Saskatoon Hilltops win opener over Rifles

Aug 19, 2013 | 1:32 AM

The Saskatoon Hilltops began the chase for a fourth straight Canadian Bowl title with a 32-20 win over the Winnipeg Rifles at the Gordie Howe Bowl on Sunday.

The Hilltops took a 7-3 lead midway through the first quarter when quarterback Matt Karpinka hit John Trumpy for a 73-yard touchdown strike. Karpinka was 9-for-21 for 158 yards on the day.

Saskatoon’s defence prevented Winnipeg from putting any second quarter points on the board as Derek Sadownick, Chris Friesen and Austin Thorarinssson all came up with second-quarter interceptions. The Hilltops jumped out to a 19-3 halftime lead thanks in part to an Andre Lalonde TD late in the second quarter. Lalonde finished with eight carries for 150 yards.

The Rifles cut in to the Saskatoon lead late in the the third quarter when Winnipeg quarterback Ryan Marsch hit Jason Kelly for a nine-yard touchdown pass. Saskatoon still led 22-10.

With the score 25-13 late in the fourth quarter, Hilltops running back Nolan Graham scored on a 16-yard run to give the home side a 32-13 lead. Marsch tried to help his team stage a late rally. The Rifles quarterback scored on a 17-yard run with just over two minutes to go in the fourth quarter. However, Saskatoon’s defense made a stop on Winnipeg’s final drive to preserve the win.

The Hilltops visit the Regina Thunder on Saturday night at Mosaic Stadium in a battle of 1 and 0 teams. The Thunder defeated the Calgary Colts 42-23 at Mosaic Stadium on Sunday.

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