Photo courtesy of Louis Christ Photography

After every season CJFL teams across the country celebrate their graduating players.  Whether they play one season of junior football or stay for all five, these players make an impact on and off the field. 

Over the next few months we will recognize some of the graduates from the CJFL team by team and celebrate them as members of the CJFL Grad Class of 2024.

The Saskatoon Hilltops are the most storied franchise in CJFL history with 23 national championships.  The number of players that have graduated from this program is truly remarkable.  They recruit locally within or around the city of Saskatoon and each of the players buy into the system that the Hilltops have perfected over the years.

Following 2024, the Hilltops graduate some incredibly impactful players.

QB Trey Reider (in photo) was extremely dangerous every time he stepped on the field for the Hilltops with his ability to throw and run.   He led his club to a CJFL Canadian Bowl title in 2023 and the Prairie Conference title game each year he was on the roster.  In 2024 he completed a Conference best 64.3% of his passes, threw 17 touchdowns and had a passer efficiency rating of 119.8%.  He passed for 1685 yards on 119 completions and averaged 9.1 yards with each reception.   On the ground he tallied another four touchdowns on 26 carries and gathered 135 yards.  He was named the CJFL First Team All-Canadian quarterback.

REC/KR Drake Douglas was such a versatile part of the Hilltops in 2024.  He was named an CJFL All-Canadian receiver and the Prairie Conference Outstanding Special Teams Player of the Year as a returner and kick holder.   He led the Conference with 58 receptions, 955 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 16.5 yards with each catch.  On Specials he returned 38 kicks for 342 yards and was the holder on converts and field goals.

OL Cody Shumanski was a dominating force on the Hilltops offensive line and was named a CJFL First Team All-Canadian for the second consecutive season.  His blocking allowed quarterback Trey Reider the time to make easy completions down the field and gave the Hilltops running backs the opportunity to chew up big yards including All-Canadian Corbin Ebben and his six yards a carry.

LB Noah Gedir leaves a big hole in the middle of the Hilltops defence as he graduates following another solid season.  He collected 29 solo tackles and assisted on 18 others during the regular season.  Dropping back in pass coverage he intercepted a pass, knocked down six others and recovered a pair of fumbles. 

DB Justin Adamko was part of a very good secondary and held down the opposition’s passing attack.  He intercepted two passes, averaging 11 return yards, had five knockdowns along with 14 solo tackles, four assisted stops and forced and recovered a fumble returning it eight yards. 

DL Andy Scrivens didn’t put up massive numbers, but time and time again he caused the opposition’s offence to do things they didn’t want to do.   He applied pressure in the opponent’s backfield, changed the play calling of the quarterback and was an overall nuisance to play against.  During the regular season he collected six solo tackles, assisted on six others and had one tackle for a loss.  He was a big presence in the trenches and will be hard to replace.

OL Erik Barsness (#60 in photo) is another key piece of the Hilltops offensive line that will be missed next year.  He held the line giving his quarterbacks and running backs an opportunity to make a big play down the field.   This past season the Weyburn native even made one carry, rushing four yards but was stopped short of the end zone.

DB Isaac Rivalin was an important piece the Hilltops secondary this past regular season making 18 solo tackles, seven assisted stops, adding an interception, returning it 22 yards, knocked down three passes, forced a fumble and had 1.5 tackles for a loss.  His sheer presence in the secondary was enough to make some quarterbacks look elsewhere to throw the ball or hold onto it longer giving the pass rushers enough time to make a coverage sack.  

OL Jeremy Funk is a third offensive lineman that has graduated from the Hilltops program following the 2024 season.  He played a huge role protecting the quarterback and even showed off his catching skills making a two-yard reception for a touchdown in a game earlier this year. 

The CJFL wishes all of these players a happy graduation! 

Each CJFL season teams across the country give back to the community that supports them.  Players and coaches volunteer at several events and/on non-profit organizations, chipping in where they can to make a difference.  

The week of the Canadian Bowl the CJFL honours one such individual who takes their volunteerism to the next level and name them the CJFL Past Commissioner Award winner for outstanding community service.  

The Prairie Conference nominee for this award is Demarco Espinoza Mattoon of the Edmonton Wildcats who was named the Conference’s Al Park Community Service Award winner.  

Demarco is in his fourth season with the Wildcats and has been relied on for his leadership abilities both on and of the field. In all four of his seasons, he has jumped on every opportunity to give back to the football community - helping ref flag football tournaments, coaching minor camps, and helping at high school jamborees.

Most notably however is the work he does in the inner city. Demarco started volunteering over two years ago with a group putting together bagged lunches and handing them out to the homeless in the downtown core. Last year he decided to get even more involved and is now part of a group that goes out once a week (whether it is -40 or +40) and hands out clothing, drinks, and snacks in the inner city. Demarco’s consistency and calm nature has made him a core part of that team.

Even during the season, Demarco uses the one night a week that he is not practicing to volunteer downtown. During extreme heat waves in the summer, Demarco often initiates getting his teammates together to go hand out water bottles. He also often invites and encourages them to join him at the monthly outreaches.

The team he volunteers with downtown describe him as “a quiet calm with a deep sense of loyalty and service for those who are less fortunate than most of us,” and “the guy who shows up and starts working immediately. You won’t even know he’s there until whatever you’re doing becomes easier, you turn and he’s there. He’s always willing to step in and participate, whatever the task may be.”

Demarco is the very definition of quiet and humble. He is never boastful about the inspiring work he does in the community, and never asks for anything in return. He can always be counted on to show up and will step into whatever role needs to be done, whether it is pouring hot chocolates, stepping into hostile situations, or helping with wellness checks. Volunteering in the inner city doesn’t come with any type of reward or recognition, and can often be a thankless job, but Demarco’s desire to serve those who are less fortunate in our community has pushed him to be an integral part of his inner-city outreach team.

The Wildcats are incredibly proud of both the work that Demarco does and his character. He leads by example and has a strong drive to not only make our team better but to make the community better.

Everyone at the CJFL thanks Demarco for the amazing work he does and are proud to nominate him for the Past Commissioner Award.  The winner of this prestigious award is announced the week of the Canadian Bowl and the recipient is invited to the Banquet of Champions to be recognized.