Riders’ Dolegala to go to trial on impaired driving charges

A trial date has been set for a Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback facing impaired driving charges.

Jake Dolegala is scheduled to stand trial May 18 in Regina Provincial Court on charges of impaired driving and operating a vehicle while having a blood-alcohol content over .08.

If Dolegala is still with the Roughriders in May — and if the date isn’t changed — the trial will be held during Saskatchewan’s training camp.

On Sept. 19, the White Butte RCMP issued a media release saying the incident had happened two days earlier. At around 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 17, officers responded after getting a call about a possible impaired driver at a business on Great Plains Road in Emerald Park.

Officers found the driver and he was arrested.

Dolegala told members of the CFL team’s front office Sept. 18 that he had been charged with impaired driving in Regina during the team’s bye week.

“It’s obviously a difficult conversation to have, but I wanted to be upfront with it and put everything on the table,” Dolegala told reporters after practice on Sept. 19. “No secrets.”

Head coach Craig Dickenson said at the time Dolegala was “ashamed” when he broke the news of his arrest, but Dickenson was glad the rookie QB had come forward.

“We want to be transparent with this city, our province (and) with the media and we need help from our players,” Dickenson said. “For him to own up to it … I thought that was a good first step hopefully in healing and getting back on track.”

The Roughriders issued a statement Sept. 19 saying Dolegala was being suspended for one game in the wake of his arrest for violating the team’s code of conduct. They also said they notified the league’s office of the situation.

“Drinking and driving is a significant problem in our province, one that can have dangerous consequences, and we are disappointed in Jake for his actions,” the statement said. “We are taking this incident seriously.”

Dolegala, a 26-year-old product of Hamburg, N.Y., joined the Roughriders prior to the 2022 season. He appeared in two games, completing 16 of 35 pass attempts for 154 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions and rushing twice for 12 yards.

He was the Riders’ third-string quarterback for most of the season, behind Cody Fajardo and Mason Fine on the depth chart.

A product of Central Connecticut State University, Dolegala reportedly had a workout with the NFL’s Chicago Bears this off-season.