Colton Holmes says it’s great to strap on the pads again.
Holmes got back into full practice on Tuesday night in preparation for Saturday’s Canadian Bowl as the Saskatoon Hilltops go for a record sixth straight Canadian Junior Football League title in Langley B.C.
The defensive back who was named to the CJFL All-Canadian defensive squad for a second straight season says it’s thrilling to return for his final game as a Hilltop on the biggest stage possible.
Holmes has missed five games after suffering a broken leg Sept. 29 in Edmonton against the Wildcats on a day the Toppers clinched first place in the P-F-C standings with two weeks left in the regular season.
Holmes played in last year’s Canadian Bowl when the Hilltops beat the Rams 58-21 on a frigid afternoon at SMF Field. He notes Langley has the same offensive coordinator as last season and expects a tough challenge. The Rams offense boasts Saskatoon native Andrew Pocrnic who rushed for over 1,100 yards and 26 touchdowns during the regular season and added another receiving major to set a CJFL record for touchdowns.
Head coach Tom Sergeant credits Holmes for working hard to be ready for Saturday and says his return has given the entire team a lift as Holmes is among 15 players putting on their Hilltops jerseys for the last time. Another is receiver Tanner Rhode who missed most of the season and was injured again in the PFC final. The fifth-year pass catcher has been declared fit and ready to go.
The big difference from last year will be the weather.
The forecast for the Vancouver area city calls for a windy, rainy afternoon and a high of 11 degrees.
Sergeant points out they have been practicing in wind chills of -20 and the Langley situation will be tropical in comparison.
The inclement forecast suggests the game will be a battle between Pocrncic and Saskatoon running back Ben Abrook who gained 1,215 yard on 199 carries during the regular season and set a CJFL playoff record with 44 carries during the PFC final. Sergeant points out Abrook only carried the ball 16 times during the Toppers 51-1 win on a cold and rainy night in London in the CJFL semi-final and says Abrook will get more than his fair share of touches in the final.
The team also had a bye-week following the win in London and Sergeant says it was valuable time off as the coaches and players needed some time away from football after playing for seven straight weeks. The sideline boss says they started slowly and gradually ramped up their workouts and finished at high tempo, executing their plays with precision. Sergeant says this is the team he envisioned taking to the Canadian Bowl and expects it to be their best game of 2019.
In addition to vying for a sixth straight Canadian championship, the Hilltops are trying to extend their winning streak to 31 games as their last loss came in Sept. 2017.
It’s also the fourth meeting between these two in the national final in the last eight years. The Hilltops won twice in Langley by scores of 23-21 in 2012 and 39-14 in 2014.
Saturday’s game from B.C. will start at 3 p.m. Saskatchewan time with the pregame show on 92.9 THE BULL on the air at 2:30.
