Photo courtesy of Wanda Harron Photography

Saskatoon Hilltops 38
Edmonton Huskies 10

The Saskatoon Hilltops once again showed they are a force to be reckoned with after dominating the Huskies on Sunday afternoon.   They scored 18 points in the first quarter and their defence pitched a first half shutout. 

Their offence was extremely balanced with 212 yards gained on the ground AND through the air.  Starter Damon Dutton was outstanding finishing 17 of 20 for 172 yards and threw touchdown passes to both Broden Marley and Noah Flaman.   The run game was led by Charles Sawl who galloped 92 yards on only four carries and scored a pair of touchdowns. 

Defensively they were sharp.  Linebacker Matt Wist had a team high five tackles and Riece Kack had their lone sack and interception. 

The Huskies were relatively quiet scoring their lone touchdown halfway through the fourth quarter as running back Mikey Pang pounded the ball in from four yards out.  Alex Gayle had a game high 109 yards on 21 carries but was kept out of the end zone. 

This coming weekend the Hilltops (2-0) hit the road for the first time and visit the Winnipeg Rifles (0-2) and the Huskies (1-1) host the Regina Thunder (2-0).

Regina Thunder 24
Winnipeg Rifles 22

The Thunder kicked two field goals in the final quarter to comeback to beat the visiting Rifles on Sunday afternoon. The Rifles won every quarter except the last one and came up empty handed. 

Offensively the Thunder had a massive game collecting 541 total yards, but they coughed up the ball five times and took some untimely penalties.  Quarterback Carter Shewchuk completed 16 passes for 314 yards and threw touchdowns to Isaiah Woodley and Rylan Sokul.   Running back Ryland Leichert rushed 25 times for 174 yards. 

Over on the defensive side Adam King had a busy stat line with an interception, a fumble recovery, a knockdown, two tackles and an assisted stop. Linebacker Reed Rabbetz recorded two sacks.

The Rifles played an outstanding, gritty road game and almost completed the upset. They scored in every quarter except the last one.  The offensive connection of quarterback Bryson McNeil to receiver Jacob Roger was on display all game.  Roger caught 11 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns including one that went for 84-yards.  McNeil completed 21 passes for a game high 338 yards.

This coming weekend the Thunder (2-0) will be on the road for the first time and will visit the Edmonton Huskies (1-1) while the winless Rifles (0-2) play their home opener and will host the Saskatoon Hilltops (2-0) on Sunday.

Calgary Colts 38
Edmonton Wildcats 10

The Colts shot out of the gate on Sunday and scored 24 points in the first half and their defence kept the Wildcats off the board.  

They pick up their first win behind a very balanced attack offensively and a highflying defence.   The run game chewed up 231 yards led by Alan Xiang and his 148 yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns.  Meanwhile quarterback Nick Kenndey threw for 206 yards on 15 completions and connected on three touchdown passes.  Tristan Remus-Arevalo caught two of those majors and Ty Metcalfe hauled in the other.  

On the other side the Wildcats scored all 10 of their points in the third quarter.  Their lone touchdown was a 50-yard run from Manny McGill about four minutes after halftime.   Two quarterbacks combined for nine completions for 104 yards. 

This coming Sunday these two teams battle again, but this time the venue changes.  The Colts (1-1) will visit the Wildcats (0-2).

It’s Week 4 of the CJFL season and all three Conferences will see live action for the first time in 2022.  The BC Conference will play their fourth game already, while the Prairie and Ontario Conferences will kick-off their eight game schedules. 

SATURDAY

London Beefeaters @ Ottawa Sooners – Saturday August 13, 5:00pm – Carleton University

The defending Ontario Conference champion Beefeaters hit the road to begin their title defence and will visit the new look Ottawa Sooners who haven’t played a game since the 2019 season. 

The Beefs graduate some key players and have a new head coach as Matt Snyder has taken the helm. He is a former Beefeater and is expecting his team to be in the mix when it comes to the end of the season.

Meanwhile the Sooners are back on the field after taking a hiatus last season to get their organization back to a competitive level.  Toss in the two seasons missed due to the pandemic and the Sooners are on the field for the first time in three years.   Kevin Ling has taken over as head coach and brings with him a new sense of rejuvenation. 

Quinte Skyhawks @ St. Clair Saints - Saturday August 13, 7:00pm – Acumen Stadium | WATCH HERE

For the first time in their storied history the football team in Windsor will be referred to as the Saints.  This completes the transition from the Fratmen to fully inline with the St. Clair College athletic department.  

Last season St. Clair was undefeated in the regular season and looked to be on their way to hosting the Canadian Bowl however a wild finish in the Ontario championship game left them with a bitter taste in their mouth.  This season the Saints have a clear focus but a very different looking team with over 40 first year players.   One thing that remains consistent is at the head coaching position as highly decorated coach Mike LaChance returns with his incredibly successful track record.

The Skyhawks meanwhile enter their second CJFL season after falling to St. Clair in last year’s Conference semi-final.    The Skyhawks have a handful of returning players and should be even better this season with a year under their belts.  Peter Gabriel has taken over as their head coach. 

Head-to-Head 2021

Records: Skyhawks 2-6 – Saints 8-0
Points For: Skyhawks 120 – Saints 438
Points Allowed: Skyhawks 360 – Saints 91

Kamloops Broncos @ VI Raiders - Saturday August 13, 5:30pm – NDSS Turf Field | WATCH HERE

It’s early in the season but for the second time in three weeks the Raiders and Broncos will butt heads.  The Raiders won the first meeting 14-7 at Hillside Stadium scoring a touchdown in the last quarter to pull out the win.  Raiders quarterback Ben Chomolok threw for a touchdown and ran for the other in the victory while Broncos quarterback Reid Vankoughnett accounted for their score, also on the ground. 

The Broncos are coming off a victory in Prince George where they put up 35 points and 456 yards of total offence while the Raiders lost big in Westshore, for their second setback of the season. 

The winner of this game will record their second of the campaign.  If the Raiders win they would own the tiebreaker at the end of the season, but if the Broncos win by more than seven points they would have possession of the tiebreaker. 

Head-to-Head

Records: Broncos 1-1 – Raiders 1-2
Points For: Broncos 42 – Raiders 43
Points Allowed: Broncos 34 – Raiders 102

Westshore Rebels @ Okanagan Sun – Saturday August 13, 7:00pm – Apple Bowl | WATCH HERE | Sun Radio Broadcast HERE

It’s a battle of the two remaining undefeated teams in the BC Conference when the Rebels visit the Sun on Saturday night in what should be a classic game.

The Rebels have been a juggernaut so far averaging over 39 points a game including dismantling the VI Raiders last weekend 45-10.  The Sun have won two straight and are coming off their bye week so will be rested with the Rebels coming to town. 

This will be a fun game to watch and is the first of two meetings on the season between these teams with the second game scheduled for Saturday September 10th at Westshore.

Head-to-Head

Records: Rebels 3-0 – Sun 2-0 
Points For: Rebels 119 – Sun 70
Points Allowed:  Rebels 47 – Sun 26

Prince George Kodiaks @ Valley Huskers – Saturday August 13, 7:00pm – Exhibition Field | WATCH HERE

For the second time this season the Huskers will entertain the Kodiaks in Chilliwack after they won the opener 31-5.  In that game Huskers’ quarterback Josh Janssen threw four touchdown passes to four different receivers while their defence kept the Kodiaks out of the end zone forcing three turnovers.

The Huskers are coming off a massive win over the Langley Rams and confidence is high.  Their defence kept the defending champion Rams out of the end zone giving up two field goals and a single.  Running back Reece Wyke was named the Offensive Player of the Week.

On the other side the Kodiaks hosted their first ever CJFL game last weekend but fell to the visiting Kamloops Broncos giving up some big offensive numbers.  They did score three touchdowns last weekend including a pair of the ground.  They are still looking for the franchise’s first ever victory.

Head-to-Head

Records: Kodiaks 0-2 – Huskers 2-1
Points For: Kodiaks 25 – Huskers 62
Points Allowed: Kodiaks 66 – Huskers 50

SUNDAY

On Sunday the Prairie Conference teams will finally hit the field for the first time with all six teams in action.  There is a little extra incentive this season in the Prairies with the Conference winner hosting the 2022 Canadian Bowl. 

Winnipeg Rifles @ Saskatoon Hilltops – Sunday August 14, 1:00pm – SMF Field | WATCH HERE

For the first time since the kick-off of the 2014 season the Saskatoon Hilltops are not defending a Canadian Bowl title.  They are however the defending Conference champs and will no doubt be in the mix again this season.  They are opening their 75th season this year and a poised to make it a memorable one.

The Rifles meanwhile kick-off the season on the road and are looking for an early season upset.  They will see the Hilltops twice in the next three weeks as they host them for their home opener on August 28th. 

Head-to-Head 2021

Records: Rifles 2-6 – Hilltops 6-2
Points For: Rifles 126 – Hilltops 228
Points Allowed: Rifles 266 – Hilltops 135

Edmonton Wildcats @ Regina Thunder - Sunday August 14, 1:00pm – Leibel Field | WATCH HERE

Last season the Regina Thunder lost just one game, but unfortunately for them it was in the Prairie Conference final.  They were dominating during the regular season averaging over 36 points a game and only allowing 18.  

Coming into the 2022 campaign the Thunder return most of their weapons including the pre-season ranking’s #1 player, receiver Rylan Sokul along with quarterback Carter Shewchuk who led the Conference in passing yard average last year and completed 63.4% of his attempts. 

The Wildcats got their first taste of live action last weekend when they hosted the Calgary Colts in an exhibition game.  The game allowed head coach Darcy Park and the rest of the coaching staff an opportunity to evaluate the players they have brought in along with their returners including running back Nathan Zacharias.

In 2021 the Thunder won both meetings outscoring them 66-17.

Head-to-Head 2021

Records: Wildcats 2-6 – Thunder 8-0
Points For: Wildcats 185 – Thunder 293
Points Allowed: Wildcats 272 – Thunder 144

Edmonton Huskies @ Calgary Colts - Sunday August 14, 1:00pm – Shouldice Park | WATCH HERE

It’s a battle of Alberta, CJFL style on Sunday when the Huskies travel to face the Colts in Calgary.

The Huskies had the top scoring office in the Prairie Conference in 2021 but have graduated quarterback Declan O’Flaherty after an incredible season leading the Conference in completions, attempts, yards and touchdowns.   That said, they do return running back Alex Gayle who will no doubt handle the ball a lot early on and receiver Adner St. Hilaire is back to be a threat in the passing game.

On the other side the Colts are hoping to improve on their 1-7 finish last season and looking for a little payback as it was the Huskies that ended their last year in the Conference quarterfinal.   

The Colts did play an exhibition game last weekend in Edmonton to give their coaching staff an idea of what their players can do.  It also gave the players valuable experience coming into the 2022 CJFL season. 

Head-to-Head 2021

Records: Huskies 5-3 – Colts 1-7
Points For: Huskies 334 – Colts 158
Points Allowed: Huskies 195 – Colts 312

Hamilton Hurricanes @ GTA Grizzlies - Sunday August 14, 1:00pm – Esther Shiner Civic Stadium | WATCH HERE

The final game of the weekend in the Ontario Conference will feature the natural rivalry of Toronto vs. Hamilton when the Grizzlies welcome the Hurricanes.

After missing out on the Conference championship game last season the Hurricanes are expecting to once again be in the mix this year.  They have lost a few of their big weapons on the offensive side after the graduation of quarterback Ethan Belbeck, running back Jevante Stanley and receiver Quincy Belanger.  That said, head coach Jason Hayes is back and brings with him a pedigree of success and each season seems to get his players to reach new levels. 

The Grizzlies have renewed optimism and a fresh start after going winless last season.  They have retooled and could surprise several teams in 2022.

Head-to-Head 202

Records: Hurricanes 4-4 – Grizzlies 0-8
Points For: Hurricanes 215 – Grizzlies 53
Points Allowed: Hurricanes 196 – Grizzlies 357