Hilltops’ Sargeant reaches 200 wins in 34-16 victory over Regina Thunder

Saskatoon Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant knotched his 200th career win as the team defeated the Regina Thunder 34-16 at Mosaic Stadium on Sunday.

“I’m getting old,” Sargeant said following the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) victory. “It just feels good to come into Regina. It’s not an easy place to play and they are a good, physical football team.”

Sargeant took the reins of the team back in 1998. Since then, the team has enjoyed plenty of success. It has won 12 Canadian Bowl championships with Sargeant at the helm, including five straight from 2014-2018.

He said when he first took the job, 200 wins wasn’t something he ever envisioned reaching.

“Not a chance (did I think I’d get here),” Sargeant said. “I’m blessed to still be healthy, I’m blessed my family still gives me great support through all of this and very thankful for the players and coaches I get to work with.”

The Hilltops found a few ways to put up their own big numbers to help the coach reach his 200th win. The first came after Hilltops defensive back Colton Holmes recovered a fumble on the goal-line after the Thunder put together a nice drive in the first quarter. What followed was an 11-play, 109 yard drive that ended with running back Ben Abrook scoring a three-yard touchdown for the first score of the game in the second quarter.

The other big play for the Hilltops came in the third, once again on defence near the goal line. With the Thunder once again driving down the field, Regina would get all the way to the Hilltops four-yard line.

But as quarterback Blake Scherle threw for the end zone, Hilltops defensive back Brant Morrow stepped in front of the pass and ran it back 113-yards for a pick-six.

“I saw a couple guys in front of me but I just decided to turn the jets on and ran as fast as I can and hoped no one could catch me,” Morrow said.

After the game, Morrow said Sargeant pushes his team harder than anyone, which has led to so much success with the team.

“We’re getting pushed day in and day out,” Morrow said. “Every time we step on the field, we have high expectations.”

Hilltops quarterback Doug Fleming ran in two touchdowns in the victory for Saskatoon, including a 32-yard scamper near the end of the first half. Wide receiver Rylan Kleiter was good on all three extra point attempts as well as his two field goal attempts. It is the 21st straight victory for the Hilltops, dating back to 2017.

Meanwhile, the Thunder once again found themselves on the losing end in the inter-provincial rivalry.

The Thunder haven’t beaten the Hilltops since Sept. 9, 2017. That 29-26 Regina victory was the last time the Hilltops lost a game.

“It’s one of the best (rivalries) in the (CJFL) but we’ve got to win some here,” Thunder head coach Scott MacAulay said. “Kudos to Sargeant and those guys. They’ve been able to maintain a steady bench and come through when it matters most.”

The Thunder did get two touchdown passes from quarterback Blake Scherle in the game. He found Ethan Douglas for a two-yard score and then Tanner Zaharia for a four-yard touchdown toss. Kicker Eric Maximuik connected on both converts. The Hilltops also conceded a safety in the second quarter, awarding two points to the Thunder.

Scherle was intercepted twice, both by Morrow. Defensive back Finn Marcotte-Cribb and defensive back Brandyn Martin intercepted two passes from Hilltops starting quarterback Tyler Herman.

The Thunder (1-1) will travel to Winnipeg to meet the Rifles (1-0) on Aug. 31. The Hilltops (2-0) will meet the Huskies (2-0) in Edmonton on Sept. 1.