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A win over the Calgary Stampeders Friday night won’t erase the heartbreak the Hamilton Tiger-Cats felt over losing last year’s Grey Cup game.
What a victory could do is set the Tiger-Cats on a course to return to the CFL championship game for a third consecutive year.
“This is definitely the game the guys want to play,” said guard Peter Dyakowski. “We didn’t have the finish last year we wanted to have.
“This game by no means is a consolation but it’s an opportunity for us to set the tone that we want to have for our season.”
Wide receiver Andy Fantuz agrees nothing can change the past, but beating the Stampeders at McMahon Stadium in the season-opening game for both teams will help shape Hamilton’s future.
“We are eager to get back out there and fix what we messed up on, just start the year out strong,” said Fantuz, who was second among Hamilton receivers last year with 62 catches for 639 yards. “You know going against the Stampeders you are going to have a great test.
“If we play well, execute, we know we will be on the right track for the season. There’s a little bit of extra incentive to get out there and ball out.”
| Putting the past behind |
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 Hamilton receiver/kick returner Brandon Banks takes a long walk from the endzone to the sideline after finding out his late fourth-quarter punt return touchdown was for not after the ‘Cats were called for an illegal block. A win tonight in Calgary could go a long way in carving the path back to the game for a third straight year. |
The Tiger-Cats thought they had the Grey Cup in hand last November after Brandon Banks returned a punt 90 yards for a touchdown with just 35 seconds left in the game at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver. But the trophy was yanked away when the play was called back on a penalty, allowing Calgary to hang on for a 20-16 victory.
If the Tiger-Cats are trying to heat up the emotional pot for Friday’s game, Stampeder defensive lineman Charleston Hughes remains lukewarm
“It’s the home-opener,” said Hughes, who had eight sacks last season. “That’s pretty much the significance of this game.
“Just because it’s the Grey Cup team we are playing against, that really doesn’t mean that much because we are starting over again. That was last year. This is this year. I am more worried about going into the first game winning the home opener.”
The Stampeders head into 2015 with one of the most balanced attacks in the league. They have bruising running back Jon Cornish _ who rushed for over 1,000 yards last year despite missing nine games _ complimented by a receiving corps that includes Eric Rogers, Jeff Fuller, Marquay McDaniel and Joe West.
The Stampeders did lose some key players over the winter. Defensive end Shawn Lemon, who had 13 sacks, is trying his luck in the NFL, as is all-star centre Brett Jones. Slotback Nik Lewis signed with Montreal.
In a quarterback driven league the Stampeders have one of the emerging stars in Bo Levi Mitchell. The 25-year-old secured himself the starter’s role by throwing 22 touchdown passes last season and just eight interceptions.
“Obviously there is more confidence” this year, said Mitchell. “More trust in the guys.
“We have more of a feel for the offence right now.”
Hamilton heads into the season stocked with veteran experience. Of the 46 players on the Grey Cup roster 42 remain with the team.
“I would say this is the best Tiger-Cat team I have ever been part of,” said Dyakowski.
“It feels like there is a process of growth. We’re not starting from scratch. We have simply got better, we’ve improved in every facet. The new guys are very good players. All the guys who carried over from the year before are one year better, one year smarter, one year wiser.”
Fantuz has been impressed with the confidence quarterback Zach Collaros has shown in training camp and the pre-season. Collaros threw for over 3,200 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first season with Hamilton last year but was a work in progress.
“His poise and demeanor on the field is quite a bit different than it was last year at this time,” said Fantuz. “In training camp he was starting to learn everything and trying to know what was happening instead of knowing in the back of his head to go through his reads and really working on the details of the offence.
WATCH: Grey Cup Rematch Set for Friday Night
