CJFL: PFC Semi-final Sunday Preview

The Wildcats will have Taylor Yaremchuk starting at quarterback in the semi-final as he starts his 3rd straight game under centre and it looks as though he’s got a firm hand on the offense as he completed 17 of 32 for 388 yards in the season-closing win. PFC rushing champion Jordan Samoil will have to regain the form that saw him go for 1200+ yards in the first 6 games. He has been held to 26 & 24 yards respectively in the last 2 weeks.
Two of the best defenders wear Cats colors. Linebacker Aiden Panchyshyn led the club with 99.5 points and 48 tackles (36 solo, 6 assists, 6 special team stops). Defensive Back Adam Laurensse led the conference in interceptions with 8 with 5 of those coming in the season’s first 2 weeks.
The Hilltops have one of the best running games in Canada as the tandem of Andre Lalonde & Brendon Gryba both found spots in the conference top 10. Lalonde finished third with 741 yards and 5 touchdowns. Gryba placed 8th with 433 and found paydirt twice.
Matt Karpinka will start at quarterback for the Hilltops on Sunday. Karpinka, who missed a pair of games with a shoulder separation, threw for 10 touchdowns and 1082 yards has a fine corps of receivers led by Kyle McGinnis who was 3rd in receiving yards with 612.
The Hilltops defense held Samoil to 26 yards back on September 30 and doing that again would go a long way to securing a berth in the final. Quinn Pierce led his club with 23 points last weekend as he had 9 solo tackles and knocked down a pair of pass attempts. Linebacker Ben Cressman finished up his final regular season with 92 points and had 43 total tackles (33, solo 9 assists, 1 special teams) to go along with 2 interceptions.
For the Wildcats to punch their ticket back to the PFC Final, their defense has to slow down the Hilltop running attack and force Karpinka to make some ill-timed throws as they did succeed in doing that back on September 30th.
REGINA THUNDER (4-4) AT CALGARY COLTS (8-0) 1PM

The teams square off for the second straight year in the semi-final round. In 2011, what was a 12-0 1st half Calgary edge turned into a blowout in short order in the 2nd half as the Colts stampeded to a 55-6 win. The Thunder & Colts met once in the regular campaign as they combined for 87 points in a 52-35 Calgary win back on August 19th.
The Thunder’s season could be best described as up and down as they alternated between big wins & big losses. Regina utilized 3 quarterbacks this season and it looks as of this writing that Kyle Siemens may get the start on Sunday. Siemens went 1-1 as a starter throwing for 558 yards and 5 scores. He has a fine receiver set in Will Heward who was runner-up to Winnipeg’s Brett Carter in receiving yards with 627 as well as Clay Cooke, Camille Lagimodiere and Mitch Thompson.
For the Thunder to win on Sunday though, the run game needs to step up if the wind is as big a factor as it was in the Colts home finale the week previous.
On defense, Yianni Cabylis led Regina with 114 defensive points, good for 2nd in the standings and had 58 total tackles (37 solo, 12 assists, 9 special teams). Veteran defensive back Mark Ingram along with fellow DB Dustin Erbach tied for the team lead with 2 interceptions apiece.
The Colts enter the playoffs coming off their 1st undefeated regular season in club history. The offense under conference leading passer Derek Cooper (1935 yards, 13 TD’S) has found its form and had one of their best efforts of the season when it mattered most. Receiver Jimmy Ralph had 8 grabs for 108 yards in the win over Saskatoon and finished up with 505 yards on 34 catches despite missing a pair of games through injury.
The run game has been done by committee for the most part this season with Chucks Okafor & Dustin Whetton combining for 728 yards. But look out for Cameron Fox, who stepped in for an injured Whetton and ran for 81 yards in the win over the Hilltops.
But as has been written time and again in this space, the defense is the heart of the Colts with Defensive Player of the Week Vince Greco leading the way last week with 4 tackles and an assist as well as providing excellent coverage against the Hilltop receivers. Spencer Cole & Zach McEachern both recorded sacks and Patrick Macdonald grabbed his 2nd interception of the season.
The Colts, very simply, just have to stay the course to ensure a return to the PFC Championship Game.
PFC SEMI-FINAL START TIMES:
The Edmonton Wildcats-Saskatoon Hilltops game is a 1PM local start at Gordie Howe Bowl.

The Regina Thunder & Calgary Colts will play in the other semi-final and that game will be a 1PM MDT start at McMahon Stadium.

Should the Colts advance to the PFC Championship Game, it will be a 1PM kickoff on Sunday October 21st at McMahon Stadium.