Thunder, Hilltops eager to be part of Football Weekend in Saskatchewan

Football Weekend in Saskatchewan has a lot to offer fans, with three games to attend at Regina’s Mosaic Stadium over two days.

The weekend also has a lot to offer the players, particularly members of the Regina Thunder and Saskatoon Hilltops who are about to get some serious exposure.

“From a player standpoint, it’s really our opportunity to showcase and sell junior football,” Thunder head coach Scott MacAulay told The Green Zone. “It’s elite football.

“These guys are solid players. Some might have the possibility of going to the CFL. Other guys might choose to go to a different league at a different level and participate in that.

“For these guys to be able to show off how much they did in the off-season for six months — throwing weights around and all these skill ID camps that were done — is pretty special.”

The inaugural Football Weekend in Saskatchewan is to begin Friday, when the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders play host to the Edmonton Elks.

There are two contests set for Saturday, and both are rivalry games.

At 1 p.m., the Thunder and Hilltops are to clash in a Prairie Football Conference matchup. The Thunder is in first place in the conference with a 4-0-0 record — a slate that includes a 29-21 overtime victory in Saskatoon a week ago — while the Hilltops are part of a four-way tie for second place at 2-2-0.

At 7 p.m., the University of Regina Rams are to entertain the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. Both teams are 2-0-0 to start the Canada West season and both are ranked in the U Sports top 10, with Saskatchewan at No. 2 and Regina at No. 6.

The junior game will feature a Hilltops side that’s stinging from its loss last Saturday to the Thunder. Saskatoon head coach Tom Sargeant hopes a big crowd will spark his squad in the rematch.

“The rivalry is alive and well and that’s healthy for all of us,” he said.

That rivalry also extends annually to the recruiting trail, where the Thunder and Hilltops have to contend not only with each other but with the Rams and Huskies as well.

It’s a battle, but the four teams have plenty to choose from.

“We still consider ourselves a province of a million people and how many people are playing football?” Sargeant said. “It has really become the thing to do in these parts and we’re seeing that.

“Our rallying cry is we just want the Saskatchewan kid on our team. Yes, we have players from other provinces, but we’re just headhunting the kids in and around Saskatoon and area and sometimes we get kids from the south as well. It’s amazing when they all come together.”

The success of the four teams speaks to the work done in the minor, high school and Football Saskatchewan ranks. MacAulay noted coaches at those levels give the players the love of the game they need to continue as well as the skills to play in the junior or university leagues.

“When we get them, the players are a lot better than they were, say, 10 years ago,” MacAulay said, “and definitely (better than) when I played.”

On Saturday, that talent will be on display starting at 1 p.m.

“It’s an exciting time for everybody involved in football, just to create that amount of awareness around the game and the local teams that are participating,” MacAulay said. “But more importantly, it’s a great opportunity to promote the players that were developed at the grassroots level in Saskatchewan and (let) them play on a bigger stage.

“We’re excited to be a part of it.”