OUT OF THE TUNNEL: NEARING THE HALFWAY TURN

What we do know is Winnipeg is still very good and Ottawa has improved but is still not a playoff team. The West Division is a three-tier race with Winnipeg at the top and in danger of running away with things; B.C. and Saskatchewan are battling it out for the home playoff game and the two Alberta teams are incredibly flawed and enigmatic.

The East Division is a little more simplified and sticking to the pre-season plan. Hamilton, Toronto and Montreal will battle it out for the top three spots and the only threat is either Calgary or Edmonton crawl out of the muck and grab the crossover.

This is an incredible time of the year and something football fans have been waiting for. The CFL, NFL, NCAA, CJFL and starting this weekend USports will all be in action across the continent. Along with high schools and CEGEPs, if you are a football fan you don’t have to look too far to find some action.

Up

The new Canadian Air Force of receivers in Saskatchewan is must-watch. The trio of Kian Schaffer-Baker, Brayden Lenius and Mitch Picton have all become favourite targets of Roughrider quarterback Cody Fajardo.

Rider fans got to experience this a decade ago when the quartet of Andy Fantuz, Jason Clermont, Rob Bagg and Chris Getzlaf, began the Canadian Air Force moniker and this current trio of Canadian pass catchers are eerily similar.

Like ten years ago there are a pair of local favourites in Lenius and Picton and a break-out receiver from out east in Schaffer-Baker. Also waiting in the wings are a pair of highly touted draft picks in Justin McInnis and Terrell Jana.

The surprise of the group is Schaffer-Baker who had an incredible game on Friday night with 99 yards receiving and a touchdown. The trio of Schaffer-Baker, Lenius and Piction combined for 14 catches for 144 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

This is a luxury for a Rider team who can now easily use five of their seven Canadian spots on offence.

Down

The Calgary Stampeders are the most enigmatic team in the CFL. They went out and laid a giant egg in Hamilton against a third-string Tiger-Cats quarterback. With the well-travelled David Watford under centre, the Ticats were able to knock off Calgary 23-17.

Calgary has what is supposed to be the best quarterback in the CFL in Bo Levi Mitchell and a great coaching staff as well but there is something missing. Mitchell is off, there is no running game and the defence is pedestrian at best. The clock is ticking on the season and if the Stampeders miss the playoffs, that would be something none of us saw coming at the beginning of the season.

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The surprise of the first half of the season has to be the B.C. Lions. They were very workman-like in their 27-18 road victory over Montreal to keep pace with the Riders for second in the West. The crazy part of the Lions 4-2 start is that they have won three of four games on the road.

It sets up a great stretch run for B.C. with five home games remaining and if Michael Reilly remains healthy and they stay within themselves, the Lions may gift their new ownership a home playoff game in 2021.

Down

This is a very mild down so call this more of a wish to improve the game. This season USports returns to the field after missing the 2020 season because of the pandemic so it’s not a wish for this year or even next. We would love to see every USports team play a pair of non-conference games.

Imagine Laval against Calgary, McMaster facing off against Acadia or Saskatchewan taking on Western to begin the season it would be incredible. This would get a better national TV buy-in, national rankings that mean more and a pair of games under a team’s belt before their conference schedule.

In a perfect world this would give USports football the national bump it deserves.

This Week in CanadaWest

Opening weekend

Saturday, September 25
Saskatchewan at Calgary
Regina at Manitoba
UBC at Alberta

This Week in the Prairie Football Conference

Saskatoon Hilltops (2-2) 27
Regina Thunder (4-0) 30

For the second weekend in a row, the best rivalry in all of junior football went to the wire. The Thunder were able to knock off the defending national champion Hilltops again in yet another thriller.

Saskatoon was driving down the field looking for the tying score but while in field goal range took a shot at the end zone and was intercepted to seal the game for Regina. This keeps the Thunder record perfect at 4-0 while Saskatoon drops to 2-2. No doubt these two teams will see each other again in the playoffs.

Edmonton Huskies 41
Winnipeg Rifles 15

The Edmonton Huskies took over sole possession of second place in the PFC with a 41-15 road victory over the Winnipeg Rifles. The Huskies third straight win ups their record to 3-1 while the loss drops Winnipeg to 1-3

Calgary Colts 22
Edmonton Wildcats 42

In a game that was tied at 22 heading in the fourth quarter, the Wildcats got a rushing touchdown from Nathan Zacharias and a pick-six from Brett Phillips to pull out the victory. The Wildcats are now in a tie with Saskatoon for third in the PFC while Calgary is still looking for their first victory of the season

This Week in the PFC

Regina Thunder (4-0) at Edmonton Wildcats (2-2)

Winnipeg Rifles (1-3) at Saskatoon Hilltops (2-2)

Edmonton Huskies (3-1) at Calgary Colts (0-4)

Canadian to Watch in the NCAA

Jesse Luketa (Sr.)
Defensive end/Linebacker
Penn State University
6’3”, 247 lbs.
Ottawa, Ontario
High School – Mercyhurst Prep (Pennsylvania)

The Penn State Nittany Lions are stockpiling Canadian university talent led by outstanding defender Jesse Luketa. The senior is one of six Canadians that dot the roster.

In the Nittany white out game against a very tough SEC foe in the Auburn Tigers, Luketa had eight total tackles and a quarterback hurry in a 28-20 victory. He is one of the top ranked Canadians for the upcoming 2022 CFL draft but may also have NFL aspirations as well. So far in 2021 Luketa is third on the team in total tackles and has an interception.

(RODPEDERSEN.COM STAFF/Photo: Nelson Hackewich)