Huskies steady at #6

CIS MEN’S HOCKEY TOP 10 (#7)

Voting is based on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis, with a 1st place vote worth 10 points. The CIS Men’s Ice Hockey Top Ten Committee is made up of media members from across Canada.

(regular season record) / votes (first-place votes) / (previous rankings)

1. Alberta (11-2-1) / 169 pts (8) / (1)
2. McGill (14-0-1) / 155 (10) / (3)
3. UNB (10-4-0) / 139 / (2)
4. Western Ontario (12-0-3) / 124 / (4)
5. Saint Mary’s (8-4-1) / 88 / (7)
6. Saskatchewan (8-6-0) / 68 / (6)
7. UPEI (8-4-2) / 67 / (5)
8. Manitoba (7-3-4) / 63 / (8)
9. Lakehead (11-4-1) / 62 / (9)
10. Waterloo (11-5-0) / 21 / (NR)

Other teams receiving votes: Calgary (20), Acadia (11), Dalhousie (2), Carleton (1).

The hardware has arrived

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Huskies 10 Pronghorns 1

⁠⁠
DaSILVA, BORTIS COMBINE FOR NINE POINTS IN WIN​

Led by a Steven DaSilva hat trick and another two goals by Kyle Bortis, the No. 6 ranked University of Saskatchewan Huskies thumped the visiting University of Lethbridge Pronghorns 10-1 Saturday night in Saskatoon's Rutherford Rink.

DaSilva, the 2008-09 CIS Rookie of the Year, finished the night with four points adding a helper to his three goals. Bortis notched five points in the game adding three assists to his two goals. Huskie captain Kyle Ross added three points for his team with a goal and two assists.

The win was redemption for the Huskies after losing a 4-2 contest a night earlier to the 'Horns.

With the victory, the Huskies close out the first half with an 8-6 record, while the Pronghorns fall to 4-5-3 in the standings. The Huskies now sit tied for third place in the Canada West standings with the University of Calgary Dinos at 16 points.

Saskatchewan jumped out to an early 2-0 lead scoring two goals in the first six minutes. The first from Huskie leading scorer DaSilva's stick just 2:08 into the game. Travis Brisebois added the second goal at 6:03. DaSilva scored his second of the game at 15:57 in the same frame.

The Huskies would score four more goals in the second period including both of Bortis'. The second year notched his first at 6:19, before DaSilva scored his third on the power play exactly two minutes later. Chris Durand slid one over the shoulder of Scott Bowles at 10:40 to make the game 6-0. Bortis then notched his second with the man-advantage at 12:36.

Ross scored at 8:32 in the third period, followed by Steven Gillen at 14:25 and Shaun Vey tallied the final goal at 17:10.

Taylor Gal was able to beat Huskie netminder Ryan Holfeld at 19:03 in the second period  for the Pronghorns' lone goal on a scramble in front of the net. Lethbridge had another chance to score in the third period when a shot from the point rang off the crossbar.

Holfeld made 25 saves in the victory for the Huskies, while  Bowles made 27 in the loss.

It is the last game before the December break for the Huskies. Lethbridge returns home to host the UBC Thunderbirds December 3-4. The Huskies return to action January 7-8 in a home-and-home weekend series with provincial rival the University of Regina Cougars.
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Pronghorns 4 Huskies 2

Two goals by Kris Snopek lifted the visiting University of Lethbridge Pronghorns 4-2 over the No. 6 ranked University of Saskatchewan Huskies Friday night at Saskatoon’s Rutherford Rink.

The third-year centre scored the game-tying goal at 18:45 in the first period and the game-winner at 7:24 in the third period to lead his team to the road victory.

With the loss, the Huskies drop to 7-6 on the season and lose pace with the top of the standings. Both the University of Calgary Dinos and University of Manitoa Bisons, who surrounded the Huskies in the standings, earned victories Friday night.

Lethbridge moves to 4-4-3 and jumps out of last place in the conference standings.

Winston Day Chief opened the scoring when a rebound off of Huskie goaltender David Reekie’s shoulder landed on his stick. The Pronghorns' leading scorer sent the puck top shelf, glove side at 12:22 in the first period.

The Huskies answered back at 15:09 in the same frame when Andrew Bailey’s goal slipped by Scott Bowles, who just returned from injury. Just over a minute later, Huskie defenceman Cody Hobbs slapped the puck by Bowles’ glove from the point to give his team a 2-1 lead.

But Saskatchewan’s lead didn’t last long. Snopek was able to trickle the puck over the goal line through Reekie’s five-hole at 18:45 to tie the game at two. He then broke the tie at 7:24 in the third frame when a scramble in front resulted in the goal. Andrew Courtney added the empty net insurance goal at 18:53.

Bowles was spectacular in net stopping 45 of the Huskies shots including 18 in the second period. Reekie made 20 saves at the other end of the ice for Saskatchewan.

The two teams will battle again in the final regular season game before the holiday break Saturday night at Rutherford Rink. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. The game will be webcast at http://www.educationcdn.com/schools/huskies/

Game day: Lethbridge

I've got the call tonight from Rutherford and will be joined by alumni Shannon Briske. Catch the game live on the web by heading to Huskies.usask.ca. Here's the primer from the Huskies:

To close out the first half of the Canada West men’s hockey season, the No. 6 ranked University of Saskatchewan Huskies host the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns on the weekend.

The Pronghorns hit Saskatoon’s Rutherford Rink Friday and Saturday.

Saskatchewan enters the weekend with a 7-5 record and sits tied for third place in the standings with the Calgary Dinos at 14 points. Last weekend, the Huskies split with the No. 1 ranked Alberta Golden Bears losing 6-4 before knocking off Alberta 4-3 in overtime.

Lethbridge has a 3-4-3 record and sits in last place in the Canada West with two games in hand over all opponents. The Pronghorns also split a weekend series last time they were on the ice losing 3-2 to the Regina Cougars in a shootout before a 4-0 shutout victory.

The Huskies have spread the scoring around during the first half of the season with six players with three or more goals. Leading the way is former CIS Rookie of the Year Steven DaSilva with six goals. Brennan Bosch has added another five for the Huskies.

Winston Day Chief, Dustin Moore and Nicholas Hotson led the Pronghorns in scoring. Day Chief leads the team with four goals and six assists, followed by Moore with five goals and four assists. Hotson has three goals and six helpers.

Second-year goaltender David Reekie has started in 10 of the Huskies 12 games this season tallying a 2.28 goals against average and a .927 save percentage. Reekie and backup Ryan Holfeld have allowed a league-low 29 goals.

Reese St. Goddard has started in eight games for the Pronghorns in net allowing 40 goals in the games – 17 of those in a weekend series with the Golden Bears.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. each night. Both games will be webcast at http://www.educationcdn.com/schools/huskies/ For tickets call, 306-966-1111 or visit huskies.usask.ca

So long Pat

TSN.ca ALERT: Former NHL head coach Pat Burns has passed away at age 58 after a lengthy battle with lung cancer.
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East Central award nominees

Today we announce the award nominees submitted form the East Central football conference. Award winners will be presented during the SaskGridiron awards banquet December 4th in Martensville, SK. Tickets are available by calling SaskGridiron at 306-831-6378 or by e-mail at SaskGridiron@yahoo.ca. The deadline to order tickets is Friday, November 27th.

East Central Award Nominees

Offensive MOP

Fort Qu’Appelle - Gage McKay (RB)
Lumsden - Jesse Kearley (QB)
Melville - Karson Erbach (REC)
Esterhazy - Daniel Green (RB)
Swan Valley - Ian Graham (RB)
Sacred Heart - Morgan Giroux (RB)
Kamsack - declined to participate

Defensive MOP

Fort Qu’Appelle - Travis Barker
Lumsden - Mason Ermel (LB)
Melville - Jon Paradis (DL)
Esterhazy - Garrett Huber (LB)
Swan Valley - Tyler Cole
Sacred Heart - Dakota German (LB)
Kamsack - declined to participate

QB

Fort Qu’Appelle - Andrew Williams
Lumsden - Jesse Kearley (QB)
Melville - Zane Rogalski
Esterhazy - Patrick Tivas
Swan Valley - No Nomination
Sacred Heart - Jon Bell
Kamsack - declined to participate

RB

Fort Qu’Appelle - Gage McKay
Lumsden - Joel Mukendi
Melville - Matt Svenson
Esterhazy - Daniel Green
Swan Valley - Ian Graham
Sacred Heart - Morcan Giroux
Kamsack - declined to participate

REC

Fort Qu’Appelle - Kyle Erickson
Lumsden - Danon Weisbrod
Melville - Karson Erbach
Esterhazy - Adamik Fruman
Swan Valley - Jon Buhler
Sacred Heart - Logan Coutts
Kamsack - declined to participate

OL

Fort Qu’Appelle - Lyndon Smith
Lumsden - Cian Bannerman
Melville - Trevor Nygren
Esterhazy - Logan Nagy
Swan Valley - Tyler Cole
Sacred Heart - Ryan Shumay
Kamsack - declined to participate

DL

Fort Qu’Appelle - Lyndon Smith
Lumsden - matthew Forbes
Melville - Jon Paradis
Esterhazy - Lawrence Strongquill
Swan Valley - Lance Denischuk
Sacred Heart - Nathan Ortynsky
Kamsack - declined to participate

LB

Fort Qu’Appelle - Logan Redman/Dylan Topal
Lumsden - Mason Ermel
Melville - Norand Lovequist
Esterhazy - Garrett Huber
Swan Valley - Devin Toderash
Sacred Heart - Dakota Germin
Kamsack - declined to participate

DB

Fort Qu’Appelle - Alex Dong
Lumsden - Chance MacDougall
Melville - Karson Erbach
Esterhazy - Jon Lucas
Swan Valley - No Nomination
Sacred Heart - Travis Inglis
Kamsack - declined to participate

North East Nominees

The award nominees from the North East have been released. Coaches have nominated players from their teams and will vote on the winners.

Award winners will be announced on Saturday December 4th at the 2010 SaskGridiron awards banquet in Martensville. Tickets are available for sale by calling 306-831-6378 or by e-mail at SaskGridiron@yahoo.ca. The deadline to purchase tickets is November 27th.

North East Award Nominees

Offensive MOP

Melfort - Kjell Bonli (REC)
Wynyard - Lance Bashutsky (RB)
Humboldt - Josh Giddings (REC)
Tisdale - Curtis Patterson (RB)
Nipawin -Brydon Ozmun (RB/REC)
Foam Lake - Katlin Blight (RB)

Defensive MOP

Melfort - Kory Fortin (DL)
Wynyard - Josh Doidge (LB)
Humboldt - Jordon Hilgers (LB)
Tisdale - Adam Gabriel (LB)
Nipawin - Brydon Ozmun (DB/LB)
Foam Lake - Justin Zadorozniak (DB)

QB

Melfort - Gabe Senecal
Wynyard - Eric Hunter
Humboldt - Jordan Gerwing
Tisdale - Matt Lamb
Nipawin - Mark Perkins
Foam Lake - Justin Zadorozniak

RB

Melfort - Brenan Samson
Wynyard - Lance Bashutsky
Humboldt - no nomination
Tisdale - Curtis Patterson
Nipawin -Jessie Funk
Foam Lake - Katlin Blight

REC

Melfort -Kjell Bonli
Wynyard - Devin Bowey
Humboldt -Josh Giddings
Tisdale - Rylan Hayward
Nipawin -Brydon Ozmun
Foam Lake - Brynn Achtymichuk

OL

Melfort - Robert Ingram
Wynyard - James Blyth
Humboldt - Dillon Buckle
Tisdale - Blake Arneson
Nipawin -Rylan Sahli
Foam Lake -Steve Koroluk

DL

Melfort - Kory Fortin
Wynyard - Mason Brewster
Humboldt - Darren Henry
Tisdale - Josh Lawrence
Nipawin -Joey Major
Foam Lake - Keegan Kitzul

LB

Melfort - Lee Pawluk
Wynyard - Josh Doidge
Humboldt - Jordon Hilgers
Tisdale - Adam Gabriel
Nipawin -Jessie Funk
Foam Lake - Steve Bourgeois

DB

Melfort - Jordan Moskal
Wynyard - Eric Hunter
Humboldt - Braden Richards
Tisdale - Cam Andrusiak
Nipawin -Brydon Ozmun
Foam Lake - Josh Farrell

North West award nominees

The nominees have been submitted for the 2010 SaskGridiron awards banquet. Voting for the awards is underway and the winners will be announced at the awards banquet December 4th in Martensville. To get your tickets call 306-831-6378 or e-mail SaskGridiron@yahoo.ca. Tickets are $50 each with proceeds going towards the launch of SaskGridiron's scholarship fund.

Throughout the next couple days award nominees will be released in each conference. Today, here are the nominees from the North West.

North West Award Nominees

Outstanding Offensive Player

Kindersley - Greg Gassner QB
Martensville - Billy Cheyne QB
Warman - Adam Leik RB
Unity - Michael Pool QB
Delisle - Des Vessey RB
Meadow Lake - Scott Mckay RB

Outstanding defensive player

Kindersley - Jim Borgal DL
Martensville - Tyler Graham DL
Warman - Bryce Muench LB
Unity - Connor Anderson DL
Delisle - Dustyn Stadnick LB
Meadow Lake - Luke Heaver LB

Top QB

Kindersley - Greg Gassner
Martensville - Billy Cheyne
Warman - Logan Misskey
Unity - Michael Pool
Delisle - Dustin Payne
Meadow Lake - Morgan Esau

Top RB

Kindersley - Bobby Fries
Martensville - Alex Krupka
Warman - Adam Leik
Unity - Colton Timmermans
Delisle - Des Vessey
Meadow Lake - Scott Mckay

Top REC

Kindersley - Scott Grifith
Martensville - Dylan Foulston
Warman - Parker Krause
Unity - Carson Sander
Delisle - Brayden Knackstedt
Meadow Lake - Ronnie Goretzki

Top OL

Kindersley - Shayne McCormick
Martensville - Terry Thesen
Warman - Nathan Heide
Unity - Alex David
Delisle - Trevor Petty
Meadow Lake - Dustin Miller

Top DL

Kindersley - Jim Borgal
Martensville - Tyler Graham
Warman - Lucas Banman
Unity - Connor Anderson
Delisle - Ryan Sawatzky
Meadow Lake - Wayne Graham

Top LB

Kindersley - Mitch Borgal
Martensville - Brendan Yakubowski
Warman - Bryce Muench
Unity - Dustin Wallace
Delisle - Dustyn Stadnick
Meadow Lake - Luke Heaver

Top DB

Kindersley - Eli Brown
Martensville - Shayne Hayward
Warman - Cody Krozser
Unity - Dawson Bertoia
Delisle - Dustin Payne
Meadow Lake - Ryan Parsons

Release (NFL): Sask high school coach named Coach of the Year

MELVILLE, SASKATCHEWAN COACH JOHN SVENSON NAMED

2010 THE HOME DEPOT NFL YOUTH COACH OF THE YEAR

$5,000 in football equipment and a $1,000 The Home Depot gift card awarded to Melville Comprehensive School ; Saskatoon ’s Patrick Barry and Sooke, B.C.’s Matt Mortenson named runners-up

Toronto, ON – November 16, 2010 − The National Football League today named John Svenson as the 2010 The Home Depot NFL Youth Coach of the Year.

The football program at Melville Comprehensive School will receive $5,000 in new football equipment as well as a $1,000 The Home Depot gift card for football related renovation projects - such as field repair, fixing bleachers, painting locker rooms, etc. Team Depot, The Home Depot’s associate volunteer force, will also be available to offer hands-on support for the projects.

“John Svenson has had a positive impact on a lot of young football players in the province of Saskatchewan , and we’re proud to recognize that,” said Mike Danischewsky, Football Development, NFL Canada. “He is a coach who exemplifies everything our award represents; a long-term commitment to coaching that goes beyond the win-loss column and strengthens the sport in his community.”

In addition to leading the football program at his school, Svenson also helped develop local Parkland Pee Wee Football and coaches the league’s Melville entry. Svenson was selected from a shortlist of ten community and high school coaches from across Canada to receive the honour. More than 100 coaches from across Canada were nominated for the award. Svenson has been invited to Quebec City as a guest of the NFL for this year’s Desjardins Vanier Cup celebrations, and will be honoured at the CIS Coaches breakfast on Friday, November 26, 2010.

Benny Walchuk, a former player of Coach Svenson’s at Melville Comprehensive, submitted the essay nominating his former coach.

“John Svenson been volunteering his time and effort to the school’s football program for the past 18 years (coaching, repairing equipment, keeping the field in shape) while also helping us as a Guidance Counsellor and Shop teacher,” said Walchuk. “In the summer months he helps coach Team Saskatchewan and organizes games with teams from the United States . If you can find someone that does more for football in their community then hats off to you, because in my opinion there isn’t anyone that does as much as Coach Svenson does for Melville.”

Football players, volunteers, fans, administrators and fellow coaches submitted short essays recognizing the positive impact a youth football coach has had in their community. Nominators were asked to consider how their coach taught respect, safety, motivation, leadership and appreciation for the game of football when drafting their nominations. A panel of journalists and NFL officials selected the winner.

Mount Royal Collegiate’s Patrick Barry ( Saskatoon , SK ) was named as a runner-up and will receive $2,000 in equipment and a $500 The Home Depot gift card. The former Saskatoon Hilltop and University of Saskatchewan Huskie was nominated by Brandon Leatherdale, a fellow teacher and coach at Mount Royal .

“Pat teaches his players respect for the game, their opponents, their coaches, and most importantly, themselves,” said Leatherdale. “While Mount Royal is far from a juggernaut in football circles, the team plays as hard as they can each and every week. Pat’s tireless work ethic, enthusiasm for the game and ability to make young men from some of the poorest homes in the city into fine people and athletes motivates me and the rest of the coaching staff to do our best each and every day.”

Dr. Matt Mortenson, a chiropractic physician and volunteer coach at Edward Milne Community School in Sooke, B.C., was also named as a runner-up and will receive $2,000 in equipment and a $500 The Home Depot gift card. One of the several letters nominating Mortenson was submitted by football mom Caledonia Robertson.

“Since 2003 Matt has dedicated limitless hours to coaching community football in Sooke, and then began a football club for the high school students of Edward Milne Community School ,” said Robertson. “Over the past three years I have witnessed my son’s self confidence and fortitude develop enormously. I believe that his experiences training for football are what now motivate him to make healthy choices, to pursue excellence in his studies, and to have the courage to pursue his dreams.”

Over the past twelve years the program has contributed more than $140,000 in equipment and facility upgrades to deserving programs, and put the spotlight on the grassroots-level coaches who are the backbone of football in Canada .

CIS Top 10

MEN’S HOCKEY
(regular season record) / votes (first-place votes) / (previous rankings)
1. Alberta (9-1-0) / 171 pts (9) / (1)
2. McGill (12-0-0) / 159 (7) / (2)
3. UNB (8-2-0) / 145 (2) / (3)
4. Western Ontario (10-0-1) / 132 / (4)
5. Manitoba (6-2-2) / 91 / (5)
6. Saint Mary’s (5-3-0) / 87 / (6)
7. Saskatchewan (6-4-0) / 60 / (7)
8. UPEI (6-3-1) / 56 / (8)
9. Calgary (6-4-2) / 31 / (10)
10. Concordia (9-3-0) / 29 / (NR)
Other teams receiving votes: Lakehead (14), Acadia (4), StFX (3), Carleton (3), Ottawa (2), Wilfrid Laurier (2), Waterloo (1).

It's game day!

It's been a while since my last post but most of my time has been spent preparing for today.

In a few hours the Humboldt Mohawks and the Delisle Rebels will hit the gridiron with a provincial championship on the line. This game has many story lines and should be a great game to watch.

I'll be on the air hosting SaskGridiron.com's coverage of the championship online and on Access 7. You can head to SaskGridiron.com for all the details and to get to the broadcast or you can link up directly with our USTREAM page by going to www.ustream.tv/channel/saskgridiron-tv

Foam Lake Panthers head coach Bill Ruetz and Martensville Royals head coach Lyle Evanisky will join me on air as we bring you the game live. We'll be on air with the pre-game show starting at 12 noon Saskatchewan time and kick-off at 1:00pm. Kick-off will actually be bumped back a little bit due to a nice pre-game ceremony planned.

We'll break down all the match-ups and story lines during the pre-game show so make sure you tune in for that.

You'll also want to tune into the pre-game show to see Bill's Mo for Movember. We'll also have details as to how you can support his cause.

I've gotta get back to work so I'll talk to you on the pre-game show and if you want more details and can't wait until pre-game, follow me on twitter at Twitter.com/DarrenDupont.

CIS men's hockey rankings

MEN’S HOCKEY
(regular season record) / votes (first-place votes) / (previous rankings)

1. Alberta (7-1-0) / 163 pts (4) / (1)
2. McGill (10-0-0) / 161 (7) / (2)
3. UNB (7-1-0) / 159 (7) / (3)
4. Western Ontario (8-0-1) / 126 / (5)
5. Manitoba (5-2-1) / 95 / (8)
6. Saint Mary’s (3-3-0) / 50 / (4)
7. Saskatchewan (4-4-0) / 45 / (7)
8. UPEI (5-3-0) / 43 / (NR)
9. Carleton (7-1-2) / 42 / (10)
10. Calgary (5-4-1) / 37 / (9)

Other teams receiving votes: StFX (34), Concordia (23), Guelph (5), Acadia (4), UQTR (2), Lakehead (1).

Ok...

This is what I woke up to this morning. It was raining yesterday and I knew it was going to be icy today but I didn't think that it would snow quite as much as it did.

This is going to make for an interesting week. The forecast is calling for mostly sunny skies after today but the temps will stay somewhere around 5 degrees or below with a wind chill somewhere around zero or slightly below.

Does the snow stick around for Saturday? How does this affect the way teams prepare for the championship? Are they forced inside today?

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Provincial final to be broadcasted with Access 7

SaskGridiron.com is proud to partner with Access 7 Sports to bring you coverage of the 2010 SHSAA 9-man football provincial championship.

Access 7 will be on location this Saturday covering the game and folks around the province will be able to watch the game on Access 7's community channel in the days and weeks following the championship game.

Partnering with Access 7, SaskGridiron will bring you the game streamed live on SaskGridiron.com. Darren Dupont will host the broadcast with Martensville Royals head coach Lyle Evanisky providing insight and analysis again this week along with another game analyst to be named later. Melville Cobras coach John Svenson, who was tremendous this past Saturday in Lumsden, is unable to make the game due to other personal commitments.

On Saturday, November 13th the Humboldt Mohawks travel to Delisle to face the Rebels in the 9-man provincial championship and complete coverage will be available through SaskGridiron.com. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00pm.

Stay tuned to SaskGridiron.com for all the details on the broadcast including pre-game show times and other broadcast notes.

Monday morning water cooler

Welcome to the start of championship week! I'm excited for this week and I know that you are too. Here are are a few items from my collection from the past week and a look at what's in store for us this week.

Being in Lumsden for the semi-final game was an absolute treat. I hit the road Friday evening with Martensville's Lyle Evanisky and we pulled into Lumsden at round 8:30pm.

Some of the boys had used a little "Just for Men" to enhance their playoff beards and, let me tell ya, it was pretty funny to see. The boys were getting a little worried when it was pasted right on their skin and they were unable to wash it off right away.

It's funny when the kid with the lightest colored hair comes walking out with the darkest colored beard.

Coach Dunville set us up in a nice little bed and breakfast in town which was nice and cozy. Our little villa was made for romance I'll tell ya. On the night stand in the bedroom was a nice little crystal jar with wine and a couple glasses. (I just said 'nice' four times in that paragraph. I'm getting soft)

Word is that some people were unable to get the game feed from Lumsden. Myself, Evanisky and Melville's John Svenson handled the broadcast and those two were absolute gem's to work with. The pre-game show appeared to work fine but somewhere between the anthem and kick-off we lost the feed. It's a shame because it was such a great game but that's why we did the game. We wanted to do the semi-final to work out any kinks before the big game this Saturday.

Unfortunately coach Svenson has other commitments this weekend with his kids and hockey so he won't be on the broadcast from Delisle. Lyle Evanisky will be there and I'm working on tracking down a third.

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A big thanks to Craig Stein for passing scores along on Saturday. Craig was calling the Saints/Rebels game on GX94 and we were passing scores back and forth all afternoon.

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All week long fans will try to predict who will win Saturday's game but I don't think anyone can really know for sure at this point. Many thought that Lumsden would knock off Humboldt but that wasn't the case.

Fans will try to look at the scenarios and they will look at the following games:

Lumsden's lopsided win over Sacred Heart
Delisle's win over Sacred Heart
Humboldt's win over Lumsden
Humboldt's win over Foam Lake
Delisle's win over Foam Lake

You can try to draw the lines and make connections but the game has to be played and I'm as excited as ever for Saturday.

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Speaking of who you think will win the game, there is a new poll on SaskGridiron.com asking who the favorite is heading into the game on Saturday. Who do you like?

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This might be the most interesting point from the past weekend: coaches from both teams were on the sidelines in shorts in Lumsden on Saturday. SHORTS!

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The big question being asked around Saskatoon Sunday is what happened to the Huskies? the U of S Huskies had a 27 point lead in the third quarter of their Canada West semi-final game against the Alberta Golden Bears but the Bears rallied and won the game 31-30.

This will go down as yet another heart-breaking loss for the dogs.

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Huskies hockey head coach Dave Adolph picked up his 300th win in Calgary over the weekend. The Huskies return home to face UBC in a pair of games this weekend.

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I signed up for NetFlix this past week and so far I'm pretty pleased. I'll be canceling movie central later today.

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Tickets for the SaskGridiron.com Awards Banquet are on sale and time is running out to get your tickets. Call 831-6378 or e-mail SaskGridiron@yahoo.ca for tickets. Tickets are just $50 each and the banquet will feature Rod Pedersen and Matt Dominguez.

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There will be no mention of my fantasy football team this week. I forgot to set my line-up. D'oh!

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My final thought this morning: Two and a Half Men is the funniest show on television.

Have a great week. Keep checking back for more on championship week.

dd

Provincial semi-final on SaskGridiron.com

On Saturday the Humboldt Mohawks hit the road to take on the Lumsden Devils with a birth in the provincial final on the line and SaskGridiron will be there bringing you all the action live.

The two undefeated teams collide on Saturday in, what is expected to be, one of the best games of the season.

"A lot of people are looking forward to this game and I'm sure it won't dissapoint," says Darren Dupont of SaskGridiron.com. "For me, broadcasting this game is a no brainer. If it's a game that people want to see and are interested in then why not broadcast it."

Dupont will host the broadcast and handle play-by-play duties for the game. He will be joined by a pair of 9-man football coaches in Martensville's Lyle Evanisky and Melville's John Svenson. Both coaches were on the staff of Team Saskatchewan at the recent SasKota Bowl.

"I think the two coaches will provide a lot of excellent insite and analysis to the broadcast," comments Dupont. "The three man crew will add a lot to the game and give fans an inside look into the game."

The broadcast will begin at noon with the pre-game show that will help get you set for the game with indepth looks into each team and the keys to the game.

Kick-off is set for 1:00pm.

The game will be availble through the site LiveSportsVideo.com. A link to the broadcast will be available on SaskGridiron.com or you can click here to head to the site.

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With the 2010 Awards Banquet quickly approaching on December 4th, tickets will be available for purchase during the game in Lumsden on Saturday. Tickets are $50 each and payment can be made my cash or cheque payable to SaskGridiron. If you are unable to make it out to Lumsden you can purchase tickets by phone at 306-831-6378 or by e-mail to SaskGridiron@yahoo.ca

Titans claim Moss

TSN.ca ALERT: The Tennessee Titans have claimed Randy Moss off of waivers from the Minnesota Vikings.

I'm pretty excited to be a titans fan today.
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Nixon Canada West player of the week

OFFENCE: Laurence Nixon, QB, Saskatchewan

University of Saskatchewan QB Laurence Nixon helped the Huskies solidify a first place finish with a 52-29 win over the Regina Rams Friday night

Nixon, in his fifth and final year of CIS eligibility, completed 23-of-32 pass attempts for 424 yards and four touchdowns in the game. His first touchdown pass came in the second quarter marching the ball down the field on a six yard drive ending in a four-yard pass to Alex Balogun. In the second quarter he also added a 44-yard pass to Owen Geier at 6:58 and a 48-yard pass to Jade Etienne at 13:56. He opened the third quarter with his final touchdown pass a 16-yarder to Mitch Stevens.

The Richmond, B.C., native also handed the ball off three times to Dathan Thomas for touchdowns and 20 yards of rushing.

Nixon and the No. 3 Huskies will host the Alberta Golden Bears in a Canada West semifinal on November 6, 1:00 p.m. MT at Griffiths Stadium in PotashCorp Park. It is the third straight season the Huskies have finished in first place.

Monday morning water cooler

Good morning and welcome to semi-final week on the blog.

This is set to be a great week and it all culminates in, what is expected to be, a pair of great high school football games.

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This will be an especially good week for the Lumsden Devils, Humboldt Mohawks, Delisle Rebels and Sacred Heart Saints as they all advanced to this weekend's semi-finals thanks to win's on Saturday.

The week won't be quite as good for the Foam Lake Panthers, Kindersley Kobras, Maple Creek Redmen and Assiniboia Rockets as their seasons ended after losses on Saturday.

The four teams whose season ended on Saturday have nothing to hang their heads about though. They were part of only eight teams to get the chance to play in a provincial game this year. Out of twenty-two teams that's a pretty elite group. Let's hope that these programs can all build of this season and take the progress into next year.

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The two games set for Saturday are somewhat intriguing.

Sacred Heart boasts a very strong rushing attack with Preston Liebrecht being a real game changer while the Rebels counter with their own strong rushing attack led by Des Vessy. Delisle is undefeated and have consistently been one of the best programs in 9-man football while Sacred Heart is just starting to become a powerhouse in the game. I don't know who's going to win but I'll put the over/under at 67.5 points.

The game between Lumsden and Humboldt is the game of the week. I am 100% convinced that this is going to be a very close, hard fought, intense battle between the top two ranked teams in the province. My over/under for this contest is a little lower at 35.5.

Play the over/under game with me by hitting up the comments section below. I'll go under on both.

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Are you ready for winter? I suppose you don't really have a choice as the snow appears to be staying for the most part after Tuesday's big snowfall. I posted pictures that I took late Monday night of the first signs of snow and then boy did it come down on Tuesday.

The rest of the snow could melt this week as sunshine is expected all week with high's near 10 degrees at game time on Saturday. (Remember: this is the forecast we're talking about and it changes hour to hour. I'll post updated forecasts as the week progresses)

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There are a couple different ways to look at the weather when it comes to football. Let's say we're talking about cold wet snow covered conditions.

1) The offense is calling the plays and thus they know where they're going. The defense has to react and therefore they'll be vulnerable to slipping and being caught out of position.

2) Wet, cold conditions can make it much tougher to hang onto the football which leads to turnovers and lower scoring games.

#2 is my reasoning for taking the under on both games but if it's sunny and +10 on Saturday then you can throw that reasoning out the window.

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Finally went and saw 'The Town' this week. I'll give it two big thumbs up! Great flick which should be hitting the rainbow soon so if you haven't seen it don't pass up the chance to catch it when it hits the cheap seats.

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Congrats to the Saskatoon Hilltops on winning the PFC championship over the Regina Thunder on Sunday. Ex-Rosetown Royal Corbin Eskelson had another monster game for the toppers who will host the Canadian Bowl in two weeks.

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I ran into former Kindersley Klipper Kyle Homes this past week at the University of Saskatchewan. The Marango product is set to graduate from the Edward School of Business in the spring and is one half of the management team for Riverside Capital.

Holmes along with current Huskie hockey player Steven Gillen started Riverside Capital and are doing very well. Check out their website at www.riversidecapital.ca.

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The poll question on SaskGridiron.com posted late Saturday afternoon has already seen quite a few votes. The question asks: Who is the best team in 9-man football today?

55% feel it's the Lumsden Devils and it's hard to argue with them.
20% feel it's Delisle
15% think it's the Humboldt Mohawks
10% think it's the Sacred Heart Saints

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Craig Stein had the call of the Saints win over Maple Creek on GX94 Saturday. It looks as though he'll be back on the air broadcasting the Saints/Rebels match-up this weekend as well. I'll post more details as they become available this week.

I'll also post details on what may or may not be happening with the Lumsden/Humboldt game. Stay tuned to the blog and to Twitter for the latest. I will hopefully have something to tell you later today or tomorrow.

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Tickets are still available for the SaskGridiron.com awards banquet. The banquet goes December 4th and tickets are just $50 each. Proceeds from the banquet will go towards the SaskGridiron.com scholarship fund which is to be launched in the new year.

Voice of the Riders Rod Pedersen and former Rider Matt Dominguez will be appearing at the event. Call 306-831-6378 for tickets or e-mail SaskGridiron@yahoo.ca

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It looks like I'll be 7-1 in my fantasy football league after tonight's through.

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It's frustrating to watch the Toronto Maple Leafs these days but I can say that I am proud to be a Leaf fan once again. I've always been a proud Leafs fan but the past few years have been a little tough. Things seem to be a bit different this year though.

The Leafs are outright dominating games but now are running into the inability to score goals. Saturday night they out-shoot the New York Rangers something like 37-23 and lost 2-0. They're a respectable club now that is dominating games and no longer a laughing stock, which is good. BUT, they can't score and are losing games. Time to bring in some scoring... (ahem... Nazem Kadri... ahem)

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Back to Craig Stein for a second. If you didn't follow along on his blog then you missed out this weekend.

The theme of the weekend: "So you wanna be a broadcaster eh?"

Craig hit the road on Friday to Manitoba to call MJHL hockey. From there he made it home and was tucked into bed nice and early... oh around 12:30am ish. Just as his face hit the pillow the alarm went off at.. oh... around 3:00am. He was up and off to Maple Creek to call the Saints game against the Redmen. Following the game he hit the road to Moose Jaw to watch the Warriors game and catch up with friends. Then it was all the way back to Yorkton. Something like 1500km over the weekend.

I likely missed a few things in this story and my facts may be a little foggy (I'm going off memory as I type this surely to be corrected at some point) but it pretty much defines what being a broadcaster is all about. To get the full factual version of the weekend head to his blog which is linked over on the left hand side.

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Will anyone go watch Saw 3D in the theater with me?

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I'm about 3/4 of the way through James Duthie's new book The Day I Almost Killed Two Gretzky's. It's a real treat and I recommend it to any sports fan out there.

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Quick, name the last team to win consecutive 9-man provincial crowns?

If you said the Delisle Rebels you would be correct. They took home the title in 2002 and 2003. Humboldt was the last team before them to do it which was in 1996 and 1997.

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The U of S Men's hockey team is back on the ice this week after a weekend off. They'll get set to head to Calgary to play the Dinos on the weekend. The Dinos dropped a pair of one goal games to Alberta over the weekend (5-4, 2-1) to fall to 4-3-1 on the season.

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Keep checking back as there is lots to come this week. Have a good week!

dd