PFC CHAMPIONSHIP
The Hilltops face the Regina Thunder Sunday in the Prairie Football Conference final at Griffiths Stadium.
The Saskatoon Hilltops host the Regina Thunder for the Prairie Football Conference championship at Griffiths Stadium on Sunday.
The Hilltops, notoriously slow starters this season, will have to remember game time is noon — not 12:15 or 12:30.
“That’s been a weakness of this football team all year,” head coach Tom Sargeant said. “It’s just a fact of them not playing the way they need to play right off the bat. I think that comes down to focus a bit.”
The Hilltops have surrendered the first points to their opponents in five of nine games this season.
Last Sunday’s PFC semifinal against the Edmonton Wildcats was the latest example.
The Wildcats built up a 10-0 advantage early in the second quarter on the strength of running back Levon Hawreliak.
Hawreliak, the PFC’s top rusher, racked up 224 yards on 19 carries in the first half, including a 63-yard touchdown.
“Everyone knew what we had to do and we didn’t do it,” Sargeant said. “We’re all a little bit surprised but we owned that. (Some) players weren’t playing the way we needed them to play.
“But the good thing is we were able to right our ship after being down 10-0. We kept the poise and confidence that’s been a trademark around here.”
The Hilltops have shown a propensity to come back after sluggish starts.
The Toppers have won all but one of the games in which their opponent has scored first in 2013.
However, the only loss came to the same Thunder team on Sept. 7.
“We always seem to be losing after the first quarter. We scored 41 unanswered points on Sunday, but we were down 10-0 to start the game,” Hilltops running back Andre Lalonde said.
“Playing a great team like Regina, we can’t be giving them a quarter to lead like that. We have to be coming right out of the gates.”
The Hilltops roared back after allowing an early touchdown to the Thunder in September.
They then allowed two touchdowns in the final 1:20 of the game to lose 29-28.
“Losing to them does dig away at you a little more, but we know that was over a month ago,” Lalonde said.
“We want to keep it in the backs of our minds to remember that’s what they did to us,” added linebacker Cole Benkic.
Saskatoon defeated Regina 37-0 in last year’s PFC final.
The Hilltops are attempting to win their fourth conference championship in as many seasons. Standing in their way are the Thunder.
If that earlier loss doesn’t get the players ready for kickoff on Sunday, Sargeant doesn’t know what will.
“Truth be said, we’re playing Regina. If I have to say too many words to get them fired up, then we have some issues and I have the wrong players on the team,” he said.
“Our job is to bring in motivated, high-character players. When you have those guys, not too many words need to be said. They just need to get out there and prove themselves on every play. When they do ... it usually turns out pretty good for the blue and gold.”