COLLAROS LEADING BOMBERS INTO THE GREY CUP

Zach Collaros is happy to ride the whirlwind.

A Winnipeg Blue Bomber for less than six weeks, the quarterback helped his new team to a 20-13 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Sunday’s West final and to a berth in the Grey Cup.

The Bombers, who finished third in the West with an 11-7 record, take on the East Division’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats (15-3) in next Sunday’s Grey Cup game in Calgary.

Collaros started the season a Roughrider, but was traded twice and landed in Winnipeg on Oct. 9 via the Toronto Argonauts.

The 31-year-old pivot experienced the Grey Cup in 2012 as a rookie backup for the Argos, who hoisted the trophy that year.

Collaros was Hamilton’s starter in the 2014 Grey Cup when his Ticats were beaten by the Calgary Stampeders. Five years later, he’ll experience the CFL’s championship game again.

“My first three years you know you’re thinking ‘I’m going to do this every year, or every other year,”’ Collaros said after Sunday’s win.

“Not everybody gets to do that. It’s a precious thing and you’ve really got to cherish it. It’s not easy to do. It’s hard to put into words, but it’s a really exciting feeling.”

In his third straight start as a Bomber, Collaros completed 17 of 25 passes for 267 yards and a touchdown throw to Kenny Lawler. He engineered a pivotal first-quarter drive to score the only touchdown of the game.

Winnipeg last played in a Grey Cup in 2011 when the Bombers fell 34-23 to the host B.C. Lions.

Blue Bomber fans haven’t celebrated a Grey Cup win since 1990.

“We’re one step closer,” Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said. “I’m pretty sure they’re not going to be satisfied nor will we, unless we handle our business.”

The one-two punch of Collaros and rushing quarterback Chris Streveler that was so effective in a semifinal win over Calgary was deployed less Sunday perhaps due to Streveler’s injured foot.

Streveler, who rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown against Calgary, threw one incomplete pass in his only appearance in the first half.

Saskatchewan’s defence was ready for Streveler to run in the second half, holding him to 10 yards on four carries.

But the Roughriders offence dashed the hopes of their fans with fourth-quarter near-misses.

“Look at that finish. That game was wild at the end. I enjoyed every minute of that,” O’Shea said. “If that film travelled across North America, how could anybody not love our game?

“It’s easy to believe in our guys. We’re going to find a way to get it done. I know it was a crossbar and it’s kind of anticlimactic really.”

After knocking off the 2018 Grey Cup champions and the West Division’s top team in the playoffs, the Bombers need to win just one more game against a higher-ranked team to hoist the trophy at McMahon Stadium.

“We’ve got to make sure we stick to our process and our preparation, try to avoid all the noise that a Grey Cup brings and think about this as just a football game and not the Grey Cup, which is tough to do,” O’Shea said.

(Canadian Press/Photo: Bob Irving)