PREVIEW: Hilltops welcome Colts for PFC Championship

Sunday afternoon at 1:00pm the Saskatoon Hilltops host the Calgary Colts in the 2014 PFC Championship game presented by Jostens.

It’s the fourth time since the Prairie Junior Football Conference was born that these two will meet in the title game and first since 2011.  The Hilltops are 2-1 all-time against the Colts in this championship game.

This past regular season the Hilltops and Colts played just once, back in Week 6 of the season in Calgary as the Toppers won 47-19. As a matter of fact, it’s the last game the Colts lost, now on four game winning streak.  The Hilltops have won six straight.

In Week 6 the Hilltops scored touchdowns with all phrases of the game.  Logan Fischer scored three touchdowns on the ground, Evan Turkington caught a touchdown pass, Chad Braun returned a punt for a major and defensive back Dylan Larson had a 30 yard pick six.

Surprisingly the Hilltops, the #1 rushing team in the Conference, were held to 112 yards as PFC rushing champ Wayndel Lewis did not play.  Brock Ramias had a team high five solo tackles for the Colts.

Despite the loss it was the Colts who outgained the Hilltops 382-315, but gave up 30 points in the second half.

Colts quarterback Cole Meyer, who led the semi-final comeback win last week in Regina finished 15 of 27 for 195 yards, but threw two interceptions against the Hilltops, the stingiest defense in the PFC.

The Hilltops allowed just 160 points in the regular season, while the Colts allowed 215.  Can the Colts contain the Hilltops offense on Sunday?  They are the third best defense, but the Hilltops have the #1 offense.

Last week in the Hilltops semi-final victory over Winnipeg, Lewis left the game with an apparent ankle injury.  During the regular season he carried the rock 130 times rushing for 1,063 yards and nine touchdowns.  Without him the Hilltops will look to their very mobile quarterback Jared Andreychuck who completed 49.3% of his passes this regular season and threw 11 touchdowns.  He was also the Hilltops second leading rusher with 342 yards on 42 carries.  Andreychuck connected with Evan Kopchynski 17 times for a team high 463 yards and five touchdowns.

The strength once again this season for the Hilltops have been their offensive line and their defense.  Talented linebacker Justin Filteau leads the way with 117 defensive points during the season, making a team high 37 tackles, a Conference high 20 assists and picked off two passes.  As a unit the Hilltops were second in takeaways with 33, the Colts were first with 34.

Both Jakub Jakoubek and Colten Burr had outstanding seasons on the defensive side for the Colts, which was their strength this season.  Jakoubek recorded a Conference high 45 solo tackles, two fumble recoveries, one for a touchdown and two interceptions.  Burr had 37 tackles, two sacks and two picks.  These two will have to lead by example in Saskatoon to slow down the Hilltops offense, as the Colts play in their fifth straight road game.

The Colts will try and establish the run game with the PFC’s second leading rusher Cam Fox.  He carried a Conference high 135 times during the regular campaign for 631 yards and six touchdowns.  Rookie receiver Jevon Cottoy will also have to make a big contribution.  Last week in Regina he caught seven passes for 140 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

If this championship game comes down to kicking field goals, both clubs like their chances.  The Hilltops have Brett Thorarinsson who led the Conference in scoring connecting on 21 of 28 field goals including a 46 yarder.  The Colts on the other hand have Marshal Broom who hit the game winner last weekend in Regina with two seconds to go.  During the regular season he was 14 of 20 and hit a 45 yarder.

Both teams are fairly young, but both head coaches have tremendous experience in these types of situations.   Tom Sargeant of the Hilltops is in his 17th year as head coach and makes his 15th appearance in the PFC title game.  The Colts’ Matt Blokker is in his first year in Calgary, but led his Vancouver Island Raiders to eight straight BCFC title games and last season’s Canadian Bowl.  Blokker is 1-2 against Sargeant in his career, his lone win coming in the national semi-final game in 2008.

Sunday’s game will be the 14th time the Hilltops and Colts have met in the post season, the Hilltops have won 12 of them.  The Colts last victory was in 1990 in overtime as they moved on to win the Canadian Bowl.

Kick-off from Saskatoon Minor Football Field is scheduled for 1:00pm on Sunday.