It’s shaping up to be the game of the year in the Prairie Football Conference.
The five-time defending Canadian Bowl Champion Saskatoon Hilltops host the Edmonton Huskies on Sunday for the right to advance to the CJFL semifinal.
If their Sept. 1 match up in Edmonton is any indication this game could go right down to the wire.
The Toppers erased deficits of 14-0 after the first quarter and 19-7 at halftime to record a 24-22 victory, outscoring the hosts 17-3 in the second half.
Ben Abrook rambled in from 10 yards for the winning touchdown with 1:47 remaining in the fourth quarter capping a 105-yard scoring drive. Abrook recorded 204 yards on 29 carries in a dominant performance.
The championship game features the top two rushers in the conference. Abrook ran for 1,215 yards on 199 carries during the regular season while Edmonton’s Brandt Burzuk was second with 824 yards on 129 touches. Burzuk also put in a 92 yard effort against the Hilltops on 18 carries back on Sept. 1.
It will also be a showdown between the PFC’s top rated quarterbacks. Saskatoon’s Tyler Herman topped the charts with 64% completion average during the regular season with 17 touchdown tosses while Declan O’Flaherty of the Huskies connected on 60% of his passes with 12 Edmonton receivers finding the end zone.
They also had big games in the lone head-to-head contest. Herman went 17/24 for 220 yards and two touchdowns including a 38 yard strike to Keegan Dicks early in the third quarter that turned the game around. Dicks had an outstanding game with 7 catches for 88 yards. O’Flaherty was 25/37 for 260 yards and one major. The teams were first and second in virtually all offensive statistical categories during the regular season.
The Toppers took two of the players’ of the week awards following their 31-7 semi-final win over the Edmonton Wildcats. Rylan Kleiter was named the best special teams player for the fourth time in the last five weeks while Abrook took offensive honours.
Huskies defensive back Justin Hodinsky was the defensive player of the week with five tackles and two interceptions during the 20-17 semi-final win last Sunday in Regina. He also had a team-leading nine tackles in the game against the Hilltops.
They are also among the 10 Hilltops and six Huskies to be named to the P-F-C offensive and defensive all-star teams.
Opening kickoff at Saskatoon Minor Football Field is at 1 p.m. The broadcast on 92.9 THE BULL signs on at 12:30. The winner travels to Ontario for the CJFL semi-final Nov. 3 against the winner of Saturday’s clash between London and the A-K-O Fratmen in Windsor.
