A clash between gladiators occurred at Starlight Stadium, as the Westshore Rebels and Saskatoon Hilltop’s went head to head on Nov 11 in the Canadian Bowl.
The Hilltops were able to keep the Rebels’ powerful offence to just 10 points, with the Rebels’ sole touchdown coming at the beginning of the half as the special teams unit was able to return the kick-off.
The kick-off return was able to tie the score, but this was quickly overcome by the Hilltops, who were able to capitalize on a fumble by the Rebels special teams and go ahead 14-7.
The final score was 17-10, as the Hilltops secured a field goal late in the fourth quarter, which sealed the fate of the Rebels.
Both Canadian Junior Football League teams had dominated their respective conferences this year. The two teams had gone into the encounter undefeated, with the Rebels securing home-field advantage earlier in the season.
The Rebels had a number of their big plays called back due to penalties and needed help finding their footing. The stadium received a good amount of rain, but it did not dampen the crowd’s spirits.
The stadium swelled with fans from both teams, and the crowd brought an atmosphere to the game, matched by the play on the field.
Despite penalties and costly turnovers, the team fought until the end but could not overcome the Hilltops.
The Rebels still had the best season in the club’s history and broke numerous records throughout the season, and the effort put out by the players was outstanding.
The Hilltops were led by coach Tom Sargeant, who had seen 23 of his senior players leave this season.
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