Murray Wood: The Grey Cup is coming to Saskatchewan... again!
It used to be that the CFL didn't believe Saskatchewan could pull off the big game, but Murray Wood says now it can't ge...
The Saskatoon Hilltops rallied from a halftime deficit to beat the Regina Thunder 30–27 in overtime Sunday at Mosaic Stadium, capturing the Prairie Football Conference championship.
Regina led 19–9 at halftime after two rushing touchdowns from Jackson Harnett and a 37-yard field goal from Shawn Green, but Saskatoon stormed back in the second half. The Hilltops tied the game late before winning it in overtime on a five-yard touchdown pass from Griffin Sander to Isaiah Vallderruten.
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Running back David Collins powered Saskatoon’s offence with 24 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown. At the same time, kicker Ryden Gratton hit field goals from 25, 27 and 18 yards. Receiver Isaiah Vallderruten added a 24-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter that sparked the comeback.
“It feels great, especially coming back after we were down big,” said Vallderruten. “At halftime we said ‘This cannot be our last game,’ so we came back locked and loaded.”
Hilltops quarterback Griffin Sander stands on the field following Sunday’s 30–27 overtime win against the Regina Thunder in the Prairie Football Conference Final at Mosaic Stadium. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
Vallderruten said the Hilltops’ resilience came with a lesson in discipline.
“There were a lot of flags, way too many,” he said. “That can’t happen in a championship game. We’ve got to fix that before the Canadian Bowl.”
Elias and Griffin Sander combined to complete 10 of 13 passes for 131 yards, spreading the ball between Vallderruten, Corbin Ebben and Collins.
“I’ve never been a part of a game like that,” Sander said. “We just stuck together. We were down I don’t know how many points, and we came back. I’m just so proud of everybody.”
For the Thunder, quarterbacks Adam Mosher and Harnett split duties. Mosher went 20-for-26 for 279 yards and two touchdowns, while Harnett added 71 rushing yards and two majors on the ground.
Tanner Donovel led all receivers with six catches for 90 yards, followed by Ben Walz with 39 yards and Lucas Di Iorio with 27 yards. Andrew Sweeney caught a short touchdown in the second half.
Saskatoon Hilltops receiver Isaiah Vallderruten holds the Prairie Football Conference championship trophy after Sunday’s 30–27 overtime win over the Regina Thunder at Mosaic Stadium. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
Mosher said the Thunder’s two-QB system gave the offence energy throughout the year.
“It’s great. We both feed off each other and get each other going,” he said. “It helps when you’ve got your guy beside you rooting for you.”
Despite the heartbreak, Mosher praised the group’s fight.
“Two great teams; it was a physical battle that came down to the wire,” Mosher said. “There’s no quitting us and no quitting them. That’s what we expected.”
Regina outgained Saskatoon 410 yards to 393 and held possession for 35 minutes, but penalties proved costly. Both teams were flagged 17 times: the Thunder for 139 yards, the Hilltops for 145.
Defensively, Isaac Michayluk led Saskatoon with eight tackles and two sacks. In comparison, Jake Mayo paced Regina with four tackles and an interception.
Thunder head coach Scott MacAulay said he was proud of his players despite the outcome.
“They played extremely well and put ourselves in a situation to win,” MacAulay said. “We were one play away, a second-and-two, and if we convert, we can run the clock out. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to.”
He added that his veteran group’s leadership kept the locker room united.
“You’ve got a bunch of guys from different backgrounds and towns in Saskatchewan that came together,” MacAulay said. “They made sure everyone did things the right way.”
The first half was filled with momentum swings and heavy flags. Hilltops linebacker Charles Sawi opened the scoring with a safety. Still, the Thunder answered quickly behind Harnett’s rushing attack and Green’s reliable leg to take control.
Saskatoon regrouped in the second half behind Collins’ power running and Valderruten’s touchdown grab. After scoring late and converting the two-point try to tie it 27-27, the Hilltops finished the job in overtime to punch their ticket to the Canadian Bowl, where they’ll face the Okanagan Sun in two weeks.
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