CFL NOTEBOOK

Canadian country duo The Reklaws will perform at this year’s Grey Cup kickoff show, the CFL announced Thursday.

The league made the announcement prior to the start of the Calgary Stampeders-Ottawa Redblacks game.

Siblings Jenna and Stuart Walker were born and raised in Cambridge, Ont., and have opened for the likes of Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Thomas Rhett, and High Valley.

“Not in our wildest dreams did we ever think we would be part of such an iconic moment like the Grey Cup, and we can’t wait to perform for all the fans,” said Jenna Walker, the duo’s vocalist.

The Grey Cup game will be held Nov. 25 in Edmonton.
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HAMILTON – Jeremiah Masoli and Chris Streveler are off to impressive starts to the CFL season, but neither sees their meeting on Friday as a quarterback shootout in the making.

The two young QBs were named to the CFL’s top performers list at the start of the week, but both say they will be focused on beating opposing defences instead of each other when Masoli’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats play their home opener against Streveler’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

“I think I’ve gotten asked this every week so far, and my response been the same: when I’m out there, I’m playing against their defence,” said Streveler. “That’s going to be enough of a challenge for me.

“I’m competing against their defence, I’m not competing against their quarterback. We’re not going to be out there at the same time.”

Streveler echoed what Masoli had said earlier in the day.

“Nah, I’m not playing against him,” said Masoli. “That’s our defence and we’ve got total confidence in our defence.”

When Streveler was told that he and Masoli had similar responses, he couldn’t help but laugh.

“You probably ask any quarterback and they’ll say the same exact thing,” said Streveler.
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EDMONTON – Given injuries and all the new faces, it might have been tempting for the Edmonton Eskimos to lean on excuses after having their defence dominated last week.

Instead, the Eskimos spent the days since looking for answers, knowing Jonathon Jennings and the B.C. Lions will be eager to provide another test Friday at Commonwealth Stadium.

Between off-season personnel changes and having five starting defensive players, including both cornerbacks, on the six-game injured list, the defence the Eskimos put on the field last Friday was no match for Jeremiah Masoli and the Hamilton Tiger-cats, who waltzed to a 38-21 win.

“First of all, in our culture that’s never going to be tolerated,” said veteran linebacker J.C. Sherritt. “Feeling sorry for yourself, I mean that’s the quickest way out the door. We don’t tolerate that here for a second.

“You’ve just got to learn from your mistakes. It’s a very long season. I was here when B.C. was 0-5 (2011) and it was the worst team I’d ever seen in my life. I watched them become unbeatable and Grey Cup champions. That’s the CFL. It’s who can improve every week, who can learn from their mistakes.”

Masoli passed for 332 yards and three touchdowns and the Ticats rushed for 196 yards to roll up 528 yards of total offence. That loss came on the heels of what was anything but an airtight defensive display in a 33-30 season-opening win over Winnipeg.

More of the same won’t do against the Lions and Jennings, who opened the season with 22-10 win over the Montreal Alouettes.

“For us, it’s just a matter of learning, understanding what we have to do and being consistent,” said defensive co-ordinator Mike Benevides. “We were victimized. We weren’t good enough. That’s my responsibility.

“In Week 2, we were from being as good as we can be, but we need to make sure we make it right tomorrow.”

Jennings, who went 20-for-24 for 183 yards and two touchdowns against the Alouettes, faces an Edmonton defence that ranks seventh in total offence allowed per game (409.5 yards) and sits eighth in rushing yards allowed per game (166.5).

“There’s things here and there that we’ve seen on film that might be able to work,” B.C. receiver Bryan Burnham told BCLions.com after practice Wednesday. “But we know that after that (Hamilton) game they’re going to come hungry.

“They’re going to come ready to play, so we’ve just got to make sure we’re on our P’s and Q’s and, you know, making plays, doing the right thing, not making any mistakes because they’re going to come fired up and ready to get a win.”

(Canadian Press)