Tobi Antigha’s past is catching up with him.
After playing receiver in college, Antigha was moved to defensive end prior to the 2017 CFL season by Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach-GM Chris Jones.
But Antigha’s receiving skills have been on full display of late. On Saturday, he recorded his second interception in three games, returning this pick 52 yards for a touchdown in Saskatchewan’s 34-22 loss to the Calgary Stampeders at Mosaic Stadium.
“I kind of dream about all that stuff,” Antigha said when asked if he ever envisioned himself getting a pick-six in the CFL. “I dream about making plays. I told my roommates I’d make a play (Saturday) and I was able to make a play.
“It’s always a thought. As a football player, you always want to make plays so you always want to think about making plays because if you can see it, you can do it. That’s kind of my approach to the game.”
Antigha posted his first career interception against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on July 5. He dropped from the line of scrimmage to safety before the snap, snared an overthrown Jeremiah Masoli pass and returned it 16 yards before being tackled.
On Saturday, Antigha again dropped to safety, broke on a wide-side throw by Calgary quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, made an impressive catch and raced down the sideline for the TD.
“That wasn’t necessarily the easiest catch; we’ve had some of our receivers drop that ball,” Jones said.
“That’s an opportunity to go up and make the high-point catch. He did a nice job of not only catching it but turning it into an offensive play and putting it in the end zone.”
It was Antigha’s first touchdown since Nov. 23, 2013, when he caught a 35-yard TD pass from Heys McMath in Presbyterian College’s 20-13 loss to Gardner-Webb University.
Antigha’s experience as a receiver is helping him as a defender, as he understands what offences are trying to do to defences.
“(After) playing receiver, you understand route concepts so you can anticipate where the throws are going to go,” he said after making his team-leading second pick of the season. “If you can anticipate, you’re always going to be in a position to make a play.
“That’s what happened (Saturday). I broke on the corner before the receiver broke on the corner and that put me in a better position to make a play on the ball.”
The pick-six was Saskatchewan’s third this season — and all three have been recorded by ex-offensive players. Converted quarterback Nick Marshall and former receiver Duron Carter have the Roughriders’ other interception returns for scores in 2018.
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On Feb. 2, the Stampeders bade farewell to defensive end Charleston Hughes after he spent 10 years in red and white.
Calgary traded Hughes to Hamilton, which quickly flipped him to the Roughriders. Not long after the deal was announced, Hughes vowed to sack Mitchell whenever the opportunity presented itself.
On Saturday — in the first game Hughes played against Calgary since the trade — the veteran pass-rusher got to Mitchell twice.
“It felt pretty good,” Hughes said. “I’m pretty proud of my performance and what we did and individually what I did. But when it comes down to it, (the two-sack showing) wasn’t enough to win the game so it doesn’t matter.”
Hughes now has a league-leading eight sacks through Saskatchewan’s first six games. That’s as many sacks as Willie Jefferson had to lead the Roughriders in 2017.
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Brett Lauther went deep Saturday.
The Roughriders’ kicker nailed a 56-yard field goal late in the second quarter, tying him for seventh on the franchise’s all-time list of longest field goals.
The list now comprises Paul McCallum (62 yards), Dave Ridgway (60), Paul Watson (59), McCallum (58), Bob Macoritti and McCallum (57), and Lauther and McCallum (56).
“I’m trying to hit everything I’m asked to do and actually kick from distances that pro kickers should be kicking in this league,” Lauther said. “I’m just happy it went through the uprights and I could put three points on the board.”
Lauther noted he hit from 63 yards during the pre-game warmup, so he felt confident when he got the call for the 56-yarder Saturday.
Jones suggested Lauther wouldn’t have been summoned if the Roughriders were ahead in the game, but the fact that his team needed to cut into Calgary’s 24-10 lead at the time made the attempt necessary.
That was fine by Lauther.
“I wanted to show before the season started that (over) the last four years when I was kicking and trying to get on a team and couldn’t even get an invite to camp that I was kicking from 60, 65 yards and making them,” he said.
“That wasn’t my best hit there — I got some of the ground too — but still enough to put it through the uprights.”
Lauther went 5-for-5 in the game and now is 18-for-20 on field-goal tries this season.
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Slotback Naaman Roosevelt left in the third quarter Saturday after being sent head over heels by Calgary’s Ciante Evans.
Roosevelt landed on the crown of his helmet, bounced into the air and landed on his backside. After going to the sideline, he was taken into the locker room for further assessment. He returned later to the Roughriders’ bench, but didn’t play another snap.
“He’s going to be OK,” Jones said. “It’s precautionary. He landed right on his head. It’s not his head. It’s more of his neck or something like that. It’s just precautionary.”
Meanwhile, quarterback Zach Collaros — who hasn’t played since sustaining a concussion in Saskatchewan’s game in Ottawa on June 21 — watched Saturday’s game from the press box.
Jones reported that Collaros should be ready by the time the Roughriders return from the bye week that follows their game Thursday in Edmonton.
