Canadian Bowl: Hilltops capture 2015 CJFL national championship
Their fifth title in six years after 38-24 win
An exciting Canadian Bowl ends with the Saskatoon Hilltops staying on top of the Canadian Junior Football League world with a 38-24 victory over the Okanagan Sun on Saturday afternoon.
The Hilltops, who pride themselves on being a second half team showed exactly that scoring 21 second half points on route to their 18th national championship.
In the first half, after the Hilltops took a 10-0 lead on a 45 yard field goal and Evan Turkington touchdown, the Sun offence started to roll. Cam Bedore threw a 17 yard touchdown strike to Kyle Patchell to get them on the board.
Then in the second quarter Kory Nagata dove in from two yards out to give the Sun their first lead; 14-10. The Hilltops answered with a great drive of their own capped off by running back Logan Fischer scoring his first of two touchdowns.
With four seconds before the half, linebacker Layne Hull blocked a punt, recovered it and spirited into the end zone to give the Sun a 20-17 lead at half time.
In the second half the Hilltops went to work scoring 14 points in the third quarter. Tyson Sawatzky had the play of the game with a 75 yard touchdown catch and run to give the Hilltops the lead that they never relinquished. Fischer scored his second of the game less than two minutes later.
In the fourth quarter Sun kicker Thomas Huber nailed a 41 yard field goal to get the Sun within one score, but the Hilltops put any hope of a comeback to rest.
Quarterback Jared Andreychuk hit Turkington from 33 yards out for his second touchdown of the game.
Andreychuk finished 18 of 23 for 369 yards and three touchdowns. Turkington hauled in three passes for 74 yards and two majors.
The Peter Dalla Riva Offensive Player of the Game was Logan Fischer who led the Hilltops on the ground and threw the air. He rushed 23 times for 102 yards and two touchdowns, as well as caught seven passes for 107 yards. In all he had 209 all-purpose yards.
The Hilltops defence was awesome in the second half, allowing just four points. Linebacker Quinn Pierce had a team high five tackles, All-Canadian Blake Adams collected a pair of sacks, while Blake Hermann and Matt Kozun each had one and a half.
On the Sun side Layne Hull was named the Larry Wruck Defensive Player of the Game, after making two tackles, three assists, blocked a punt, recovering it for a 30 yard touchdown and intercepted a pass.
Keagan Hughes had a game high eight tackles and eight assists.
Offensively the Sun outgained the Hilltops in total offence 478-439, but had trouble moving the ball in the second half. Bedore finished 23 of 43 for 350 yards and threw a touchdown. Kyle Kawamoto hauled in eight passes for 159 yards and Kyle Patchell caught nine passes for 110 yards and a touchdown.
The Hilltops win their fifth title in six years and continue their dynasty.
The 2016 Canadian Bowl will kick-off in the home of the BCFC champion on the second Saturday in November next year.
