Hilltops, Langley Rams prepared for soggy CJFL national semifinal

No matter the weather.

That’s the message from Saskatoon Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant regarding his expectations ahead of the CJFL national semifinal Saturday against the Langley Rams.

It’s a battle of rain against snow with the prairie-based Hilltops flying to the west coast, which has experienced torrential rain and some of its worst flooding in recent memory over the past week.

“It’s exciting to go to Langley. We’ve gone there the last couple years and had some success and we’re looking forward to doing the same thing, but we know it’s not going to be easy,” Sargeant said.

There’s not much that has been easy this past week for either team.

The Hilltops won the PFC final over the previously undefeated Regina Thunder 29-9 on Sunday. Rather than take a day off, the Toppers were back practising all week in Saskatoon where a snowstorm caused the team to switch locations and practice routines.

Langley beat the Okanagan Sun 7-4 in the BCFC final in a heavy downpour on the coast. The only points scored were via safeties and field goals.

With more rain in the forecast on Saturday, Sargeant expects the ball to stay on the ground often.

“Both teams like to run the ball with the same type of effectiveness and efficiency,” Sargeant said. “It’s the line of scrimmage all the way — O-line and D-line. When they’re the best part of what we do, we’re always in good shape.”

After piling up 201 yards on 24 carries against the Thunder, Toppers running back Carter McLean is prepared for another hefty workload this weekend if the chips fall his way.

“I’m expecting as much as Coach says. The rainy conditions do call for more rushing, but who knows? By the time we get there, it could be sunny,” McLean said.

Both McLean and Sargeant agree the Toppers weren’t performing up to the team’s standards at the beginning of the season. Luckily, the team is coming off its best performance of the season, scoring 27 unanswered points in the second half of the PFC final.

“It says a lot about us — how much we drive, how we remain focused and cool, calm and collected in the dying moments of the game,” McLean said. “Langley is a good team. They pride themselves on their defence.”

The Hilltops arrive in Langley as 22-time Canadian Bowl champions, including the last six national titles. Had the Hilltops not lost the 2013 PFC championship game to the Thunder, this would be the team’s run at an 11th consecutive trophy.

“It’s the team I was hoping for, the team I was expecting and now it’s finally here,” Sargeant said of his team’s timely improvement.

Langley comes into the game with added motivation. The Rams have never beat the Hilltops, losing four times in the last eight years against them.

These same teams met at SMF Field in 2018, where the Rams lost 58-21.

The 2019 Canadian Bowl was played at Langley’s McLeod Stadium, where the Toppers once again prevailed 11-6.

The London Beefeaters will visit the St. Clair Fratmen in the Ontario Football Conference final, to be played in Windsor on Saturday. The OFC champion will play host to Langley or Saskatoon in the Canadian Bowl on Dec. 4.

“We’re going to put the game on the O-line. I like what we’ve got in place for Saturday. Now let’s go have fun,” Sargeant said.

Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. Saskatchewan time.