Team rested heading into Canadian Bowl against Langley
Team well rested as they prepare to face B.C. champs Langley in Canadian Bowl
Tom Sargeant took a breath of the fresh, unseasonably warm air Wednesday and wasn’t overly impressed.
“Let’s get rid of it and get back to some other stuff,” said Sargeant, whose Saskatoon Hilltops are preparing to play host to their fair-weather football foes from British Columbia, the Langley Rams, in the 2018 Canadian Bowl on Saturday.
Game-time is 1 p.m. at SMF
Field.
“It’s working out pretty good because it’s nice to practise a little bit in this — we’ve had all conditions.”
The Toppers, by now, are well rested and fresh following their Prairie Football Conference championship win back on Oct. 29 over the Edmonton Huskies.
They’ll play the B.C. champion Langley for the third time in seven seasons. The Rams knocked off the Ontario conference champion Hamilton Hurricanes 39-14 in the national semifinal.
It’s been a long wait for the Hilltops, who are in the midst of a three-week break between games.
“We’re just in the cage ready to get out,” said Sargeant. “They need to get going.”
The Hilltops are looking for an unprecedented fifth-straight Canadian Bowl championship.
They ’ll also be coming off an unprecedented three-week pause between games. The Canadian Bowl is typically played a week earlier than it will be this year.
A lengthy break can be beneficial for injured players. It can also be detrimental if players lose some of their sharpness and get a little rusty.
So far, so good for the Toppers. “I always go by how you practise,” said Sargeant. “There’s good energy — positive energy — and we’re at the point where we’re pretty saturated with what we’re doing and how we’re going to do it. We have a few plans and it always comes down to the execution. That’s why you practise it. Make sure people are confident and the IQ is going to be the critical part. As long as we’re the smartest team out there, we’re going to be in good shape.”
Sargeant says they are just nailing down the game plan.
They’ve had more than enough film work and study on the Rams to understand what they need to do and how they need to do it.
“It’s now just being sharp in the situational game, short yardage their side and our side, special teams play, making sure everybody’s on point and understands their role and how they need to do it,” said Sargeant, whose team remains undefeated this season with 10 consecutive wins.
“We’re feeling really good about it and confident. There are two ways to look at it (extended break): Does it hurt you or help you?” he asked.
“Hey, the way the Hilltops have operated, our glass is always half full. We’ve taken advantage of it, embraced it and we’re ready to play our best game of the year.”
Langley finished the regular season with a 7-3 record before racking up playoff wins over the Vancouver Island Raiders, Okanagan Sun and Hamilton Hurricanes.
Langley is riding a nine-game winning streak.
“What stands out, No. 1, offensively is they have big-time, bigplay potential,” Sargeant said of the Rams. “They have a couple of high-end offensive players who make things happen. The quarterback (Duncan Little) played for the Calgary Colts so he’s got a sense for how we play and he’s had a really big year. They run the ball well, they throw the ball well and their offence is pretty good at finding the end-zone.”
Offensively, the Rams are led by B.C. conference all-star receiver Jevon Cottoy and running back Maximillan Joseph, along with primary targets Nick Agnoletto
They run the ball well, they throw the ball well and their offence is pretty good at finding the end-zone.
and Liam Stewart.
Defensively, B.C. all-stars Kyle Clarot and Skye King lead the way along with top playoff tacklers Anthony Blackwell and Isaiah Okoli.
“Their defence, they really like to set the tone with aggression and physical play,” noted Sargeant. “Lots of energy and they really get after you. It’s a combination of man/zone and they have a big skill-set. They’ve got a lot of players who have a lot of natural talent. We believe it’s going to be our biggest challenge of the year. It should be. It’s the Canadian final.”