Hilltops win national title

Photo: Contributed - Twitter - BCFC

Sun head coach Shane Beatty (white touque) addresses his team after Saturday's 38-24 defeat in the Canadian Bowl.

Big plays by the offence and timely stops by the defence were the difference as the Saskatoon Hilltops beat the Okanagan Sun 38-24 in the Canadian Bowl Saturday afternoon.

The Hilltops, trailing by four, found the end zone twice in a span of 2:09 late in the third quarter to take a lead they would never relinquish.

Quarterback Jared Andreychuk hit Tyson Sawatsky with a 74 yard bomb. That came two plays after a 75 yard touchdown was called back after the Hilltops were flagged for offside.

After a two-and-out by the Sun offence, the Hilltops again marched the length of the field on just two plays. Andreychuk and running back Logan Fischer connected on a long gain before Fischer found the end zone from six yards out.

The scoring outburst gave the Hilltops a 31-21 lead, a hole the Sun could not escape from.

The Sun led 20-17 at the half and had two great chances to extend the lead early in the third.

With the Hilltops in punt formation, the snap went over the head of punted Brett Thorarinsson. Cord Delinte fell on the loose ball at the nine.

Cam Bedore threw incomplete on first down and was able to gain six to the three yard line on second. However, a third down gamble went incomplete turning the ball over to the Hilltops.

Following a change of possession, the Sun took over at the Hilltops 34 but were unable to get a first down. The Sun managed just a punt single to take a 21-17 lead.

Thomas Huber hit a 42 yard field goal in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to seven but didn't threaten the rest of the way.

The Hilltops closed out the scoring when Andreychuk hit Evan Turkington from 31 yards out with less than two minutes to go.

"It was a fun game to watch," said Sun GM Jay Christensen.

"They had a span of five minutes where they were able to score on a long pass, then they got a long gain on a swing pass where we took a bad angle on the receiver."
Christensen agreed the turning point came early in the third quarter when the Sun had chances to sore but came away with just the single point.

"We had a chance to get up a significant amount of points. It could have been a different game. Before those other opportunities, we were moving the ball and, if we had completed a couple of passes..."

The Sun got the biggest break of the opening half when Layne Hull blocked a Saskatoon punt, scooped up the loose football and rumbled into the end zone in the dying seconds of the half.

After the missed extra point the Sun took the 20-17 lead into the locker room.

Kory Nagata on a two yard run and Kyle Patchell on a 17 yard strike from Bedore scored the other Sun majors in the opening half as they battled back from a 10-0 first quarter deficit to lead at the half.

The Hilltops got a 10 yard touchdown pass from Andreychuk to Turkington in the first quarter and a two yard run from Fischer on a third-and-one call in the second quarter.

Thorarinsson also hit a 45 yard field goal tom open the scoring.

"They have great athletes. They've been here a number of times," Christensen said of the Hilltops.

"In games like this there are plays you have to capitalize on. We gained a lot of experience. We have a lot of players who will be coming back next year. This will help them if we are fortunate to get back here again next year."

Christensen said he was proud of what the team was able to accomplish this year, going a perfect 12-0 until Saturday's national title game.

Hull, who is one of those players expected back in 2016, was named defensive player of the game. He had the blocked punt and touchdown to go along with an interception.

The loss was the Sun's 10th straight at a prairie venue.