again in Nipawin on
Friday, the Broncos players and coaches will be living a day-to-day life that
more resembles the regular rigours of a hockey season. Regular routines will
start to form again as the 2018-19 campaign progresses.
Humboldt Broncos jerseys became a common sight all over Saskatchewan.
Between the April 6 crash and Wednesday’s game, most of the
focus revolved around the daily news on how the families of the players and
staff were dealing with the aftermath of the crash. The bus carrying the
Broncos to play a Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League playoff game in Nipawin was
involved in a collision with a semi-truck just north of Tisdale resulting in 16
deaths and 13 injuries on the bus.
The world rallied to support the Humboldt players and
staffers including a GoFundMe campaign that raised over $15.1-million with
donations coming from over 141,900 individuals and entities in just under two
weeks.
It is crazy to think Humboldt residents Sylvie Kellington
and Caitlin Hergott originally had the small goal of raising funds to cover
parking costs for the families visiting hospitals with the GoFundMe campaign.
Their efforts became the largest GoFundMe campaign ever in Canada and the third largest ever in the world.
Wednesday’s contest provided another chance to heal and pay
tribute to the 2017-18 Broncos, and that was done in spectacular fashion in
front of an over capacity crowd of 1,998.
Brayden Camrud and Derek Patter were the two survivors of
the crash that returned to the team this season, and they took part in the opening
faceoff. The ceremonial puck drop was performed by a large group of their
teammates from a season ago who also survived the crash.
Both Camrud and Patter played outstanding with Camrud
recording an assist on Clarke’s power-play goal. While the game on the ice wasn’t
the biggest focus on the night, it provided a great compliment to the rest of
the festivities.
Following the game, an emotional ceremony that lasted about
45 minutes was held to cap off the night. During the ceremony, 29 banners, one
for every person on the Broncos bus, were unveiled and placed in a circle
around centre ice.
All the numbers worn by the Broncos players who were on the
bus on April 6 were retired. Camrud and Patter will wear their numbers for the
rest of the campaign, before those digits officially get taken out of
circulation by the Broncos.
A back of a Humboldt Broncos jersey made to support those in the bus crash.
On social media, people from all walks of life made
uplifting comments on Twitter about what they saw from Wednesday’s game.
Of course, no one will be able to bring back the players who
dies in the bus crash in captain Logan Schatz, Adam Herold, Conner Lukan, Evan
Thomas, Jacob Leicht, Jaxon Joseph, Logan Boulet, Logan Hunter, Stephen Wack or
Parker Tobin. The same goes for head coach and general manager Darcy Haugen,
assistant coach Mark Cross, play-by-play voice Tyler Bieber, stats expert Brody
Hinz, athletic therapist Dayna Brons and bus driver Glen Doerksen.
The crash survivors in Camrud, Patter, Graysen Cameron,
Kaleb Dahlgren, Bryce Fiske, Xavier LaBelle, Matthieu Gomercic, Nick
Shumlanski, Tyler Smith, Ryan Straschnitzki, Jacob Wassermann, Layne Matechuk
and Morgan Gobeil will soldier on. Matechuk and Gobeil are still in hospital.
As a collective, those 29 have shown the world it is
possible to come together to heal and care and that everyone can be
#HumboldtStrong.
Tonight was an incredibly emotional and beautiful tribute to the 2017-18 Humboldt Broncos. Thank you for all of your prayers, best wishes and support for the past 5 months. The “hockey family” has helped is through. It’s a great day to be a Bronco. pic.twitter.com/ILpKghXtyj
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Star DB has busy “day off” at schools in
Saskatoon
Jovon Johnson, right, gives a pointer to a Mustangs defensive back.
Jovon Johnson lives what he preaches when it comes to giving
back to the community.
The star defensive back for the CFL’s Saskatchewan
Roughriders was in Saskatoon on Monday handing out backpacks full of school
supplies to students at Princess Alexandra School and King George School.
Following those stops, he made a visit to Mount Royal Collegiate to give a talk
to the Mustangs junior and senior football teams and led a helping hand for the
entire duration of a two-hour practice.
The 34-year-old, who was on a “day off,” stressed how key it
is for him to be active in the community.
Jovon Johnson, right, stresses catching the ball at its highest point.
“It is important because of the platform that we have as
professional athletes to be involved in the community,” said Johnson, who
stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 190 pounds. “The community pays our paycheques.
“At the end of the day, it is our job to give back to them
in as many ways that we can. We can create ways to be involved in the
community, so I brainstorm a lot and come up with ideas and put them in motion.
“At the end of the day, I am able to impact so many people
and put smiles on so many people’s faces just by doing that in opening myself
up to the people and allowing them to get to know me and what I am all about.”
One of Johnson’s brainstorms was the idea of handing out
backpacks full of school supplies to children in schools.
Jovon Johnson sets to throw the football during a DBs drill.
The 12-year CFL
veteran and 13-year professional football player reflected on his own
upbringing in Erie, Pennsylvania, when he didn’t always have everything he
needed.
He gained supporting partners in TD Bank, Lipsett Cartage
and Staples Business Depot to help put together 500 backpacks with school
supplies, which were handed out between schools in Saskatoon and Regina. Johnson
contacted a company in the United States to supply the backpacks.
Joined by receiver Bruce Thompson, who is on the Roughriders
negotiation list, Johnson said he loved seeing the heartfelt expressions on the
faces of the children when they received their backpacks. He could tell the gesture
meant a lot.
Jovon Johnson, right, demonstrates a technique in the backpedal.
Besides seeing how appreciative the students were, Johnson
was blown away by how much support he received in this endeavour.
“It is started with 20 and ended up at 500,” said Johnson. “It
just grew so big and so rapidly that the impact got that much greater.”
At Mount Royal’s football practice, Johnson spent his time
focusing on helping the Mustangs defensive backs with footwork and technique.
He wanted to stress the importance of being fundamentally sound and playing
attention to details to the players.
Johnson said his fundamentals have helped him play professional
football for as long as he has. He was a member of the NFL’s Pittsburgh
Steelers in 2006 before joining the CFL ranks in 2007.
The winner of the CFL’s most outstanding defensive player
award in 2011 enjoyed the chance to share his knowledge with the players on the
Mustangs.
Jovon Johnson addresses the Mustangs after their practice.
“It is good for me, because being that I have been a
professional for 13 years now, I know at some point ultimately it is going to
come to an end,” said Johnson. “I know that my calling in life after football
is probably going to be coaching.
“It is a great time for me to gain some experience doing
that and getting to know what I am up against and the obstacles that I have
ahead. At the end of the day, I am ready for that challenge when the day comes
that I do hang up my cleats and say, ‘You know what, I am going into the next
chapter. I know that I am already mentally and in tune with what I need to
do.’”
The Roughriders (7-4) return to action on Saturday, when
they host the Ottawa Redblacks (6-5) at 7:30 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.
Blades and Stantec team up for charity
shootout
Mark Dinsmore from Wheaton GM skates in on a shootout chance.
The SaskTel Centre ice surface became the place for
lunchtime shinny fun on Monday during a press conference involving the WHL’s
Saskatoon Blades.
The Blades and Stantec Inc. introduced the Stantec #Shootout4Charity
fundraising initiative, which will be a feature at Blades home games. A total
of 16 community leaders from 16 different companies each representing a charity
of their choice will go head-to-head in a shootout.
The head to head shootouts will be held during intermissions
of Blades home games, and they will be conducted in a tournament style bracket.
The first shootout will be held during the Blades home opener, when they face
the Swift Current Broncos on Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.
The final match and winner will be crowned on Dec. 27, when
the Blades host their archrivals the Prince Albert Raiders.
The winner will receive $3,000 for their charity, the runner-up
will receive $1,500 and the third place finisher will be awarded $500.
A shootout demonstration was held in conjunction with the
press conference with shooters from all 16 companies taking part in the demo.
The Stantec #Shootout4Charity championship trophy.
The Stantec #Shootout4Charity will also include a social
media contest where contestants will create videos in support of their charities.
A total of two prizes worth $500 each will be handed out for the social media
video contest portion of this initiative.
“Community is a huge pillar in our organization, and while
we work towards building a champion on the ice, we feel a responsibility off
the ice,” said Blades president Steve Hogle in a release. “We play an
incredibly popular sport.
“We’re humbled by the popularity of our brand, and we
believe that comes not only with a responsibility but an opportunity to
leverage our platform for the greater good of our community.”
The Blades return to action on Thursday, when they host the Regina
Pats in a pre-season contest at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.
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Samuel Eguavoen scores TD for the Roughriders on Saturday.
Even when the road boos feel like cheers, the Saskatchewan
Roughriders have to go through their share of drama to earn victory.
On Saturday at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, the Roughriders
jumped to a 20-17 halftime lead in unfathomable fashion against the host Blue
Bombers in front of a packed crowd of 33,134 spectators. As the teams departed to
the dressing rooms for halftime, a vocal number of people in attendance booed
the host side off the field, and it was apparent Bombers fans were the ones
unloading the boos.
With 68 seconds remaining in the first half, the Bombers
were holding a 17-13 lead and had the ball at the Saskatchewan seven yard line with
a first and goal. Bombers starting quarterback Matt Nichols tried to throw an
ill-advised underhanded pass upfield, and the ball landed right in the gut of
Roughriders linebacker Samuel Eguavoen.
Eguavoen ran the ball back 103 yards the other way for a
Saskatchewan touchdown, which gave the visitors a 20-17 lead. The Roughriders
first touchdown of the contest happen to come off a 97-yard interception return
by defensive end Willie Jefferson.
By halftime, Saskatchewan had scored two touchdowns off
interception returns that totalled 200 yards. In any football game, that sort
of occurrence is unthinkable.
When a team gets booed off the field by its own fans, it
usually feels as good as cheers for the visiting side.
Willie Jefferson scored a touchdown for the Roughriders on Saturday.
Even with the Bombers fans giving their team the
raspberries, the Roughriders weren’t able to win easy. Saskatchewan increased
its lead to 26-17 by the end of the third quarter only to have Winnipeg take a
27-26 advantage opening the fourth quarter scoring 10 unanswered points.
Brett Lauther closed the contest booting his fifth and six
field goals of the game to give the Roughriders a 32-27 victory.
Now riding a four game winning streak, the Roughriders improved
to 7-4 to sit with the second best record overall in the CFL, if you go off
winning percentage. The Bombers fell to 5-7 having dropped their last four in a
row.
Even when the wins are piling up for the Roughriders, it
feels like they are always facing challenges. Saskatchewan’s starting
quarterback Zack Collaros was forced to leave the game early in the fourth
quarter after taking a big hit from Bombers defensive back Jeff Hecht.
Collaros, who had found his stride in the current campaign,
was placed under concussion protocol. He missed four games earlier this season due
to a concussion injury.
Roughriders star defensive back Ed Gainey went down a short
time later with a leg injury.
If both players miss any significant time, that alone might
halt the Roughriders winning streak.
Zach Collaros left Saturday’s game due to injury.
At the moment, it is too early to tell if either will play
this coming Saturday, when the Roughriders host the Ottawa Redblacks (6-5) at
7:30 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium.
Still, the Roughriders found a way to win namely due to the
fact their defence came up with all sorts of big plays. The Roughriders defence
forced Nichols and Bombers backup quarterback Chris Streveler to throw a
combined five interceptions.
Jefferson and Eguavoen had sacks to go along with the
interceptions they respectively returned for touchdowns. Defensive back
Loucheiz Purifoy had nine tackles and two interceptions to aid the Roughriders
cause.
Running back and former University of Auburn Tigers star Tre
Mason paced the Roughriders offence carrying the ball 20 times for 117 yards
and catching two passes for 13 yards.
While the Roughriders latest win came via a crazy fashion,
the CFL showed on Saturday how insane it can be.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats won their third in a row downing the
Argonauts in Toronto 36-25. Hamilton improved to 6-5 to sit in a tie for first
place in the East Division with the Redblacks. The Argonauts fell to 3-8 with
the loss.
Tigers-Cats starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli completed
18-of-25 passes for 307 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. This
season, Masoli has passed for 300 or more yards nine times to equal a team
record for most 300 yard passing games in one season set in 2013 by Henry
Burris.
In Edmonton, the host Eskimos downed the Calgary Stampeders in
a classic CFL shootout 48-42. The Stampeders, who remain first overall in the
CFL with a 9-2 mark, committed seven turnovers and still had a chance to win
that contest.
HC and GM Chris Jones and the Roughriders have won four straight.
The Eskimos, who improved to 7-5, led 21-7 at one point in
the first quarter and were up 48-28 going into the fourth quarter and almost
ended up losing.
The Stampeders scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter,
and had receiver Juwan Brescacin been able to hold on to a Hail Mary pass on
the final play of the fourth quarter, Calgary would have likely escaped with
victory depending if the possible ensuing convert was successful.
Stampeders quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell completed 25-of-46
passes for 491 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions in that loss.
Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly connected on 30-of-44 passes for 397 yards,
three touchdowns and one interception in the win.
In the CFL, it doesn’t matter what record a team has
entering any particular contest. Each team has enough playmakers to pull out
victory on any given night.
That is the enduring aspect that helps to make the CFL great
and days like Saturday’s triple header are intriguing to watch.
I have to give you the reader a big thanks if you are
reading this right now after seeing the above tweet.
The Saskatoon Police Service gave the public a really sweet
and fun video here. Down in the United States, police forces down there had
been putting together videos on lip sync challenges.
After receiving requests from some in the community to
possibly get involved, the Saskatoon Police Service dropped this video on their
Facebook page at 10 a.m. on Friday. It is a lip sync video to the song “I Want
It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys.
Within about two hours, the Facebook post of the video had
over 83,000 views. At about 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, the video has piled up over
1.4-million views on Facebook and over 20,000 views on YouTube.
The video is great because it shows the members of the
Saskatoon Police Service in a lighter and humorous mood. Actually, the members
of the Saskatoon Police Service are pretty good when it comes to socializing
with the public, and the video helps make them feel that much more
approachable.
The YouTube post of the video is below.
Schlenker earns full time NHL referee spot,
other notes
Chris Schlenker waves off a goal in the 2016 WHL playoffs.
Chris Schlenker earned another huge milestone recently in his
career as a hockey referee.
The alum of the WHL’s Regina Pats and Prince Albert Raiders
was promoted full time to the NHL ranks as first reported by Scoutingtherefs.com
on Aug. 31. Schlenker was brought on as a full-time professional referee to
work games in both the NHL and AHL before the start of the 2016-17 season.
He made his professional debut on Oct. 17, 2015 working an
AHL game between the Toronto Marlies and the Albany Devils. On Oct. 24, 2016,
Schlenker made his NHL debut in Montreal as the host Canadiens took on the
Philadelphia Flyers.
The 34-year-old product from Medicine Hat, Alta., has worked
59 NHL games since become a full-time professional official. He refereed in the
AHL’s 2017 Calder Cup finals.
During his days as a player, Schlenker, who stands 6-foot-2
and weighs 198 pounds, was a tough defensive defenceman. From 2000 to 2005, he
appeared in 284 WHL regular season games split between the Pats and Raiders
posting 25 goals, 67 assists and 718 penalty minutes.
After playing less than a season of professional hockey in
Germany, Schlenker joined the Medicine Hat Police Service and became a member
of the K9 unit.
As a member of the police service, Schlenker took up
officiating. He quickly worked his way up the hockey ranks and won the Allen
Paradice Memorial Trophy as the top official in the WHL following for the
2015-16 season. He worked the WHL finals and the Memorial Cup that season as
well.
At that time, Schlenker completed his fifth season as a
hockey referee.
Now entering his eight season as a referee, Schlenker has
built a reputation for being solid at that craft. It wouldn’t be a surprise if
he spent a number of seasons working in the NHL ranks.
The Saskatoon Blades downed the Prince Albert
Raiders 4-3 after a tiebreaking shootout in a WHL pre-season match at The
Legends Centre in Warman, Sask., on Saturday night. Kirby Dach, Michael Farren
and Brad Goethals netted singles for the Blades in regulation, while Spencer
Moe, Kody McDonald and Lane Kirk replied with singles for the Raiders in
regulation. Goethals and Farren had the only tallies in the tiebreaking
shootout. Koen MacInnes made 35 saves over 65 minutes in goal for the Blades
(5-0). Donovan Buskey turned away 33 shots in goal for the Raiders (0-2-0-1).
The University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s
hockey team blanked the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns 5-0 in a neutral
site U Sports pre-season tilt at the Fairview Arena in Swift Current, Sask., on
Saturday night. Nicole Fry, Kennedy Brown, Bailee Bourassa, Shyan Elias and
Leah Bohlken all had singles for the Huskies. Jasey Book and Camryn Drever
split the shutout in goal for U of S.
On Friday night, the U of Saskatchewan Huskies
football team improved to 2-0 downing the U of Manitoba Bisons 48-46 in a
shootout in Winnipeg. Huskies quarterback Kyle Siemens completed 24-of-35
passes for 306 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. The Bisons fell to
0-2 following the U Sports regular season contest.
The U of Regina Rams stomped the U of Alberta Golden
Bears 51-13 in a U Sports regular season football clash in Edmonton on Friday
night. Rams quarterback Noah Picton completed 32-41 passes for 449 yards, three
touchdowns and two interceptions. The Rams improved to 1-1, while the Golden
Bears fell to 0-2.
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Kyran Moore returns a punt for a touchdown for the Roughriders.
The journey from Regina back to Saskatoon after the Labour Day
Classic always feels like the longest two-and-a-half hour drive home.
Around 9:45 a.m. on Monday, I began my jaunt up Highway 11
to return to “The Bridge City” from “The City that Rhymes with Fun.” To my
surprise, a halt had been made on two construction projects on lengthy parts of
that roadway and traffic was light. I made good time getting home.
I should underscore that I am happy with living in
Saskatoon. Overall, I have had a pretty good last four years there.
I always take the end of the Labour Day Classic weekend as
the moment summer officially comes to an end. The Labour Day Classic weekend is
a great party weekend, and it always feels like a letdown, when it is over.
When it concludes, your thoughts begin to dwell on returning
to the rigors of regular life.
You wish the Labour Day Classic weekend would never end, or
that every weekend could be the Labour Day Classic weekend.
Winnipeg and Saskatchewan fans enjoy the Labour Day Classic.
On the Mosaic Stadium turf during Sunday’s CFL clash between
the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and host Saskatchewan Roughriders, the Roughriders
pulled out a 31-23 victory. As I was cheering for the “green and white,” it was
a good day.
With that said, it would have been a good day and weekend
had the Roughriders not won. For those that head to Regina for the Labour Day
Classic weekend, they realize the rivalry between the Bombers and Roughriders
is a friendly one.
Every year, you look forward to getting together with the
crew of Bombers fans that travel from Winnipeg to the Saskatchewan capital for
this game. A number of the Winnipeg fans make this trek on an annual basis.
I know I had a great time going out on Saturday and Sunday
nights in “The Queen City.”
“The Golden Boy” rallies Bombers fans before the Labour Day Classic.
During both nights out, everyone had a good time
and everyone treated each other with respect.
Good-natured jabs went back and forth between the fan bases
regarding the two teams, but that is part of the fun of the weekend.
The fellowship aspect, sharing a common love for the CFL and
showing a fan passion for the team you cheer for are huge overall big things
you always look forward to.
It always seems like a disappointment when that get together
ends.
One year I need to make the “Banjo Bowl” in Winnipeg on the
weekend that follows the Labour Day Classic to see both ends of the annual
home-and-home series between the Bombers and Roughriders.
It feels like that would be a way to pay back the Winnipeg
fans that make it out to Regina every year. This year’s “Banjo Bowl” is slated
for Saturday and is sold out.
Mascot “Gainer the Gopher” makes his rounds after a Roughriders TD.
Since returning to Saskatoon, it seems like social media
lines have been buzzing with local area teams trying to spread news about what
they are up to. Now that it is September, what I view as the winter sports
season that runs from September to April, which gets quite busy, is upon us.
It feels like you can drown in the sea of information. Here
are some tidbits that locked in my head.
Saskatoon products Emily Clark and Sophie
Shirley along with Prince Albert product Kaitlin Willoughby will attend Canada’s
National Women’s Hockey Team’s Fall Festival that begins this coming Saturday and
runs to Sept. 16 in Dawson Creek, B.C. The trio of forwards are part of 59
players that were invited to the annual training camp, which is aimed at
helping develop and evaluate Canada’s top female hockey players. The players at
this camp are being graded to possibly play on Canada’s senior national team,
and the invitees include 23 players who helped Canada win silver at the Winter
Olympics held in February in PyeongChang, South Korea. Clark, who is a member
of the senior national team, and Shirley, who is member of Canada’s national
development team, will both play in the NCAA ranks this season with the
University of Wisconsin Badgers. Willoughby, who helped Canada’s women’s team
win silver at the FISU Winter Universiade in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in 2017, will play
professionally with the CWHL’s Calgary Inferno this season, and she is an
alumnae of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team. U of
Saskatchewan staff member Jason Weber will be working as a strength and
conditioning coach at the Fall Festival.
Kianna Dietz, who is the former “glue gal” with
the powerhouse Saskatoon Stars female midget AAA team, has found a new hockey
home. The 18-year-old forward will join the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns
women’s hockey team in the U Sports ranks for the upcoming campaign. Last
season, Dietz recorded five goals and 18 assists in 27 regular season games
with the Stars. She played in four complete campaigns with the Stars appearing
in 104 regular season games posting 23 goals and 38 assists. The Pronghorns
will face the U of Saskatchewan Huskies in a neutral site exhibition match on
Saturday in Swift Current.
Saskatoon Hilltops defensive tackle Garth
Knittig was named the defensive player of the week for the Prairie Football
Conference on Tuesday. Knittig had six solo tackles, two tackle assists and a
half sack as the Hilltops downed the Rifles in Winnipeg 38-8 to last Sunday.
The Hilltops are 3-0 to start the CJFL campaign, and they have won their last
21 straight road games including play in the regular season and post-season.
The Hilltops return to action on Sept. 15, when they travel to Calgary to face
the Colts.
U of Saskatchewan Huskies defensive back Nelson
Lokombo was named the defensive player of the week for the Canada West
Conference on Tuesday, while Huskies kick returner Daniel Perry was named the
conference’s special teams player of the week. Both players helped the Huskies
blank the U of Alberta Golden Bears 42-0 last Friday at Griffiths Stadium. Lokombo
had two interceptions and four tackles for the Huskies, while Perry returned
nine punts for 139 yards. The Huskies return to action tonight, when they
travel to Winnipeg to face the University of Manitoba Bisons.
Four members of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades are
currently attending NHL rookie training camps. Winger Eric Florchuk is in camp with
the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals. Florchuk was selected
in the seventh round and 217th overall in June’s NHL Entry Draft by
the Capitals. Florchuk will be joined at Capitals camp by Blades Norwegian import
forward Kristian Roykas-Marthinsen. Roykas-Marthinsen was picked in the seventh
around and 213th overall by the Capitals in the 2017 NHL Entry
Draft. The Blades selected Roykas-Marthinsen in last June’s CHL Import Draft. Centre
Chase Wouters is attending camp with the Tampa Bay Lightning as a free agent
invite. Overage winger Max Gerlach earned a free agent invite to camp with the
Arizona Coyotes. The Blades return to pre-season action on Saturday, when they
host the Prince Albert Raiders at 7 p.m. at the Legends Centre in Warman.
Back in the Express with “BT”
Brian Towriss’ legacy will be honoured on Sept. 15.
I was back in the pages of the Saskatoon Express this week with
retired legendary U of Saskatchewan Huskies football head coach Brian Towriss,
who is a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
The feature was an advancer piece for the “Thanks to BT” program
that will be held Sept. 15 at the Saskatoon Field House and is being put on by
the Huskies Football Alumni Club. As part of the program, Towriss will join
former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall and TSN broadcaster Darren Dutchyshen for
a fireside chat about Towriss’ legacy.
For those heading to the “Thanks to BT” function, you will
likely be in for a treat. Towriss is a great story teller and names of players
or recollections of big games will bring a cool anecdote.
In my piece, I had Towriss reflect on his career with the
Huskies starting from the time he joined program as a defensive end way back in
1974. The hardest part in writing the piece was deciding what to include and
what to leave out due to space constrains. That is crazy to say noting that I
still wrote a longer form story piece for the Express.
Some of the interesting tidbits that I wasn’t able to
include in the article was the fact Towriss attended a high school hosted by
the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders in order to get scouted in his Grade 12 year.
He was recruited to join the Regina Rams, who were still playing in the
Canadian Junior Football League, and was in camp with Rams before electing to
join the Huskies.
Towriss, who was born and grew up in Moose Jaw, decided to head to Saskatoon after getting into U of S’s commerce program, and learning from then head coach Val Schneider that the Huskies had money through a Roughriders scholarship to help the then defensive end attend school.
The 62-year-old Towriss reminisced about the fact TSN used to have a
game of the week for U Sports football in the early 1990s, and those televised
games helped bring the Huskies into national prominence along with their three Vanier
Cup wins. I wasn’t able to fit that into the story as well.
Towriss discussed what it was like to have a long succession
of offensive linemen graduate from the Huskies and play in the CFL. That list includes current Huskies head coach Scott Flory, Kevin Lefsrud, Ben Heenan, Patrick Neufeld and Evan Johnson. I wasn’t able
to get that into the piece either.
He also talked about the disappointment in not being able to
win a playoff game during his final seven seasons as Huskies head coach. I
couldn’t work that into the story.
Still, I was able to get a lot of cool recollections into
the piece. In order to see what those were, you have to read the story, and you
can do so 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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Hilltops DT Jesse McNabb (#69) chases down a ball carrier.
Jesse McNabb was
ready to step up on the Saskatoon Hilltops defensive line and his chance arrived
a little faster than expected.
In 2016, McNabb
joined the Hilltops as a rookie fresh out of Saskatchewan’s North Battleford
Comprehensive High School, and he figured he would have to pay his dues before
starting for a club that is always contending for a Canadian Junior Football
League title. McNabb was moved up to a starting spot in his sophomore year in
2017 and hasn’t looked back.
“My rookie year, I
kind of knew where my spot was going to be, because I knew we had a good group
of older guys ahead of me,” said McNabb, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 245
pounds. “I just knew with patience my time would come.
“I just had to wait
until I had my opportunity. Once my opportunity came, I had to seize it.”
Now in his third
year with the team, the 20-year-old has become a cornerstone on the Hilltops
defensive line at the inside tackle position. In Saskatoon’s first two regular season
games, McNabb has recorded seven total tackles, 1.5 sacks and recovered one fumble.
On Sunday, the Hilltop improved to 3-0 on the campaign, when they traveled to Winnipeg and downed the Rifles 38-8. Saskatoon led 24-1 at halftime and cruised to their 21st straight victory on the road including action in the regular season and playoffs. The Rifles fell to 1-2.
Hilltops DT Jesse McNabb (#69) enjoys being part of the team’s D-line.
Normally in
football, those that play a defensive tackle position don’t get too much of the
limelight. They are often entrusted with trying to occupy a pair of blocks to
allow teammates to swarm in and make plays. By taking up a pair of blocks,
defensive tackles also help to clog up the opposition’s running game.
The importance of
McNabb’s play and improvement is recognized by Hilltops head coach Tom
Sargeant.
“Jesse (McNabb) is a
great kid,” said Sargeant. “Number one, he is a high character player, high
motor.
“He never takes a
play off. He is just always competing. Just the growth and mentality from his
first year to now in his third year, he has really grown, and he is a two-year
starter.
“He is impactful.
Each game he gets better, and he does something impactful and important.”
Growing up in North
Battleford, Sask., McNabb wanted to get into football as soon as he could and
started playing in Grade 7. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father,
Aaron, who played a couple of seasons in the early 1990s for the University of
Saskatchewan Huskies.
Hilltops DT Jesse McNabb brings down a Colts running back.
The younger McNabb
took a quick liking to football and admitted he dropped pretty much every other
extra-curricular activity he did to play the sport. Playing with the Vikings,
McNabb established himself as a trusted standout at the high school level.
“I got lots of
different experiences,” said McNabb. “I’ve pretty much played every position on
the field.
“It is not a big
town. You don’t have many guys. You have to play both ways.”
When he joined the
Hilltops, McNabb said the veterans played a big role in helping him adjust to
playing for a storied team at the junior level.
“We had a good group
of fifth years to lead us through everything,” said McNabb. “It was a big
winning atmosphere and the guys knew what they were doing, and they knew what
they wanted to do.
“They really set
your mind straight, when you were coming from a different program.”
Now, McNabb is the
veteran leader who is helping the Hilltops defensive line continue to play at a
high level. McNabb and fellow defensive tackle Garth Knittig were the only two
returning starters on the Hilltops defensive line from last season.
Defensive end Tom
Schnitzler exhausted his CJFL eligibility after last season and now plays for
the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in the U Sports ranks. Riley
Pickett picked up nine quarterback sacks in eight regular season games playing
the other defensive end spot last season, and he moved on to join the U of S
Huskies.
Hilltops DT Jesse McNabb chases down a Colts quarterback.
Connor Guillet and Tristan
Hering, who are in their fifth and fourth years of eligibility respectively,
have filled in admirably as starters at the defensive end spots. Guillet missed
almost all of last season due to a torn Achilles tendon. Caleb Haight and
Jordan Seipp, who are in their second and first years of eligibility
respectively, have rotated in and seen a number of reps at the defensive end
positions as well.
Under defensive line
coach Dave Fisher, the Hilltops defensive line consistently stays at a high
level.
“It was not too bad
at all,” said McNabb. “We still had returning guys coming back and playing the
ends.
“I think we are just
meshing good as a unit. We have a good group of linebackers behind us.
“We don’t have to
worry about much. As long as we do our jobs, everyone else will make the play,
if we miss it.”
Away from the field,
Sargeant said McNabb conducts himself like a gentleman.
“He has a great
upbringing and great parents,” said Sargeant. “He is just a super kid.
“What you see is
what you get. He is a great role model for us. We’re proud that he is here, and
he makes us better.
“He does everything
right. He is Hilltop proud, and we are expecting him to be one of the leaders now
and into the future.”
Hilltops DT Jesse McNabb gets a sack on a Colts quarterback.
McNabb has helped
the Hilltops win the last two of their current run of four straight CJFL
championships. While thoughts of winning an unprecedented fifth Canadian Bowl
championship game are in the back of everyone’s minds, McNabb said he is going
to enjoy each day as it comes as the season progresses.
“It is always a good
time, when you are hanging out with the guys,” said McNabb. “There are no bad days.
“If you are having a
bad day, your guys are always there to help pick you up.”
The Hilltops now enjoy a bye week. They return to action on Sept. 15, when they travel to Calgary to take on the
Colts.
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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It has been 31 years
since he stepped on the field for the Blue Bombers, but Willard Reaves still
feels the love from the Winnipeg fans.
Known as the “No. 38
Special,” Reaves spent only five seasons in a Bombers jersey from 1983 to 1987,
but he became a CFL legend leading the league in rushing on three different
occasions. During those five years, the product of Flagstaff, Arizona, was the
top running back in Canada.
His best season was
his sophomore 1984 campaign, where he was voted the league’s most outstanding
player rushing for 1,733 yards and scoring 14 touchdowns on 304 carries in a
16-game regular season. He also hauled in 40 passes for 407 yards and scored
four majors.
Guided by Canadian Football Hall of Fame head coach Cal Murphy, the Bombers posted
an 11-4-1 record to finish second overall in the CFL and romped into the Grey
Cup game in Edmonton and thumped the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 47-17. The win ended a
22-year Grey Cup drought for “the Blue and Gold” at that time.
“Back in that time,
I didn’t really grasp the big huge thing about the Grey Cup until months
later,” said Reaves. “Those Bomber fans were absolutely nuts. “We had lots of
sellouts that year, especially 83 and 84.”
In Winnipeg, Reaves
is still a legend. He said he could have hit a unique milestone in his MVP
season in 1984 and chuckles about how it was missed on one play.
Willard Reaves in the 2008 Bombers media guide.
“As a matter of fact,
I did say I was going to rush for 1,800 yards and whatever,” said Reaves. “I
think it was a game against Ottawa. “I burst up the middle there for like 69 or
70 yards or something like that. David Black was
holding. It pretty much cost me the 1,800 yards, (but) 1,733 yards is not too
bad I guess.”
Besides remembering
his football exploits, Bomber fans also remember the time Reaves saved a man
from drowning at a pool in a Winnipeg hotel in 1985. After his football career
was finished, he made his permanent home in the Manitoba capital.
Reaves said he still
encounters fans all over the place in Winnipeg seeking his autograph. He admits
he is impressed he is still remembered.
“It is such a great
town,” said Reaves. “Even now (and) when you are playing of course, they are
coming up to you and getting autographs. “They just want to come and sit and talk
to you and stuff like this. I have people
coming left right and centre for autographs and this and that still even to
this day. It is amazing that people still remember and stuff like this.
“I am
meeting their kids and their dogs.”
When he played,
Reaves said the passion Bomber fans had for their team compared to the passion
that Saskatchewan Roughriders fans have for their club.
A Willard Reaves football card from 1985.
The 1984 Grey Cup
was a big deal for the Winnipeg faithful, because the Bombers were facing a
Hamilton team that was quarterbacked by former Winnipeg star Dieter Brock.
Brock was traded out of Winnipeg during a messy divorce late in the 1983 campaign
for fellow pivot Tom Clements, who happened to become a hero in Winnipeg.
Brock had expressed frustration about his life in Winnipeg, which didn’t sit well with the Bombers faithful.
Bomber fans were wearing “Brock Busters” T-shirts during Grey Cup week in 1984.
Reaves remembers the atmosphere created by the 60,081 spectators at
Commonwealth Stadium being in a frenzy.
A Willard Reaves football card from 1983.
“It was absolutely
nuts,” said Reaves. “I didn’t see it, but I heard the train ride there was
absolutely crazy.
“People were rocking
and partying all the way down from Winnipeg to Edmonton, and of course the “Brock
Busters” and the stadium.”
Reaves believes he
had the personal success he did, because Winnipeg’s offence was well rounded at
that time. He enjoyed watching the receiving corps that was nicknamed “The
Untouchables” make plays catching passes from Clements.
“It went both ways,”
said Reaves. “We both complimented each other.
“When they wanted to
tee off and stop our running game, we just took to the air, and that was it. Of
course, you have Joe Poplawski, Rick House, Jeff Boyd and James Murphy and
stuff like that (as receivers), and then you have their backups.
“We were quite good.
I am thinking we were very good.”
During his playing
days in Winnipeg, Reaves gained a number of memories from the rivalry showdowns
the Bombers had with the British Columbia Lions. The most memorable clash
between the two clubs for Reaves occurred in the 1984 West Final at B.C. Place
in Vancouver, which the Bombers won convincingly 31-14. The two clubs split
their two regular season meetings in 1984.
A Willard Reaves football card from 1984.
“The (Grey Cup) game was fun, but the best game that we had was the
week before, when we played the B.C. Lions,” said Reaves. “That we thought was
our signature thing.
“It was always B.C.
and Winnipeg. We split on the regular season. We came out the Western Finals
and went into B.C. Place and as noisy as it was and stuff like that we calmed
it down real quick.
“We just whooped the
crap out of them.”
In 1987, Reaves
played his final season with the Bombers having another banner year leading the
CFL with 1,471 yards rushing and scoring nine majors on the ground to be named
an all-Canadian for a third time.
After that campaign,
he elected to try his luck in the NFL and spent time over the next two seasons
with the Washington Redskins and the Miami Dolphins. He only appeared in three
regular season games in 1989, while the Bombers would win Grey Cups in 1988 and
1990.
As a 59-year-old
looking back at that decision, Reaves had no regrets, because he also knew his
career after football was looming.
“Football wasn’t my
first love,” said Reaves. “That is why it made it so easy to walk away from the
game regardless of what happened elsewhere.
“I knew that this
was not going to last forever. I had to get into something else, and I did. I
went and joined into the justice department.”
Willard Reaves, left, with son, Jordan.
These days Reaves
tries to watch his sons Ryan and Jordan venture through their respective
professional sports careers. Ryan is a 31-year-old right-winger with the NHL’s
Vegas Golden Knights, while Jordan is a 28-year-old defensive lineman and
special teams ace with the Roughriders.
With his old team
experiencing a current league long 28-year Grey Cup drought, Reaves would love
to see his Bombers reach the CFL’s pinnacle once again.
“I’d like to see it
happen,” said Reaves. “It would be good for the city of Winnipeg. “It would be
good to get back into the spirit of things.”
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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