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Justin Dunk
Stala Reaches Century Mark
Veteran Ticats receiver Dave Stala will hit a big numerical milestone –- 100 regular season games played — when Hamilton’s tilt in Calgary wraps up on Saturday evening.
“It’s been a lot of fun playing, but it’s an honour to hit the 100 game mark. I never thought I would last this long,” he said.
Stala has amassed 316 receptions, 3878 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns over his first hundred CFL regular season games.
“I did have a goal and a mindset that I wanted to play ten years,” he said. “I’m pretty close to that.”
Ticats Ready For ‘Handsy’ Stamps
The Calgary secondary has developed a reputation around the league for getting their hands full of opposing jerseys.
“They’re going to put their hands on us, they do like to clutch and grab,” Stala said.
Seven pass interference penalties, which leads the league, is evidence of the Stampeders defensive backs toeing the line when trying to prevent receivers from getting a step.
“Their defensive coordinator Chris Jones is very aggressive, that’s the way they coach,” Stala said. “Hopefully some of us vets and older guys will get some calls.”
Tisdale To Test Old Team
A familiar face to Ticats fans and current players on the Hamilton roster, Geoff Tisdale, will play his first game against his former team. The fourth year CFLer spent his first three seasons with Hamilton before landing a free agent deal with Calgary this past off-season.
Stala, who spent two seasons as a teammate of Tisdale’s, shared some keys to beating the former Ticat with the other members of his squad.
“We talked about him early in the week,” Stala said. “We do know some of their tendencies and Geoff has a bunch of them that we found on tape.”
Tisdale is tied for second in the league, with two interceptions on the season.
Slow-er Motion
Ticats receiver Chris Williams is starting to have the Canadian game ‘slow down’ for him.
In any sport when an athlete jumps to a higher level of play, ie: from college to the pros, adjusting to the playing speed is key. Obviously, the higher the level of competition, the faster a play unfolds.
Williams has started to see the CFL game at a different, more comfortable pace.
“Leaps and bounds, miles an hour, kilometers an hour, what ever you want to call it,” he said of the Canadian game slowing down for him. “It’s so much clearer now from my perspective on what I need to do.”
A pace he plans to take advantage of.
“You understand what the defence is doing,” he said. “Once you understand what the defence is doing, what they’re trying to take away, you can manipulate that into helping yourself to get open.”
Cowtown Not Kind To Tabbies
2004, over seven years ago, was the last time Hamilton produced a victory at McMahon Stadium, home of the Stampeders. Danny McManus, now the team’s head U.S. scout, was behind centre for the Tiger-Cats, throwing for 358 yards and four scores in a 41-34 Cats win. So it’s been a while.
Ticats head coach, Marcel Bellefeuille is 0-2 in his two trips to Stampede country with Hamilton. So why has it been such a difficult place for the Black and Gold to find a winning formula?
“They’ve been one of the elite teams for the last five, six years,” he said. “Anytime you go play on the road out west, against an elite team, you’re going to have a tough game no matter what.”
However, in 2011 the Stampeders haven’t played well in the friendly confines of their home stadium. The Stamps sport a losing 0-2 record at home so far this season, maybe a sign that Hamilton could bring their Calgary losing streak to an end.
“For us to become the team we want to be, we have go out and we have to compete in these places,” Bellefeuille said.
The Ticats will also look to snap a three-game skid against the Stampeders. Hamilton’s last win over Calgary came September 18, 2009 in a 24-17 victory at Ivor Wynne Stadium, Bellefeuille’s only win in five tries versus Calgary as the Ticats bench boss.
