2025 Saskatoon Hilltops preview: What can we expect this season?

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The Saskatoon Hilltops are, well, different heading into the new season.

Different quarterback. Different receivers. Different starting point.

It’s definitely a new-look offence.

Gone are graduating quarterback Trey Reider and prime targets Drake Douglas, Datiel Fontaine and Noah Flaman.

Brexton Elias takes over at the QB position, while the Toppers will look for somebody to step up and emerge among the receivers.

They could find out soon.

The Hilltops will open the season Sunday afternoon in Winnipeg against the Rifles.

While Saskatoon is a 23-time Canadian Junior Football League national champion, the team is coming off a disappointing loss in the 2024 PFC final to provincial rival Regina Thunder despite a regular season in which the Toppers truly dominated.

“We’ve got to go as a team,” said long-time head coach Tom Sargeant, who is back for another PFC and CJFL run.

“We’re 50 per cent brand-new starters. We certainly made a lot of decisions over the off-season and we’ve got a different football team.”

Sargeant says the Toppers “recruited well” and his goals remain the same.

One, as always, is to win a Canadian Bowl. The other is to play smash-mouth football doing that.

“I want,” stressed Sargeant, “to coach the most physical team in Canada, with the focus on blocking and tackling. We’re not going to be too fancy. We’re going to play hard-nosed, physical football and win tough games — be ready to be in tough games and go out and win those tough games.”

Sargeant heads into the new season without mentioning the word rebuild.

Re-work, maybe. Reload, always.

Sargeant this week said the team “had a good start” to its recent Hilltops alumni game, and that he liked “how physical we were” in the 18-17 loss to the veteran alumni.

“The line of scrimmage certainly seemed to perform well. Brexton didn’t play. We are anticipating him to be the starting quarterback this year, so (backup) Charlie Molder got a lot of snaps. We were pleased with how Charlie played, and we were happy with the defence.

“We feel like the D-line and the running backs are going to be the strength of the team and that’s how it sort of played out. The alumni couldn’t run on us. They tried but we are pretty stout against the run and that’s an area where, if you look at our last game last year, we weren’t very good at stopping the run.

“That’s been a real emphasis over the off-season and I think we’re seeing some of the fruits of that labour.”

KEY PLAYERS THIS SEASON

Key players on defence include defensive lineman Johnathon Stevens, who has been on the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ practice roster, along with nose tackle Nahom Menghestab and linebacker Isaac Michaylak.

“That triad in the middle,” pointed out Sargeant, “will be real strong.”

Jace Mowles is a “shutdown” corner. Zaden Taylor is a “big-time playmaker,” so there are “some real nice pieces” there.

“We’re just developing some of our edge pressures and how that looks. We lost one end (Kai Kukurudza), but Huntur Johnson and Noah Chelsom are ready to go and we’ve got to figure out the safety position. Dalton Urban is not back this year because of (a torn ACL during the Roughrider’s CFL training camp) so that’s a big loss.”

Offensively, the Toppers will rely heavily on running back Corbin Ebben.

“He’s the bell cow, so we’re going to wear him out,” said Sargeant. “Corbin’s certainly going to see the ball a lot.

“And then we’re still hunting for a few receivers because we had a couple leave. We’re in the process. A lot of kids are in the mix. We’re trying to figure it all out.”

Here’s a breakdown of the Hilltops, by position:

QUARTERBACK

Elias has been sidelined by a hamstring injury but is expected to be back in the lineup soon.

“Brexton’s the guy, a fifth-year guy who’s paid his dues so he’s ready to go,” noted Sargeant.

Back-ups include a couple of youngsters in Molder and Hayden McMahon.

“(They) are the guys who have been working hard and ready to jump into that mix. Charlie represented himself well in that alumni game so we’re happy with that. Brexton knows it’s his job, provided he’s healthy.”

RUNNING BACK

Ebben and Charles Sawi are the team’s featured backs.

Brody Komarnicki will also get some touches as a real physical presence. He was the team’s rookie of the year in 2024.

“We expect him to step up a little bit, too,” said Sargeant.

Sawi has shown flashes of brilliance over his time with the Hilltops but has yet to establish himself as a consistent performer.

“He’s got to go,” said Sargeant. “He’s a fifth-year player. We’ve talked about him lots. He’s got huge potential. We need consistency. Got to go.”

Like in every season, Sargeant wants to establish a strong running game first and foremost.

“The last game last year, we struggled running the ball and we had to put it in the air. I want to run the ball.”

RECEIVING CORPS

It’s a wide-open competition.

Hayden Day, Jackson Geddes, Xander Pierce, Khyler Kok and David Boyd Jr.  are among the team’s front-runners for target time.

“We’re really emphasizing blocking right now, but, eventually, you’re going to have to throw the ball,” said Sargeant.

“They’re just finding their footing within that.”

OFFENSIVE LINE

The O-line looks to be real strong this year.

“You’ve got Davin Johnson, Matt Noble and Jack Erlandson, three starters coming back on the O-line, and all proven players,” noted Sargeant. “We feel pretty fortunate about that. Other people are stepping out and we’re seeing where they add in and fit in.”

Simon Clark has had a great off-season, the coach said. Seth Unger joins the team from the University of Alberta Golden Bears. Both have earned starting jobs.

Victor Bikulo also saw plenty of reps in the past prior to injury.

Rookie center Matt Elash is considered one of the team’s top recruits.

“He’s been exceptional,” said Sargeant.

KICKING GAME

Teijon Abel-Douglas has moved on, leaving the kicking game open to Ryden Gratton, who saw a bit of action last season.

“He’s ready to go,” said Sargeant. “He’s got a strong leg and field goals might be important to us this year.”

Molder will handle the punting duties.

Sargeant describes long-snapper Colton Zimmer as an “elite snapper.”

DEFENSIVE LINE

Strength is the D-line with Stevens, Menghestab and Chelsom all being returning starters.

Johnson, around 6-foot-5, is real physical, Sargeant said.

“The mantra’s stopping the run,” stressed Sargeant, “and we feel like we’re going to have some good pieces to be able to do that.”

LINEBACKER

Michayluk will man the middle-linebacking spot, flanked by Taylor and Ty Deutscher.

Rudolph Oscborne also returns.

Carson Holcomb, who has impressed as a rookie, backs up at outside linebacker.

Holcomb and O-lineman Elash are expected to get playing time this season as true rookies.

“That’s hard to do in the Hilltops program,” admitted Sargeant.

DEFENSIVE SECONDARY

Despite the unexpected loss of all-star safety Urban to injury, it’s a veteran-laden group with the likes of fifth-years Jace Mowles, Jackson Dean and Nathan Young as starters.

“Any time you have (three fifth-years), you feel pretty good about that,” noted Sargeant.

Nathan Gallant has emerged at the safety position.

Hudson Arneson has also earned a starting job, lining up at cornerback.

Carter O’Reilly and Preston Van Damme are also back from last season.

“We like the group — they performed pretty well against the alumni because they do a lot of throwing and they did a real good job of stepping up.”

dzary@postmedia.com

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