The drive for five has started for the Saskatoon Hilltops.
The team held its final day of practice on Wednesday before wrapping up training camp with their annual alumni game on Thursday.
Then they’ll start preparing in earnest for the regular season and a chance to make Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) history for a second straight year.
The Toppers won their 20th Canadian Bowl Title in 2017, the most in CJFL history.
They also became the first team to win four-straight national championships and now they want to extend that record.
The current crop of Hilltops seniors could become the first members of an ultra-exclusive club by winning a title in every season of their junior careers.
Linebacker Adam Benkic said the team’s winning attitude will help them work towards that goal.
“Everyone loves winning and that’s what we do here,” Benkic said after practice.
“Everyone has that mutual respect for each other and knows that everyone wants to win as much as the next guy.
Receiver Jason Price thinks they can only be beat by themselves.
“If we’re not executing plays, that’s how things are going to go wrong for us,” Price explained.
“Right now, we’re focusing on ourselves and making everybody better day-by-day.”
Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant echoed that thought.
“Right now, we’re trying to get better today, and from today we’ll try to get better tomorrow,” Sargeant said.
“As long as you play your best football at the end of the season, good things seem to happen.”
Junior football eligibility maxes out at five years.
The Hilltops kick off their 2018 Prairie Football Conference season on Aug. 18 when they take on the Regina Thunder at Mosaic Stadium.
The team’s first home game is Aug. 25 against the Calgary Colts.
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