By: Justin Boone
Cooking With Gas
If there were a recipe on how to make a good football team the B.C. Lions would be a perennial delicacy, while the Hamilton Tiger-Cats would be the dish that has a lot of flavour, but seems to missing something. This week the iron chef battle moves to the West Coast as the Tiger-Cats bring their sizzle, along with a new ingredient, RB Kenton Keith, to face Wally Buono and his B.C. squad.
It’s great timing for Keith, the former two-time West Division all-star, who is returning against a team he knows very well from his days with Saskatchewan, under then Riders offensive coordinator Marcel Bellefeuille.
Keith should be well served joining an already potent rushing attack, ranked number one in the CFL. Some fans have asked how much better can the Ticats running game can get, not realizing how much of multi-dimensional threat the 5’9, 189-pound back can be.
In his final season in Saskatchewan, Keith rushed for over a thousand yards and two touchdowns, but also caught 52 passes for another 513 yards, including three touchdowns.
In his first practice he showed his speed and good hands, splitting practice reps with RB Jesse Lumsden, something the team plans to employ starting this weekend.
The first taste test of the Kenton Keith era will begin this Saturday.
The Ins and Outs
(Storylines from around the CFL)
Ace In The Hole – For all the grief the East Division has received this year, Montreal fought back on the weekend, hammering Edmonton 40-4. While I may make the odd typo that is not one of them, Edmonton only mustered four points, as Anthony Calvillo threw for over 400 and two touchdowns, and the Als had three 100-yard receivers. Even QB Jason Mass got a chance to step behind centre for the Esks, but wasn’t able to turn the tide.
Out Of The Frying Pan And Into The Fire – Speaking of teams scoring four points, the Argos second game under Don Matthews was a debacle as the Boatmen came ashore against the Stampeders and were overrun by Henry Burris and the Calgary offence. Matthews continues to stay positive about his team, but times are tough in Argoland, and a new quarterback controversy has emerged between Kerry Joseph and Cody Pickett.
In A Rut – Although Saskatchewan lost to B.C. last week they essentially handed the game over to them, by committing eight turnovers. If injuries weren’t enough, were the Riders trying to handcuff themselves even more by giving the ball up and seeing if they could overcome the challenge? Saskatchewan is one team in the West that I could see dropping off. All four teams currently sit within two points of each other.
Making Out Like Bandits – With a few new faces on the roster this week, the Ticats brain trust is certainly hard at work trying to bring in players who can help in the short term and the long haul. Dan Rambo, the team’s director of player personnel, is in town this week working with Bob O’Billovich on securing some of the NFLers that didn’t catch on a roster, but who could be impact players north of the border.
Easier Said Than Done
(Quote of the Week)
“‘This is forever, records can be broken. I’m always going to be in the Hall of Fame. I’ve been immortalized, if you will. My bust will be in there forever. My kids will be able to show their kids: ‘This is what Daddy did. He was a pretty good football player, once upon a time’.”
Mike Pringle was slightly overshadowed by the likes of Doug Flutie and Pinball Clemons, but he is arguably the best running back to ever play in the CFL and he was very honoured to have his bust enter the Hall of Fame.
Follow The Leader
(Leaders from CFL and the Ticats)
CFL Rushing – SSK Wes Cates – 177 carries, 1,055 yards, 9 TDs
Ticats Rushing – HAM Jesse Lumsden – 84 carries, 586 yards, 5 TDs
CFL Passing – MTL Anthony Calvillo – 317/468, 3,971 yards, 28 TDs
Ticats Passing – HAM Casey Printers – 118/207, 1,562 yards, 4 TDs
CFL Receiving – Ken-Yon Rambo – 67 receptions, 1,020 yards, 5 TDs
Ticats Receiving – HAM Prechae Rodriguez – 36 receptions, 613 yards, 3 TDs
CFL Tackling – SSK Anton McKenzie – 63 Tackles
Ticats Tackling – HAM Markeith Knowlton – 58 Tackles
CFL Interceptions – B.C. Barron Miles – 7 INTs
Ticats Interceptions – HAM Chris Thompson – 5 INTs
CFL Sacks – B.C. Lions Cameron Wake – 15 Sacks
Ticats Sacks – HAM Darrell Adams – 5 Sacks
Let me know your thoughts on the week by sending your e-mails, comments, or questions to jboone@ticats.ca
