‘It’s going to be unreal’: Riders return to action for first time since 2019

It’s been 628 days but now the Saskatchewan Roughriders are back.

The CFL made it’s triumphant return on Thursday after a cancelled 2020 season due to a COVID-19 pandemic. The rematch of the 2019 Grey Cup saw the Winnipeg Blue Bombers once again come out victorious against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, winning 19-6.

And now the Green and White host the B.C. Lions in front of what could be one of the largest crowds Canada has seen since the pandemic hit. The Riders announced that the game is a sell-out, meaning over 33,000 fans could make their way to Mosaic Stadium to watch the team play for the first time since the 2019 West Final – a 20-13 loss to the Bombers.

The Riders will try to repeat as West Division champions in 2021 after a 2019 campaign that saw them go 13-5.

“It’s going to be unreal. I don’t even know what to expect (from the crowd) and I’ve been through it all. I don’t know (how much more) energy can be provided by our fans but I feel like it’s going to be up a notch, especially after a season off,” said centre Dan Clark. “It’s one of those ones that’s going to be electric Friday night and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

The Regina-product is set to anchor an offensive line that is filled with new faces. Clark is the only returning member of the 2019 offensive line that is starting week 1 in 2021 for the Riders. In 2019, the group’s depth was one of the team’s biggest strengths.

Tackle Terran Vaughn was the other returning member from that group but his season appears to be over before it began. Head coach Craig Dickenson said that Vaughn has suffered a significant tear in his shoulder and the team doesn’t expect him back in 2021.

So when the Riders rush out of the tunnel Friday, it will do so with some new names penciled into the starting lineup. Guard Evan Johnson and tackle Brett Boyko were signed during free agency while guard Logan Ferland has emerged as a starter after joining the team in 2019 as a territorial junior during his time with the Regina Thunder. Tackle Cam Jefferson will play the right-side due to the loss of Vaughn.

But while the O-line continues to be dealt blow after blow, there is still a lot of excitement for the offence ahead of their first game since 2019.

“Its been a long time coming. I just hope I can still do it is the only thing I’m thinking,” quarterback Cody Fajardo said. “I think the thing we’ve got to focus on is that it’s not the Grey Cup. A lot of the anticipation or excitement is like it’s the Grey Cup being played tomorrow so when things go wrong or if we don’t happen to win the game, it’s not like the season is over … It’s just Week 1 and guys trying to figure out who they are and trying to figure out this new offence and just try to figure out what kind of team we have.”

The 2019 CFL West Division Most Outstanding Player will finally put months of zoom calls and an extra-long training camp into action. The 29-year-old is entering a CFL season for the first time as a starting quarterback in his five-season CFL career.

And he gets a chance to finally put new offensive co-ordinator Jason Maas’ playbook to the test.

“I really can’t put it into words. We’ve grinded really hard, myself included, for two years just non-stop getting ready for this moment here,” Fajardo said.

And with a ton of emotions to deal with, he isn’t expecting perfection from the first snap of the game.

“I’m going to be super nervous. I might sail my first couple of passes because I’m going to be so amped up with a sold-out stadium. We’ve got to put our emotions in check and go out and pay football like we’ve done most of our lives,” Fajardo said.

He will have some new and familiar weapons when the Riders take the field Friday night. Shaq Evans and Kyran Moore return after spectacular 2019 season, with the former having 1,334 receiving yards. Running back William Powell, who had 1,093 yards on the ground in 2019, is also back in green and white.

Regina-product Mitch Picton gets the start along with fellow Canadian Brayden Lenius after both had solid camps throughout July.

And Jordan Williams-Lambert will also start, despite dealing with a hand and knee injury throughout camp. The 2018 West Division Most Outstanding Rookie will look to regain that form after re-joining the Riders midway through the 2019 season but was unable to stick around the starting lineup at that time.

With a year-and-a-half off, it presents a whole new challenge when it comes to preparing for an opponent.

The only game film teams have to go on is from two years ago and many teams, including the Lions, have gone through many personnel and player changes since they last took the field.

“You kind of just have to focus on yourself and keep policing in-house. There’s not much film to study, there is some film out there on guys if you want to try and look at it, but you definitely have to take more of an approach that you’re worried about yourself and just have to make sure you’re prepared and you’ve done everything you could do,” said defensive tackle Micah Johnson.

Johnson returns after spending 2019 in Saskatchewan. He signed with the Lions for the 2020 season but never hit the field with them.

Along the defensive line, Johnson is joined by defensive end A.C. Leonard, who had nine sacks in 2019, as well as two newcomers to the CFL — defensive tackle Garrett Marino and defensive end Keion Adams.

The Roughriders defence will need to find a way to replace the 16 sacks defensive end Charleston Hughes had in 2019, with the CFL vet signing with the Toronto Argonauts.

The defence will have all new linebackers as well this season, with Solomon Elimimian (retired), Derrick Moncrief (signed with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams) and 2019 West Division Most Outstanding Canadian Cam Judge (signed with Toronto).

Deon Lacey, a three-year CFL vet who spent the past four seasons in the NFL, will start at middle linebacker while Micah Teitz, a Calgary-product who has spent the past two seasons mainly as a special-teams contributor, will play as the WILL linebacker and CFL rookie AJ Hendy gets start at SAM.

The defensive backfield is filled with CFL veterans with Ed Gainey, Nick Marshall, Loucheiz Purifoy and Mike Edem all returning as starters. Defensive back Blace Brown appeared in two games for the Riders in 2019 and gets the start to begin 2021.

Punter Jon Ryan, kicker Brett Lauther and long-snapper Jorgen Hus round out the team on special-teams.

Johnson admits the 2021 opener feels huge after a year-and-a-half away from football.

“It sucks because because it’s the first game of the season so you’re not trying to put that kind of weight on it but you haven’t played football in a year-and-a-half and fans haven’t had football in a year-and-a-half and it was questionable if you were even going to have a season,” Johnson said. “I lost a year of what I’m considering my prime so there’s a lot more anxiety and a lot more buildup for this game. I don’t think this is the type of season you want to start off slow, Hopefully we will be able to come out fast and get things rolling early.”

Kickoff for the game is at 7:30 p.m.

The Green Zone pregame show gets underway at 5:30 p.m.