Riders put loss behind them as playoff showdown nears

Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Corey Mace still believes he made the right choice to rest some starters in the regular-season finale.

But he still would have liked to have seen more of a response in the team’s 27-12 loss to the Calgary Stampeders last week.

Before the game, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers had beaten the Montreal Alouettes to claim first place in the CFL West Division. Due to the Riders’ game no longer being able to impact the team’s final standing, Mace elected to sit a number of starters including quarterback Trevor Harris, wide receivers Sam Emilus and KeeSean Johnson as well as defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr., who has been named the team’s nominee for three different awards.

“It’s not the way you wanted to finish and not what we had in mind but certainly we’ve flushed it and we’re moving forward to this week,” Mace said.

Harris had some fun with the fact he was listed as the third-string quarterback for the game.

“I thought I had a good week of practice, I don’t know why they demoted me to third team,” Harris said. “It was just deflating — if I am going out there and playing in preseason, regular season, playoffs and Grey Cup, I am going to approach them all the same.”

The Riders, who were on a four-game winning streak after a seven-game winless slide, have seen momentum play a big part in their season thus far.

Mace doesn’t believe the loss will carry over.

“I do think it probably could have helped boost a little bit but we addressed it as soon as we got back into the locker room after the game and we just had to switch our brains and move forward,” Mace said. “I think everybody’s mindset is where it should be.”

Harris also echoed those sentiments.

“I don’t think that we feel like we lost momentum or we don’t believe in ourselves or things of that nature. It’s more or less just let’s get to the playoffs. Now we’re here — time to tee it up and let’s rock,” Harris said.

The Riders will host the B.C. Lions in the CFL West semifinal at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday. Kickoff for the game is set for 4:30 p.m.

“It’s awesome. It’s bonus football. Sometimes you don’t get the opportunity to do this and it’s just really fun we get to get out here and tee it up this week,” Harris said. “We need the old Rider Nation to come out loud and proud this week.”

The playoff game will be the first one the Riders will play at Mosaic Stadium since they won the 2021 West semifinal over the Calgary Stampeders.

Hus named Jake Gaudaur Veterans’ Award nominee

Long-snapper Jorgen Hus is not only the longest-serving member of the Riders’ roster but also contributes a lot off the field as well. The Saskatoon product has been named the team’s nominee for the Jake Gaudaur Veterans’ Award, which recognizes a Canadian CFL player who best demonstrates the attributes of Canada’s veterans — strength, perseverance, courage, comradeship and contribution to Canadian communities.

Hus is a reliable ambassador for the team and the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation. He has also undertaken the Win with Wellness presentation series training, which includes Ministry of Education-approved mental health resources. Since the beginning of 2023, Hus has made 127 school presentations through that program and the Rider Reading Program.

Hus has also made 27 additional community appearances in support of Grow the Game Football Camps, while also serving as a Ronald McDonald House Ambassador and visiting the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital.

Riders centre Dan Clark won the award in 2022 and then slotback Brayden Lenius won it in 2023.

Here is a full list of the 2024 nominees for the award:

• Boseko Lokombo (Lions)
• Jacob Plamondon (Edmonton Elks)
• Rene Paredes (Stampeders)
• Jorgen Hus (Riders)
• Chris Kolankowski (Winnipeg Blue Bombers)
• David Beard (Hamilton Tiger-Cats)
• Dejon Brissett (Toronto Argonauts)
• Lewis Ward (Ottawa Redblacks)
• Regis Cibasu (Montreal Alouettes)