Documentary captures Saskatoon Hilltops winning tradition

There are many sports dynasties: the Montreal Canadians, the New York Yankees, the Chicago Bulls, and the Saskatoon Hilltops.

Is there another four in the works?- Myron Glova

Sure, the Hilltops might not be as famous as the others on the list, but that doesn't make the story behind this perennial championship football team any less compelling.

That's why Fivestone Films decided to produce a documentary on the Toppers. The film's producer, Myron Glova, told CBC's LeishaGrebinski, host of Saskatoon Morning, thatthey followed the team for the entire 2013 season.

"The highs, the lows, how the team comes together, it's an amazing story," she said.

That year, the Hilltops faced a monumental task. The team wanted to win a record breaking four national championships in-a-row. Unfortunately, said Glova, they ran into a bit of an Achilles heel that season in the form of the Regina Rifles. In the end, the Hilltops just couldn't shake Regina.

"It was a difficult game. They couldn't get going. A couple of key players got hurt," recalled Glova.

The end of the quest for a record didn't spoil the end of the film. The documentary is entitled A Winning Tradition and at its core is the environment that surrounds the team, the tradition and the history of success that each new player carries with him on the field.

"I think they (the players) understand it's a unique opportunity and they feel like they are part of a family."

The man in charge of keeping that tradition alive is the very intense Tom Sargeant. "Sarge" is a former player himself and now serves as the team's relentless and tireless head coach.

"His role is to motivate people, motivate his players, his coaches and continue the enthusiasm throughout the season and keeps the ship going straight," said Glova.

The cameras will be rolling again this weekend

It's that infectious commitment to winning that has convinced Fivestone Films to keep the cameras rolling as the team heads off to yet another national championship game this weekend.

"It's about creating a winning atmosphere of turning boys into men and we want to see how the players continue to grow and that's why we wanted to continue filming this weekend and to see if they can start another run, they've got one, can they go two,three, is there another four in the works?"

The documentary about the Hilltops will premiere at the Roxy Theatre in Saskatoon later this month.