Hilltops on top once again: Saskatoon wins Canadian Bowl

The Saskatoon Hilltops are once again the top junior football team in Canada.

The Prairie Football Conference champions defeated the British Columbia Football Conference-champion Westshore Rebels 17-10 at Starlight Stadium in Victoria, B.C. on Saturday.

It was Saskatoon’s first appearance in the Canadian Junior Football League’s Canadian Bowl since 2019, when the Hilltops defeated the Langley Rams 11-6.

The Hilltops defeated the Regina Thunder in the 2023 PFC final 21-13 before cruising to a 43-0 win over the Ontario Football Conference-champion St. Clair Saints to qualify for the Canadian Bowl.

Both Saskatoon and Westshore entered the game with undefeated records and it was a tight contest in the first quarter, with neither team able to score a point.

In the second quarter, the Hilltops struck first with a touchdown pass from quarterback Trey Reider to wide receiver Noah Flaman.

The second half of the game started with fireworks for the Rebels, with returner Cairo Berry taking the opening kick of the half all the way for a touchdown, which tied things at 7-7.

Hilltops running back Boston Davidsen put Saskatoon back on top with a rushing touchdown in the third quarter.

Both teams added a field goal in the final quarter, with Saskatoon’s Teijon Abel-Douglas and the Rebels’ Gio Linuzzi connecting on their kicks.

Hilltops linebacker Matt Wist recorded an interception late in the fourth quarter — his third pick of the game — to help the Hilltops win the title.

This is the 23rd Canadian Bowl title in the Hilltops’ history.