Rare footage of a battle in the mud and rain between Hilltops and Thunder
You could call it the mud bowl. Or the rain bowl. Or both.
Sometimes a football game can become an instant classic because of the conditions it was played in.
Many Saskatoon Hilltops and Regina Thunder fans will remember a historic contest where the two teams played in some soaking elements.
CTV News has found rare footage of a game in 2002 at Gordie Howe Bowl in Saskatoon, where the Thunder were trying to get their first-ever victory against the Saskatoon Hilltops.
There were plenty of turnovers, fumbles, some wild plays, and a lot of sliding around on the slick and muddy field.
Even the field goalposts were making their presence felt as the Regina Thunders Ryan Anderson ran right into a chunk of steel. Thankfully he looked ok.
The Hilltops struck first with an interception return for a touchdown.
But the wet football caused more problems for the hilltops as they fumbled in their own end. And after a few bounces on a wet field, the Regina Thunder would recover.
However, one play later the Thunder give it right back as the Hilltops recover a loose ball inside their own five-yard line.
The Hilltops eventually give up a safety to make it 13-8 for Saskatoon.
But with only six minutes to go in the game, Thunder receiver Matt Yantz would grab a John Makie pass, break a tackle, and rumble into the endzone to give the Thunder the lead 14-13.
Saskatoon would get into field goal range late in the game, but the Thunder defence would strike again as Jimmy Stewart would come up with an interception.
Yantz’s touchdown reception would be the game winner as the thunder went onto win 14-13.
It was a historic result as it was the first time since the Rams era, that the new Regina thunder junior football franchise defeated the Saskatoon Hilltops.
And as for the conditions? Well, you can bet laundry machines were working overtime the next day.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.