With apologies to Canadian rock legends The Guess Who, the Okanagan Sun will be “Flyin’ Back to Saskatoon” for the 117th edition of the CJFL Canadian Bowl, where they’ll face a familiar foe in the powerhouse, Saskatoon Hilltops.
The last meeting between these two storied programs came almost exactly a decade ago — Nov. 7th, 2015 — when the Hilltops claimed a 38–24 victory on home turf to capture the national title.
Photo Credit: @bencehorvai x @undrdogmediainc
Sunday’s kickoff will mark a decade and two days since that matchup. This year’s championship will be the fourth Canadian Bowl showdown between the clubs. Saskatoon holds a 2–1 edge in the head-to-head series, with the Sun’s lone triumph coming in 2000 on home soil in Kelowna.
The Sun return to the national final for the second straight season after a dominant campaign — a perfect 10– 0 regular season followed by a 3–0 playoff run through the BCFC.
The Hilltops, meanwhile, went 6–2 during the Prairie Football Conference season before knocking off the favoured Regina Thunder to claim their spot in the title game.
Kick off is set for 11 am today and there will be a watch party at Train Station Pub.
Doors to the party open at 10 am and there will be door prizes, a silent auction and more.
The team has also started an online fundraiser to help it cover some of the travel costs associated with participating in the Canadian Bowl.
Head-to-head matchups
Quarterbacks
The Sun’s success in 2025 has been due in large part to the steady play of fourth-year quarterback Liam Kroeger.
The team’s MVP directed the offence to a second consecutive undefeated regular season (10–0).
Kroeger led the BCFC in total passing yards with 2,860, completing 190 of 281 attempts for 26 touchdowns against just three interceptions.
He also finished first in total offensive yards with 3,026. The Hilltops, meanwhile, spread their quarterbacking duties among several players. Brexton Elias, the primary starter, appeared in five games, completing 56 of 99 passes for 809 yards, five touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Griffen Sander, who engineered the comeback win in the Prairie Conference Final, went 14 of 23 for 152 yards in three games.
Hayden McMahon also saw action in three contests, completing 28 of 54 passes for 376 yards and two touchdowns.
Rushing
The battle in the backfield looks much tighter. Gerren Hardisty powered the Sun ground game, leading the league with 163 carries for 1,025 yards — an average of 6.3 yards per carry — and nine touchdowns.
For Saskatoon, David Collins was equally impressive, carrying the ball 126 times for 1,028 yards, averaging 8.2 yards per rush, and scoring 13 touchdowns over the eight-game regular season.
Receiving
Kroeger’s numbers were supported by a deep and talented receiving corps.
Leading the way was Seth Famakinde, who hauled in 27 receptions for 590 yards and seven touchdowns.
Right behind him was Vincent Chuoi with 36 catches for 557 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Jordayne Falconer added 27 receptions for 489 yards, and Jasiah Haliburton contributed 33 catches for 471 yards and 6 touchdowns.
The Hilltops’ air attack features a reliable trio in David Boyd Jr., Isaiah Vallderruten, and Charles Sawi.
Boyd totalled 23 receptions for 278 yards and two touchdowns, Vallderruten recorded 16 catches for 392 yards and four scores, while Sawi added 15 receptions for 153 yards.
Defence
The Sun defence, which shut down the St. Clair Saints in the National Semi-Final, will once again be a major factor.
JaQuintis Summers and Jarveon Williams anchor the defensive ends, with Hunter Bultsma and Mitchell Hickingbottom inside.
That front four has spent much of the season living in opposing backfields, limiting run games and harassing quarterbacks.
Summers led the league in sacks with 12, adding 17 tackles and nine assists. Williams finished with 11 sacks, 14 tackles, and four batted balls. Bultsma and Hickingbottom combined for 5 sacks and 26 tackles.
Phil Palmarin and Grayson Statham lead the linebacking corps, while the Sun’s opportunistic secondary — nicknamed the “ball hawks” — was headlined by Tariq Brown with seven interceptions, followed by Palmarin with 3. Altogether, the Sun defence recorded 18 interceptions on the season.
For Saskatoon, the defence is paced by fourth-year linebacker Isaac Michayluk, who posted 32 tackles, 22 assists, and three interceptions.
Teammate Rudolph Osborne contributed 26 tackles and 11 assists, helping anchor a disciplined Hilltops defensive unit.
Special Teams
When you talk about the Sun’s special teams, three names immediately come to mind — return specialist Jordayne Falconer, kicker Liam Attwood, and punter Grady Hay.
Falconer, with his blazing speed and open-field vision, was a constant threat on returns, totalling 19 punt returns for 432 yards, averaging 22.7 yards per return and finding the end zone three times.
Hay led the league in punting with a 39.6-yard average, consistently flipping field position in the Sun’s favour.
Attwood topped the charts in kickoffs with a net average of 42.5 yards and five singles, while also cementing his place in CJFL history as the all-time career leader in successful field goals.
For Saskatoon, Charles Sawi handled the bulk of return duties, collecting 50 punt returns for 451 yards and 11 kickoff returns for 282 yards.
Gino Frassetto managed the punting game with 30 punts for a 36.8-yard average, while kicker Ryden Gratton connected on 12 of 18 field goal attempts and added four singles.
Final Thoughts
When two of the CJFL’s most storied programs meet with a national title on the line, you can expect nothing less than a classic.
The Okanagan Sun and Saskatoon Hilltops have built their legacies on preparation, precision, and pride — traits that have defined both teams for decades.
For the Sun, the formula for success remains the same: balance on offence, relentless defensive pressure, and game-changing special teams.
Saskatoon counters with championship experience, physicality, and the home-field advantage that comes with playing in front of their faithful at SMF Field.
Whether it’s Kroeger’s passing attack or Hardisty’s ground game setting the tempo, or the Hilltops’ defensive front trying to slow them down, Sunday’s showdown promises to deliver a fitting finale to another outstanding CJFL season.
When the final whistle blows, one of these proud franchises will once again etch its name into Canadian Bowl history.
