Saskatoon guns for 25th
CJFL title in 2026
By Darren
Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex
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| Griffin Sander is set to be the Hilltops starting QB this season. |
In August of last year, Sander was engaged in training camp activities with University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team. He was going into his fourth season with the Huskies, but he didn’t know where he stood within a talented quarterback room.
Anton
Amundrud was a lock as the starter, and the Huskies coaches were optimistic on
Jake Farrell, who was in his second season with the team. Sander was wondering
if it might be best for him to focus on his kinesiology studies.
One day after a Huskies practice, Sander was walking to his car, and he listened to a voicemail left by Tom Sargeant, who is the legendary head coach of the CJFL’s Saskatoon Hilltops.
The Hilltops were a week into their CJFL campaign and were
dealing with a host of injuries at the quarterback position. Sargeant said the
Hilltops needed to add a quarterback, and he wanted to talk to Sander.
“I was like
this could be a really good opportunity for me,” said Sander. “Then, I thought
about it for a couple of days and talked to my parents and everything.
“I gave
Sarge a call back, and it ended up being one of the best decisions I’ve made so
far in my life.”
Sander
joined the Hilltops in Week 2 of their CJFL campaign. After getting used to the
team’s system, he would find himself as the backup to fifth-year starter
Brexton Elias, when Elias returned for the squad’s fourth regular season
contest.
During the
Hilltops fifth regular season contest, Sander saw his first game action with
the team in a 51-3 romp over the Calgary Colts. As Elias would finish the
post-season playing with an injury, Sander came off the bench and saw sizable
action in a 30-27 comeback overtime victory over the Thunder at Mosaic Stadium
in Regina in the PFC final on October 26, 2025.
He would come off the bench late in the first quarter again in the CJFL championship game – the Canadian Bowl. Sander would play almost all of the rest of that contest as the Hilltops won a classic 21-18 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field over the Okanagan Sun from Kelowna, B.C., to claim a 24th CJFL title.
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| Griffin Sander fires a pass downfield with authority. |
Sander said Sargeant played a big role in helping him do well. The signal caller also said that Huskies head coach Scott Flory and the two Huskies offensive coordinators he worked with in Jeremy Long and Mason Nyhus were huge in his football story to becoming a quarterback that could make razor-sharp reads.
“I feel like
football is really an important game between the ears,” said Sander, who stands
6-foot-3 and weighs 210 pounds. “I owe it all to “Sarge,” (Scott) Flory, my
coaches Jeremy Long and Mason Nyhus.
“They’ve
formed me into the player and the man I am today. I owe it all to them, and I
wouldn’t be where I am today without those four men really leading me to where
I am today.”
Playing for
the Hilltops, Sander was able to reunite with Donnie Davidsen, who was his high
school head coach with the Bishop James Mahoney High School Saints Football
Team. Davidsen is the Hilltops longtime offensive line coach.
Sander and
Davidsen reconnected and picked up right where they left off from their time
together with the Saints. Davidsen is also a huge part in Sander’s biggest
big-play memory with the Hilltops.
In the PFC
final, the Thunder had the first drive of overtime played under shootout rules
and came away with a field goal to go up 27-24. On the Hilltops ensuing
possession, Sander hit receiver Isaiah Vallderruten with a 24-yard game-winning
touchdown pass that resulted in the Saskatoon side prevailing 30-27. The score
also allowed the Hilltops to complete a comeback in a contest where they
trailed 24-9 with 10:51 remaining in the fourth quarter.
“That is probably one of the coolest moments I’ve ever had playing football,” said Sander about his winning touchdown pass in the PFC final. “I remember I threw the pass, and I couldn’t actually really see if “Zay” caught it or not.
“I just heard kind of the crowd erupt, and then, I looked at the sidelines. Speaking of Donnie (Davidsen), Donnie was running full speed at me, and he jumped into my arms. That was probably one of the best moments I’ve had in football.
“That was
incredible.”
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| Griffin Sander came up clutch for the Hilltops in the 2025 post-season. |
“Every
opportunity that we gave him, he just took off and ran with it,” said Sargeant.
“We certainly were very thankful that he made the decision to commit to the
Saskatoon Hilltops.
“He has
given the whole team and the coaching staff great optimism for this year. We’re
excited to see where it takes us, because now we’ve got a full year. We’ve got
a whole off-season.
“He has
embraced every challenge that has come his way. He is a captain. As I said, big
expectations on the blue and gold and big expectations on Griffin.”
Sargeant
added that Sander came to the Hilltops having developed a solid base to play
from his time as a reserve quarterback with the Huskies.
“Any time
you come from the Huskie program, you know they’re going to be well coached,
and they’re going to be a top recruit,” said Sargeant. “Griffin’s game, he has
certainly got a good head on his shoulders.
“He has got arm talent, and it fits in perfectly with what we want to do this year. We’re excited to bring these receivers up. We love our receiver room, and we feel the combination of those two coming together is going to make a great passing package that is going to be tough to defend.
“All the training he has had in the past has certainly helped him to what his future is going to be.”
In the Canadian Bowl, the Hilltops were tied with the Sun 2-2 after the first quarter. Sander provided the steady hand in a surge that saw the Hilltops go up 16-2 and hold a 16-4 advantage at halftime.
The Sun ultimately would even the score at 18-18 with a touchdown with 1:33 remaining in the fourth quarter. Sander proceeded to guide the Hilltops on a drive that resulted in a 37-yard game-winning field goal from kicker Ryden Gratton with 28.6 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Okanagan’s final desperate drive was snuffed out with an interception by Hilltops strong side linebacker Zaden Taylor.
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| Griffin Sander dumps the ball off to Charles Sawi. |
“That gave
Okanagan a lot of motivation. They had everything on their side, and they were
just pounding. We couldn’t stop them.
“They ended
up tying it up, and then, we put a good drive together. We had a lot of good
runs by (running back) D.C. (David Collins). Gratz (Ryden Gratton) kicked the
game winner, and then, that was it.”
Going into
this season, Sander will be playing out his final campaign of CJFL eligibility.
He will enter the season as the Hilltops starting quarterback. Sander has
enjoyed having a whole off-season getting to train with the team’s offensive
unit and receiving corps.
“Last
season, I came in Week 2,” said Sander, who is 22-years-old. “I knew a couple of the guys through
like academy and kind of spring ball and fall ball in high school.
“I knew a
couple of guys, but I was never throwing to these guys. It was a little bit of
a jump trying to get to know the playbook and get to know the guys and how they
run their routes. It has been really, really amazing just to have a whole
off-season with these guys and just throwing with them every week and just kind
of see how they run their routes and what kind of depth they’re running.
“It is
really helpful to be on the same page.”
The
Hilltops opened their regular season on August 9 downing the Rifles in Winnipeg 38-13. Saskatoon’s home opener is slated for Sunday, August 16
at 1 p.m. at SMF Field against the Edmonton Wildcats.
Sander said
the goal is to win a second straight CJFL title. With this being his final CJFL
campaign, Sander said he wants to be in the moment as much as possible and soak
in the journey the season will provide.
“I mean
everybody wants to play in the game at the end of the year,” said Sander. “I
feel like especially in your fifth year you don’t want to get there too
quickly.
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| Griffin Sander wants to relish all parts of the 2026 season. |
For more information of the Saskatoon Hilltops
including their tickets and game schedule, feel free to check out their website
at www.saskatoonhilltops.com.
