Home openers highlight a busy football weekend

A weekend full of football is set to kick off across the province.

As Rider nation gears up to cheer on the Saskatchewan Roughriders when they take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Saturday’s Banjo Bowl with top spot in the West Division on the line, two prominent football teams in Saskatoon will host their home openers.

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies will raise their 2018 Hardy Cup banner at Griffiths Stadium prior to kick-off Friday night.

The Huskies are looking to avenge a lopsided 43-19 loss to the University of Manitoba Bisons a week ago with a strong performance against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds.

Friday’s clash will be a rematch of last season’s Canada West semifinal thriller that saw the Huskies win 31-28 in overtime before upsetting the Calgary Dinos in the Hardy Cup final.

Head coach Scott Flory knows a repeat performance against a tough Thunderbirds offence will be a difficult task.

“They’re going to make plays, and we’ve got to find a way to generate turnovers,” he said. “That’s something we didn’t do last week.”

The Huskies are defending the Hardy Cup for the first time since 2007.

With Friday being the homecoming game, hundreds of students living in residence on campus will take part in the annual toga run at halftime for a sight and tradition like no other.

Kickoff at Griffiths is at 7 p.m.

Hilltops arrive in Saskatoon

The Saskatoon Hilltops will wrap up a busy weekend of football with a clash against arch rival Regina Thunder on Saturday night at SMF Field.

The Toppers are undefeated following three road victories to begin the season. An opportunity to play in front of the hometown fans under the lights has brought some extra energy to the matchup.

“Everyone’s excited to be back at home, so we’re going to come out firing,” second-year defensive back Evan Mantyka said. “Coaches are getting all the guys fired up. Things are always a little different when we play Regina.”

Helping to get the most out of his players is head coach Tom Sargeant. After three weeks on the road to start the season, Sargeant is happy to open up his roster beyond the limited seats on the bus.

“We’re certainly excited to finally be at home, (and) be in our environment,” Sargeant said. “There’s an excitement because a lot of these kids haven’t had a uniform on yet.”

Like Mantyka, Sargeant can’t wait to be back on familiar turf.

“In front of our hometown, our host rival the Regina Thunder — there’s nothing better than that.”

Former Rider Chris Getzlaf will be in attendance for the Hilltops Endzone Dinner that raises money for the junior football club.