Rod Pedersen
CFL.ca
There will be a new Grey Cup champion in 2009.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders ousted the defending champion Calgary Stampeders 27-17 in the Western Division Final Sunday in Regina to punch their ticket to the 97th Grey Cup game this Sunday at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.
In the Western Final, 30,945 fans crammed Mosaic Stadium to watch the Riders and Stamps meet for the fourth time this year. The Riders had two wins and a tie in three regular season games but the playoff tilt got off to a rough start for the Green & White.
Henry Burris led the Stamps to a 3-0 lead after the first quarter and they upped their edge to 10-0 early in the second thanks to a Joffrey Reynolds rushing touchdown. However the Riders found a groove and a Chris Getzlaf touchdown and a Luca Congi field goal made the score 10-10 at halftime.
“I told them at halftime they’re 30 minutes away from the Grey Cup,” Rider coach Ken Miller told CKRM just prior to the second half kickoff.
That was all the Riders needed to hear. Saskatchewan’s Jason Armstead returned the second half kickoff 75 yards to the Calgary 19-yard line and four plays later quarterback Darian Durant found Andy Fantuz for a 10-yard score and the Riders never looked back.
Burris threw three second half interceptions as he failed to rally his team to a comeback.
Game over: Riders 27 Stamps 17
“It’s a great feeling,” said Rider centre Jeremy O’Day. “We can’t wait to get back to work. We have one more win to get. Just listen to this crowd! This is it baby!”
The Riders terrorized Burris, sacking him five times in the victory.
“It’s awesome,” said Rider defensive end Stevie Baggs. “They’re a great team. You gotta beat the champs to be the champs. Now we gotta get a win next week. We’re on our way.”
The Riders will meet Montreal in the 97th Grey Cup Sunday at 5:30pm Saskatchewan time (6:30pm ET) in Calgary. The Alouettes advanced with a 56-18 blowout of B.C. in the Eastern Final.
These two teams have never met in the Grey Cup. However, in 1931 the Montreal Winged Wheelers beat Al Ritchie’s Regina Roughriders 22-0 for the CFL championship.
“Darian was absolutely marvelous in this game,” said Miller. “He’s done things no one thought he could do but us. He’s been great.”
The Riders had precious little time to celebrate as their attention immediately turned to the Alouettes.
“Man we have a tremendous task at hand in Montreal,” said Durant. “Those guys beat us twice this year. They are potent on offense and defense but it’s Grey Cup or bust for us. We’re not satisfied.”
Montreal beat the Riders 43-10 in Week 3 at Regina and 34-25 in Week 8 at Montreal. That’s a combined 42 points.
This time it’s for all the marbles.
The 2009 Grey Cup can be seen on TSN across Canada, and heard on radio across Saskatchewan on 620 CKRM Regina, 600 CJWW Saskatoon and GX94 Yorkton.
Here we go.
