Saskatoon Hilltops expect challenge from Calgary Colts

The Saskatoon Hilltops are 2-0 this season, but the football club has a little something to prove when the Calgary Colts visit this weekend.

Toppers Head coach Tom Sargeant feels the Hilltops are lucky to be where they are after a shaky performance last Sunday against the Edmonton Huskies.

“We played a 25-minute game and we were fortunate to walk with a victory. Any time you go up 22-0, you think the game would just get easier,” Sargeant said.

“But hey, credit to the Edmonton Huskies and their coaching staff. They showed no quit and by the end they were physically taking it to us and I just wasn’t used to seeing that.”

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READ MORE: Saskatoon Hilltops hang on to down Edmonton Huskies 35-20

While Saskatoon came away with the win, inconsistency has been an issue early in the season.

“First game, we had a tough first quarter, played good in the second and this past game we had a solid first quarter, played poorly in the second and third. We got to put four quarters together,” said Hilltops quarterback Jared Andreychuk.

The Toppers are a younger squad this year so some growing pains are to be expected. But with a first-place showdown with the Colts looming, they know another uneven effort could spell trouble.

“All the fifth-years and fourth-years on our team, we kind of got to own that. You can’t expect the rookies to be the ones to have to come in and bring the energy … That’s definitely on us,” said Hilltops defensive lineman Blake Hermann.

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Playing Calgary has become the biggest challenge to Saskatoon’s Prairie Football Conference (PFC) supremacy and this weekend’s game should give the Hilltops a good idea of whether they’ve learned from last week’s close call.

“The film study that Calgary’s put out, they’ve shown me that they’re the best team on tape right now. They look athletic, they’re well-coached and they’re hungry,” Sargeant said.

“Hopefully the life lessons have been learned and we all respond and rally to become a better football team and realize that everyone wants to play their best against us.”

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Kick off is at 1 p.m. CT on Sunday at SMF Field in Saskatoon.