Hilltops won’t shy away from short yardage

The last time the Saskatoon Hilltops hosted the Regina Thunder, they led by six points in the final minute of play.

The Hilltops had possession and needed a yard. It was third down on the Saskatoon 26.

But running back Andre Lalonde was stopped. The Hilltops turned over the ball and surrendered a touchdown two plays later, losing 29-28 on Sept. 7.

That failed short-yardage attempt still irks Keenan Carrier. “That play has definitely been in the backs of our minds all year,” said the fifth-year offensive lineman ahead of Sunday’s rematch in the Prairie Football Conference final (Griffiths Stadium, noon).

“If we get that opportunity again, I 100 per cent completely trust the rest of my four o-linemen. I 100 per cent completely trust Andre that we’re going to do the right thing the next time.”

The Hilltops have been practising their short-yard plays this week, just in case.

Head coach Tom Sargeant defended his decision to go for it on third down rather than concede a safety or punt at the time.

He isn’t changing this tune now.

Sargeant anticipates the Hilltops being aggressive in short-yardage situations throughout the game on Sunday.

“If we don’t get it, we don’t deserve to win,” he said. “Whatever the situation dictates. “It could be in the first quarter, third quarter, maybe in the fourth quarter on the last play of the game.

The Hilltops gave up a touchdown on the previous Thunder possession that game. In total, they allowed two scores in the last 1:20.

The manner in which they lost certainly caused them to take notice.

The Hilltops finished first in the PFC with a 7-1 record and beat the Edmonton Wildcats 41-10 in the PFC semifinal. The Thunder were 6-2 in the regular season and knocked off the Edmonton Huskies 26-17 in the other semi.

“That game certainly sparked me,” Sargeant said. “There’s no question about that.

“We had to challenge our players a lot more and create higher expectations. A lot of us were living in the past. Now we’ve got the ship right.”

The Hilltops have had their share of success against the Thunder, going 8-3 (including wins in all three playoff games) over the last five seasons.

They creamed the Thunder 37-0 in the 2012 PFC final. They beat the Thunder 30-15 on Aug. 24.

But it’s latest game that’s stuck in their memory banks. “That’s the one team we lost against,” said Lalonde, who rushed for 257 yards on 31 carries on Sept. 7, despite the third-down failure. “We haven’t forgotten that.

So as the Hilltops prepare to take on the Thunder, trying for their fourth-straight PFC championship, they do so more confident on shortyardage plays.

“You have to know that we’re going to get it,” Carrier said. “You can’t have any doubt in your mind.