The Canadian Junior Football League is off-and-running for the summer with multiple weeks now completed across the leagues Prairie, BC, and Ontario conferences.
Close to home in the PFC (Prairie Football Conference), the Regina Thunder are tied for first at 2-0 after back-to-back wins on the road started the season on the right note. Regina beat the Edmonton Huskies 31-16 in Week 1, before going to Calgary for a 46-21 final score on Sunday.
The Thunder have been helped along by a pair of local products, receiver Ben Walz from the Luseland/Kerrobert area and defensive back Jacob Fehr from the Herschel, Rosetown region. Walz has 5 catches for 52 yards, a long of 30. Fehr has two tackles and one forced fumble.
The other Saskatchewan team, the Saskatoon Hilltops are 1-1 after an uncharacteristic season opening loss to the 2-0 Winnipeg Rifles. The Hilltops lost the opener to a good Rifles team 31-11 but managed to rebound at home Sunday for a 46-6 win against Edmonton.
The Hilltops are also led by local talent, including Biggar's Hayden McMahon at quarterback. McMahon has averaged 100 yards through the air completing 50 per cent of his passes across two games, adding two touchdowns while throwing three interceptions. Kerrobert native Clark Snider is also on the team's depth chart, getting in for three passes in the home opener against Edmonton.
Eatonia's John Stevens on the defensive line deserves his own paragraph, as the league CJFL All-Star and Roughriders territorial junior has continued his dominant play into 2025. Stevens has nine total tackles through two games, including two for a loss, and one forced fumble.
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There are West Central natives spread throughout the Canadian Junior Football League. Surf the team rosters through the league website here and expect more updates from throughout the season as the calendar continues on.