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“He’s helped to create a high-energy pulse for that defence.”

Pingue, who lists himself at 6 feet tall and 215 pounds, joined the Hilltops from Saskatoon’s Holy Cross Crusaders high school program. He quickly accepted a limited role on the Toppers, primarily as a special teams player before eventually blossoming into a go-to player on defence.

“Honestly, I bought into the system and I love this team,” said the 22-year-old. “It was really special to be a part of this team for five years and making the most of it in my last, final year.

“The more time I have on the field, the more confidence I have out there.”

Pingue began tackle football at the grassroots level with the Kinsmen Football League. He played many positions before becoming a linebacker.

“I was kind of all over the place,” he recalled. “In Kinsmen, I used to play running back and a little bit of receiver as well as cornerback on defence.

“Funny story: I actually didn’t start playing linebacker until my senior year of high school. I’ve always been a weak-side linebacker and then it wasn’t until this year when they decided to put me in the middle. There was a learning curve towards it, but I took it as I was willing to take it on. Obviously, it paid out pretty well so far.”

Basically, Pingue is proof of the Hilltop pudding. It’s rich and deep, and winning tastes awfully good.

“Coach Yausie’s got a system and he does a good job of developing his linebackers,” Sargeant said. “When it’s their time to shine, they’ve got to make it happen because there are good players waiting behind them, too. It’s a good developmental process. He’s just a product of our system and very respective and appreciative of the service he gave us.

“But, also, it’s a credit to the defensive systems that we’ve brought and, players, by the time they get there, they’re pretty smart to understanding how and what they need to be doing.”

dzary@postmedia.com