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Both of those playoff wins came on the road and first-year coach Jesse Maddox said the Beefs punched and bullied the Fratmen in their 28-20 Ontario championship win in Windsor. But the Beefs were the team taking the blows Saturday against the Toppers.

“We got a reality check today,” Maddox said. “Last week (against Windsor) we were the physical team and this week we weren’t. . . . Ultimately I’m proud of my guys, I’m proud of my coaching staff, but there’s lots more work to do.”

Maddox said his young team has much to be proud of in winning an Ontario championship for the first time in seven years, but the Beefs fell two wins short of their ultimate goal of national title.

The Beefs boasted one of the best defences in the country going into Saturday night’s national semifinal, giving up just 87 points in eight regular season games, but they couldn’t do much to stop the Hilltops, who will be gunning for their sixth straight national championship when they play the Langley Rams on Nov. 16 in British Columbia for the Canada Bowl.

The Hilltops have won eight of the past nine CJFL championships. The 1999 AKO Fratmen are the last Ontario team to claim a national championship. The Beefs lost 51-7 to the Hilltops in their last CJFL semifinal appearance in 2012 in Saskatoon.

Sargeant said he was impressed with the Beefeaters aggression and physicality in the opening minutes of Saturday’s game, but the early interception, put them on their heels and the Hilltops seized the momentum with a barrage of devastating deep passes.