After a pair of back-to-back losses to their provincial rivals, the Regina Thunder, the Saskatoon Hilltops needed a win.
They were able to pick up that win against the Winnipeg Rifles on Sept. 26.
Although the game was sloppy and their head coach was unhappy following the victory, which broke the slump, it was still a win and, as it turns out, something to build on.
On Sunday, Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant was beside himself with happiness following his team’s strong showing in a 34-20 win over the Edmonton Huskies.
“We’re a work in progress but at the end of the day, this was by far our best game of the year,” Sargeant said. “You know what, the guys stuck together, played together, they looked great today.
“I’m very proud of my coaching staff and my players for coming out and playing their best game of the year.”
The long-tenured sideline general credited a hard week of practice between the bookend wins for his team’s tenacity and physicality against the Huskies.
“It’s a good thing there weren’t cameras around a bunch this week because I was pretty hard on the kids and they responded the way I need them to respond,” he said. “This game’s about mental toughness, being physical, it’s about putting yourself on the line and today I saw a lot of them putting themselves on the line to get the job done.”
Something their coach has preached all season has been his coaching staff’s belief in this young Hilltops team, and after their win Sunday, the team is beginning to believe it too. That confidence couldn’t come at a better time as the Toppers gear up for the final stages of the regular season.
“There’s team confidence and then there’s also individual confidence and I know a lot of players are going to watch the film and gain a lot of confidence. They know that they can play at this level and that’s huge,” veteran safety Brant Marrow said. “Then the same thing, the coaches are giving us a lot of confidence as a team and once we put that together, it will be special.”
His coach agreed.
“You just look at the flavour from last week to this week, and this is a way better team,” Sargeant said. “I’m telling you, our kids finally have arrived and now it’s up to the coaching staff to keep moving them forward.”
One such player who enjoyed a coming-out party of sorts is second-year running back Boston Davidsen, who rumbled for 221 yards on the ground, while also scoring a trio of touchdowns, both career highs for the Bishop James Mahoney grad.
“Boston Davidsen is an emerging superstar and he’s starting to make his plays. It’s fun to watch and everyone is rallying around him,” Sargeant said.
Davidsen credited hard work and his teammates for his success.
“I’ve worked hard to be able to get this opportunity and to capitalize on the opportunity when I get it,” Davidsen said. “My teammates are helping me out, making the holes nice and big for me. If there’s a few holes to choose from, I just get to pick one and it looks pretty good.”
Although he’s happy with his recent uptick in productivity on the field, he’s quick to deflect praise, following in the footsteps of former Hilltop greats Adam Machart and Josh Ewanchyna.
“It’s more of the O-line’s time has arrived. This was probably their best game of the year and when the O-line has a good game, the running back is going to have a good game,” Davidsen said. “The confidence helps, for sure, but the confidence is coming from my teammates and just like they’re giving me confidence, I’m trying to give confidence back to them.”
His head coach wishes his team could ride this confidence into a week of preparing for an opponent as opposed to a bye week, but will continue to run high-tempo practices to keep his team ready for their next tilt on Oct. 17 against the Edmonton Wildcats.
“I want to keep going. I want to keep playing. Are you kidding me, the way they got going today?” Sargeant said. “It’s a little too bad but I just can’t wait to get this team back on the field again.”
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