Kyle Myers
Ticats.ca
They don’t get much better than this.
Friday’s matchup between the Stampeders and the Tiger-Cats in Calgary is a clash of the CFL’s two hottest teams, with the Stamps riding a three game winning streak and the ‘Cats taking four out of their last five.
Adding to the excitement is the fact that the man behind much of the Ticats’ success this season is returning to his old stomping grounds.
Henry Burris spent nine seasons as a Stampeder, winning a Grey Cup and a Most Outstanding Player award as a starter, and is so connected to the city that his family (and his restaurant) still reside in Calgary. Never one to steal the spotlight, Burris admits he’s excited to return to McMahon Stadium, but insists he and his teammates are focused solely on returning to Hamilton with another tick in the W column.
“I’m not going to make this game much bigger than it actually is,” Burris said after the Ticats final day of practice on Wednesday. “I know it’s a big game, but every game for us is a big game right now. We’re playing against a very good team at 8–2 who’s been playing good football at home, but we’re playing some good football right now too.”
At 5-5, the Ticats currently have sole possession of second place in the East Division, and sit just one game behind the Toronto Argonauts for the division lead. A win against the B.C. Lions last week silenced some of the team’s detractors, and a win against the West Division leaders would place the Ticats in the upper echelon of the CFL.
“Everything we’ve been doing as been prepping us for this point in the season,” said defensive lineman Sam Scott, who will start his second consecutive game at defensive end. “We’re finally starting to gel and it’s showing up on the field. As we continue to work hopefully we continue to get respect, but if we don’t, it’s not going to change how we prepare.”
Burris agreed, and believes that Friday’s game against the Stamps is a chance for the Ticats to show the rest of the league what they’re really made of.
“In order for us to take that next step to becoming an elite team and a team that can make some noise down the stretch we need to win these games,” said Burris. “These are games you can make statements with, not only to the league, but also to yourself.”
Hamilton heads West on a string of strong defensive efforts, holding opponents to under 100 yards rushing in each of their four wins. This weekend they’ll face one of Canada’s strongest rushers in Jon Cornish, and they’ll be looking to add him to list of backs they’ve shut down this season.
“As the cliché goes you’ve got to win the line of scrimmage,” said Head Coach Kent Austin. “That’s a tenant in football that holds true every week.”
Scott stressed that the Ticats will need to play a fundamentally sound game of football in order to stop the reigning Most Outstanding Canadian.
“Everybody needs to make sure we’re gap sound, and make sure we’re all doing our job collectively,” he said.
Heading into Calgary on Friday, the Tiger-Cats have a chance to move above .500 and potentially to the top of the East Division. It’ll take a strong effort to defeat a team who have proven unbeatable thus far at home this season, but if the Ticats current streak is any indication, this team is for real.
Friday is a great chance to prove it.
