For the third consecutive year, the Regina Thunder and Saskatoon Hilltops met in the Prairie Football Conference championship game. This meeting was the third game of the season for the prairie rivals as Saskatoon had recorded 29-15 and 36-11 victories in the regular season.
In this game, the Thunder defence was not going to be denied, powering Regina to a 24-19 win at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.
The Thunder defence was dominant in the win, holding the high-scoring Hilltop's offence in check. Meantime, Regina's offence ran the ball with authority throughout the game to secure the win.
The Thunder took a lead that they would never relinquish on their opening drive of the ball game. Starting from their own 35-yard line, Regina marched 75 yards on nine plays, culminating in a nine-yard touchdown pass from Ethan Hugg to Zak Woidyla. The convert was good to give the Thunder a 7-0 lead.
Then the Thunder defence made a statement, holding Saskatoon's offence to a two-and-out on the Hilltops first offensive possession. However, the ensuing punt was bobbled by Regina's returner and the Hilltops would pounce on the fumble to regain possession at the Thunder 15-yard line.
Two straight incompletions forced the Hilltops to settle for a 22-yard Teijon Abel-Douglas try. He would split the uprights to get Saskatoon on the scoreboard, trailing 7-3.
After the field goal, the Thunder took over possession at their own 35 and marched it down the field using the run game effectively. However, the offence stalled in the red zone. Shawn Green’s 31-yard field goal attempt drifted wide right, allowing Saskatoon to run the ball out of the end zone to keep the score 7-3 Regina.
The Hilltops scrimmaged the ball at their own 20, but again, the Thunder defence stepped up and forced a third consecutive two-and-out. After exchanging possessions, Regina's defence would stop the Hilltops on a fourth consecutive two-and-out to close out the opening quarter.
The Thunder would get the ball to start the second quarter at the Hilltops 48-yard line. On their first play, Regina would hand the ball to Sadik Sadik, who would scamper to the Hilltops 26-yard-line. The drive stalled two plays later, but Green connected on a 16-yard field goal with 11:31 to go in the second quarter to extend Regina’s lead to 10-3.
The Hilltops sent the offence on the field on their 35-yard line after the field goal. That ensuing drive for the Hilltops would see them pick up their initial first down of the game thanks to a 28-yard pass from PFC MVP Trey Reider to Daniel Fontaine. The drive eventually stalled and Saskatoon settled for a 23-yard Able-Douglas field goal attempt which hit the upright. The score would remain 10-3 Regina.
Before halftime, the Thunder got the ball back for the final time with under two minutes to go. Despite effectively running the ball into Hilltops territory, Regina settled for another three-point attempt. The 32-yard field goal would miss wide left and be returned out of the end zone by Charles Sawi. The score remained 10-3 Thunder at the half.
Halftime statistics:
Regina: Saskatoon:
First Downs: 14 5
Yards Rushing: 158 42
Yards Passing: 54 64
Net Offence: 212 102
Time Of Possession: 18:03 11:57
The Hilltops, who deferred their selection of ball or direction when they won the opening coin toss, elected to receive the kickoff to start the second half. The Thunder defence once again stood tall, forcing a two-and-out from the Hilltops offence to pick up where they left off to start the second half.
Regina took over the ball on their own 39-yard line. After their drive seemed to stall just inside Saskatoon territory, the Thunder executed a perfect fake punt with upback Mitchell Tanchak running the ball 25 yards to the Hilltops 20-yard line for a first down. The offence took it from there with Sadik breaking the goal line from three yards out. Following the convert the Thunder led 17-3.
On the ensuing Hilltops possession, Tanchak would make his presence felt again, intercepting Reider’s pass and returning it to the Hilltop 23-yard-line. However, the defending CJFL Champions weren’t going to go down without a fight. On the next play, the Thunder had the ball stripped and the Hilltops recovered with the offence back on the field at the midpoint of the third quarter.
This time, Reider put the offence on his back, leading the team down the field, calling his own number for a 41-yard gain. The drive came up one-yard short, as on a third-down gamble from the one-yard line, the Thunder defence stood tall and forced a turnover on downs.
Following two consecutive run plays, the Thunder conceded a safety with 2:18 to go in the third quarter -- it was 17-5 Regina.
The Hilltops' offence would take over and build some momentum thanks to a 54-yard reception by Drake Douglas. The Hilltops moved the ball into the red zone as running back Corbin Ebben crashed into the end zone from one-yard out to cut into Regina’s lead. It was 17-12 Thunder to start the fourth quarter.
To start the final stanza, Regina would move the ball into Saskatoon territory. After a short run that didn’t garner a new set of downs, the Thunder elected to punt from the Hilltops 54. The kick was fielded by Douglas but a bobble had the ball rolling on the turf and it would eventually be pounced on by Regina at Saskatoon's 12. Three plays later, Sadki would cross the goal line from two yards out to give the Thunder a 24-12 lead with 11:40 to go in the fourth quarter.
Following the major that gave Regina a two-score lead, the defence came out and forced another two-and-out from the Hilltops offence. Regina would get the ball back and methodically march it to the Hilltops 21-yard line before settling for a field goal attempt. The kick from Green was pushed to the right and the Hilltops were able to return it just beyond the goal line to negate the rouge and bring Reider and the offence back on the field.
The Hilltops started at their own 20 and moved the ball into Regina territory. Fontaine made a tough catch in traffic for Saskatoon, spotting the ball at the Thunder’s 19-yard line. The reception, however, was costly for the Hilltops, as Fontaine had to be carted off the field following the reception. Undeterred, Ebben made a 19-yard reception with 4:20 to go to make it 24-19 Regina.
The Thunder offence looked to run the clock out when they took possession. However, with 2:35 to go, they kicked the ball back to the Hilltops. Saskatoon recorded a first down but turned the ball over on downs after an incomplete third-down pass.
With 1:17 to go, the Thunder had control of the ball. Two Sadik carries came up short of a first down, so thanks to a pair of Hilltops timeouts, Saskatoon's offence got one final chance with 1:01 left and the ball at their own 15-yard line.
The Hilltops would find some magic, including a quarterback keeper on third down to keep their final drive alive, moving the ball inside the Thunder 25. But with only six seconds to go, Saskatoon had one shot. That shot, a pass to the end zone, was batted down by a pair of Thunder defenders with zeros on the clock, securing Regina a 24-19 win and the Prairie Football Conference championship.
The Thunder now host the Okanagan Sun in the Canadian Junior Football League semi-final. The Sun advanced after winning the BCFC championship, the Cullen Cup, 23-17 over the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Shore Rebels.
Final unofficial statistics:
Regina: Saskatoon:
First Downs: 23 22
Yards Rushing: 321 168
Yards Passing: 64 291
Net Offence: 380 102
Turnovers: 2 4
Penalties: 5/40 yards 3/20 yards
Time Of Possession: 32:50 11:57
Individual leaders: Regina
PASSING:
Ethan Hugg 7/9 53 yards 1 TD
RUSHING:
Sadik Sadik 28 carries 178 yards 2 TD
Ryland Leichert 20 carries 118 yards
RECEIVING:
Benjamin Walz 4 receptions 28 yards
Individual leaders: Saskatoon
PASSING:
Trey Reider 21/38 291 yards 1TD 1INT
RUSHING:
Trey Reider 9 carries 102 yards
Corbin Ebben 15 carries 66 yards 1 TD
RECEIVING:
Drake Douglas 7 receptions 121 yards
