Mitchell Blair
Rider Nation, the wait is over!
It is just an exhibition game, but the green-and-white are back as the Riders will open up the pre-season Saturday night in Fort McMurray, Alberta against the Edmonton Eskimos in a game being dubbed “The Northern Kickoff”
Head Coach Corey Chamblin is looking forward to seeing how training camp has translated to game action and finally getting back to doing what he loves.
“It’s going to be very exciting,” Chamblin told reporters Friday afternoon before the team left. “I gave the guys a good speech this morning and I’m ready and I think they are ready. We ended the season last year against Edmonton and we start this season in Edmonton so we’ve gone full circle. This is our first test and this game will give us our first inclination of who we are going to be and what we need some guys to be this year.”
Chamblin and his coaching staff will be watching many positional battles with one of those battles being at running back where Anthony Allen and Jerome Messam are competing to be the starter for the season opener June 27 against Winnipeg.
“Like anything else, I will want to see them with the ball in their hands, but for the most part, I want to see how they are in protection.” Chamblin said. “That’s where it starts is protection, it is hard to say how many carries those guys will get and it would be nice to see one of them get a good breakaway run, but I just want to see some positives from their assignments and be positive contributors to the game.”
After 12 days of training camp, it is safe to say there are many who are tired of doing drills and want to see game action not just for the fact it is game action, but for the fact it is time to actually play some football even though it is just pre-season. Offensive lineman Chris Best is one of those who can’t wait to get out on the turf and hit guys with “E-E” on their helmet.
“I’m excited to play and it’s a chance to hit someone who isn’t a Roughrider,” Best laughed. “I’m looking forward to this game because despite what you think, this game has meaning. Chris Jones won’t take it easy on us so it is a chance to show what we can do. There is pressure on us every time we go out on the field and I’m excited to see what we can do. “
It was thought Darian Durant would see some time at quarterback and get on the field for the first time since his season-ending elbow injury in Winnipeg last September, however, coach Chamblin indicated there is a possibility Durant will just be a spectator for the game leaving the quarterbacking chores in the hands of Kevin Glenn, Tino Sunseri and Brett Smith. Durant doesn’t know what his future for the game holds, but he says if he is called upon, he is ready to go.
“I’m not worried about taking a hit,” Durant said. “Everything is still intact so once I get out there, it will be like old times. I don’t know how many reps I’ll take, but I’m ready. I have no control over how much I am going to play and Coach (Chamblin) will make that decision as he sees fit.
Game time from Shell Place in Fort McMurray is 8 o’clock with TSN providing TV coverage on TSN1 and 3. 620 CKRM is once again back as your official radio voice of the football team and they will kick off their coverage for the 2015 season with Rider Nation pre-game starting at 5 leading you up to the play-by-play with Rod Pedersen and Carm Carteri.
GAME NOTES
- The game is being played in Fort McMurray because the normal home of the Eskimos—Commonwealth Stadium, is being used for the FIFA Women’s World Cup of Soccer
- The team is taking 75 players with them, but veterans Weston Dressler, Tyron Brackenridge and Terrell Maze are amongst veteran players staying home
