Through four weeks of their 2024 Canadian Junior Football League season, the Saskatoon Hilltops have certainly done a lot of scoring.
That was evidenced by a 29-15 victory over the Regina Thunder on Saturday night under the lights of Mosaic Stadium, in a battle of two 3-0 teams.
“We just played as a team,” said Hilltops defensive back Jace Mowles. “We grouped together and we played well.”
While the wins have been piling up for the Hilltops who are ranked first in the country, head coach Tom Sargeant isn’t convinced the team is ready to repeat as Canadian Bowl champions.
At least not yet, citing lapses in compete and hunger over the first half of the season.
“To be honest I think my team is a little complacent,” said Sargeant. “They’re living on press clippings and that doesn’t sit well with me, that’s been the focus this week. We had a great team last year, but we didn’t know we were going to be a great team last year and then, poof it happened.”
“This year people are showing up and they think they’re a part of that process, but they ain’t.”
Even though Saskatoon’s roster this summer features many returning faces from last year’s team which captured the program’s record 23rd national title, Sargeant has stressed the need for more consistency from the group.
A message which is trickling down to the team this week, according to star quarterback Trey Reider.
“Honestly when you get into a game it’s almost easy because practices are so difficult at times,” said Reider. “You have the coaches yelling at young which it’s like, ‘Damn this sucks at practice.’ But at the end of the day when you get into a game you’re like, ‘Wow this is a lot easier than practice is’ and it makes game days that much easier for you.”
The Hilltops return to SMF Field for the first time in a month on Sunday to host the Winnipeg Rifles, with a 1:00 pm kickoff scheduled.