Newf
11-29-2009, 03:28 PM
THE CANADIAN PRESS
CALGARY -- Once again, Weston Dressler will play the role of reluctant spectator at the Grey Cup.
Last year, the Saskatchewan Roughriders receiver spent Grey Cup week in Montreal, watching the game at Olympic Stadium after being named the CFL's top rookie. But a broken leg and sprained ankle will keep Dressler on the sidelines Sunday when the Riders face the Alouettes in this year's title game at McMahon Stadium.
"Last year was tough watching the Grey Cup because our team wasn't playing," Dressler said. "But I don't think you can explain what it feels when your team is here but you're not out there when you're used to being out there every day.
"Just being out there running around with the guys is something I love to do and it's hard not being able to do that. It's never fun just watching."
The five-foot-seven, 179-pound Dressler suffered a broken right leg and sprained ankle in a 32-22 home win over the Toronto Argonauts on Oct. 10. Despite missing the Riders' final four regular-season games, Dressler finished the season as Saskatchewan's receiving leader with 62 catches for 941 yards and four TDs.
Saskatchewan will definitely miss Dressler's production Sunday. He had 12 catches for 230 yards in the Riders' two regular-season meetings with Montreal, including eight receptions for 179 yards in a 34-25 road loss to the Als on Aug. 21.
At least Dressler won't have to bundle up on the sidelines. The weather forecast Sunday is calling for sunshine and a daytime high of 9 C.
"The last time we played them it was a tough game," Dressler said. "But we moved the ball offensively and was one of those games where we left knowing we can be better, we could get better.
"Even though we didn't come out on top we knew we were on the right track."
The Riders and Alouettes spent most of the regular season on the right track.
Montreal cruised to a CFL-best 15-3 record -- including a sparkling 9-0 at home -- en route to top spot in the East Division. The Alouettes emphatically stamped their ticket to a second straight Grey Cup appearance with a lopsided 56-18 win over B.C. in the conference final behind five TD passes from Anthony Calvillo, who this week was named the league's outstanding player for the second consecutive year.
Saskatchewan had a tougher road to travel in '09, finishing the regular season tied atop the West Division standings with a 10-7-1 record but securing first based on winning the season series. The Riders' first-place finish was their first since 1976 and cemented home-field advantage for the conference final.
And that was huge as Saskatchewan faced Calgary in a rematch, and feeding off the energy of a rabid Mosaic Stadium gathering of more than 30,000 defeated the Stampeders 27-17.
The Riders are back in the Grey Cup after winning the '07 contest in Toronto. Montreal, though, is making its seventh appearance in the CFL title game since 2000 but looking for just its second win over that span.
After a slow start, Grey Cup fever seems to be building in Calgary. Hotel lobbies are swelling with football fans, the majority proudly displaying their colours. And on Friday night could be heard that familiar refrain of diehard Toronto supporters -- after suffering through their team's miserable 3-15 campaign -- shouting "AAARRRGGOOOOSSSS," as they made their way downtown.
The weatherman has also co-operated this week, with mostly sunshine and temperatures above zero. A few centimetres of snow fell in the downtown core Friday night but is expected to be long gone by kickoff.
Downtown merchants are also getting into the swing of things, with souvenir kiosks popping up in hotel lobbies. And many restaurants are advertising Grey Cup specials either on their front windows or in their menus.
And fans watching Sunday's game will see many of the CFL's top performers.
Calvillo, a three-time winner of the CFL's outstanding player award, anchors a potent Montreal offence that led the CFL in scoring (33.3 points per game). The 16-year veteran completed 72 per cent of his passes to a receiving corps that features three 1,000-yard receivers in Kerry Watkins (81 catches, 1,243 yards, eight TDs), Jamel Richardson (85 catches, 1,055 yards, nine TDs) and Ben Cahoon (89 catches, 1,031 yards, two TDs).
Tailback Avon Cobourne is another big-play contributor. Cobourne rushed for 1,214 yards (5.4-yard average) and 13 TDs and also added 56 catches for 458 yards and two TDs. Veteran Scott Flory, the CFL's top lineman for the second straight year, anchors a solid offensive line.
Montreal also boasts a defence that was first in 21 of the CFL's 25 categories as well as the league's top scorer in kicker Damon Duval (league-record 242 points) and its best special-teams performer in kick-returner Larry Taylor.
"Overall they just don't have a weak spot on their team," Dressler said of the Alouettes. "Offensively they're great and defensively they play hard and do great things to stop other offences.
"On special teams, obviously, they have one of the top returners in the game and one of the best kickers. Overall, they're just a good team."
So, too, are the Riders.
Quarterback Darian Durant had a solid first season as Saskatchewan's starter. After being platooned early in the year with backup Steven Jyles, Durant took command of the No. 1 job, earning division all-star honours after passing for 4,438 yards with 24 TDs (second only to Calvillo's 26) and also running for 501 yards (stellar 8.3-yard average per carry).
As big a blow as Dressler's injury was, Canadian-born receivers Andy Fantuz, Rob Bagg and Chris Getzlaf more than picked up the slack for the Riders. Fantuz (67 catches, 882 yards, four TDs), Bagg (59 catches, 807 yards, five TDs) and Getzlaf (41 catches, 531 yards, six TDs) took turns coming up with big catches in helping Saskatchewan get to the Grey Cup.
So, too, did defensive ends John Chick and Stevie Baggs. The bookend defensive linemen proved to be a quarterback's nightmare, with Baggs finishing tied for the CFL lead in sacks with 12, one more than Chick, who was named the league's top defensive player.
But a rallying point for the Riders during the post-season has been 10-year veteran defensive back Omarr Morgan, who is making his first Grey Cup appearance. Morgan has spent nine seasons with the Riders, but was with Edmonton in '07 when Saskatchewan won its last league championship.
CALGARY -- Once again, Weston Dressler will play the role of reluctant spectator at the Grey Cup.
Last year, the Saskatchewan Roughriders receiver spent Grey Cup week in Montreal, watching the game at Olympic Stadium after being named the CFL's top rookie. But a broken leg and sprained ankle will keep Dressler on the sidelines Sunday when the Riders face the Alouettes in this year's title game at McMahon Stadium.
"Last year was tough watching the Grey Cup because our team wasn't playing," Dressler said. "But I don't think you can explain what it feels when your team is here but you're not out there when you're used to being out there every day.
"Just being out there running around with the guys is something I love to do and it's hard not being able to do that. It's never fun just watching."
The five-foot-seven, 179-pound Dressler suffered a broken right leg and sprained ankle in a 32-22 home win over the Toronto Argonauts on Oct. 10. Despite missing the Riders' final four regular-season games, Dressler finished the season as Saskatchewan's receiving leader with 62 catches for 941 yards and four TDs.
Saskatchewan will definitely miss Dressler's production Sunday. He had 12 catches for 230 yards in the Riders' two regular-season meetings with Montreal, including eight receptions for 179 yards in a 34-25 road loss to the Als on Aug. 21.
At least Dressler won't have to bundle up on the sidelines. The weather forecast Sunday is calling for sunshine and a daytime high of 9 C.
"The last time we played them it was a tough game," Dressler said. "But we moved the ball offensively and was one of those games where we left knowing we can be better, we could get better.
"Even though we didn't come out on top we knew we were on the right track."
The Riders and Alouettes spent most of the regular season on the right track.
Montreal cruised to a CFL-best 15-3 record -- including a sparkling 9-0 at home -- en route to top spot in the East Division. The Alouettes emphatically stamped their ticket to a second straight Grey Cup appearance with a lopsided 56-18 win over B.C. in the conference final behind five TD passes from Anthony Calvillo, who this week was named the league's outstanding player for the second consecutive year.
Saskatchewan had a tougher road to travel in '09, finishing the regular season tied atop the West Division standings with a 10-7-1 record but securing first based on winning the season series. The Riders' first-place finish was their first since 1976 and cemented home-field advantage for the conference final.
And that was huge as Saskatchewan faced Calgary in a rematch, and feeding off the energy of a rabid Mosaic Stadium gathering of more than 30,000 defeated the Stampeders 27-17.
The Riders are back in the Grey Cup after winning the '07 contest in Toronto. Montreal, though, is making its seventh appearance in the CFL title game since 2000 but looking for just its second win over that span.
After a slow start, Grey Cup fever seems to be building in Calgary. Hotel lobbies are swelling with football fans, the majority proudly displaying their colours. And on Friday night could be heard that familiar refrain of diehard Toronto supporters -- after suffering through their team's miserable 3-15 campaign -- shouting "AAARRRGGOOOOSSSS," as they made their way downtown.
The weatherman has also co-operated this week, with mostly sunshine and temperatures above zero. A few centimetres of snow fell in the downtown core Friday night but is expected to be long gone by kickoff.
Downtown merchants are also getting into the swing of things, with souvenir kiosks popping up in hotel lobbies. And many restaurants are advertising Grey Cup specials either on their front windows or in their menus.
And fans watching Sunday's game will see many of the CFL's top performers.
Calvillo, a three-time winner of the CFL's outstanding player award, anchors a potent Montreal offence that led the CFL in scoring (33.3 points per game). The 16-year veteran completed 72 per cent of his passes to a receiving corps that features three 1,000-yard receivers in Kerry Watkins (81 catches, 1,243 yards, eight TDs), Jamel Richardson (85 catches, 1,055 yards, nine TDs) and Ben Cahoon (89 catches, 1,031 yards, two TDs).
Tailback Avon Cobourne is another big-play contributor. Cobourne rushed for 1,214 yards (5.4-yard average) and 13 TDs and also added 56 catches for 458 yards and two TDs. Veteran Scott Flory, the CFL's top lineman for the second straight year, anchors a solid offensive line.
Montreal also boasts a defence that was first in 21 of the CFL's 25 categories as well as the league's top scorer in kicker Damon Duval (league-record 242 points) and its best special-teams performer in kick-returner Larry Taylor.
"Overall they just don't have a weak spot on their team," Dressler said of the Alouettes. "Offensively they're great and defensively they play hard and do great things to stop other offences.
"On special teams, obviously, they have one of the top returners in the game and one of the best kickers. Overall, they're just a good team."
So, too, are the Riders.
Quarterback Darian Durant had a solid first season as Saskatchewan's starter. After being platooned early in the year with backup Steven Jyles, Durant took command of the No. 1 job, earning division all-star honours after passing for 4,438 yards with 24 TDs (second only to Calvillo's 26) and also running for 501 yards (stellar 8.3-yard average per carry).
As big a blow as Dressler's injury was, Canadian-born receivers Andy Fantuz, Rob Bagg and Chris Getzlaf more than picked up the slack for the Riders. Fantuz (67 catches, 882 yards, four TDs), Bagg (59 catches, 807 yards, five TDs) and Getzlaf (41 catches, 531 yards, six TDs) took turns coming up with big catches in helping Saskatchewan get to the Grey Cup.
So, too, did defensive ends John Chick and Stevie Baggs. The bookend defensive linemen proved to be a quarterback's nightmare, with Baggs finishing tied for the CFL lead in sacks with 12, one more than Chick, who was named the league's top defensive player.
But a rallying point for the Riders during the post-season has been 10-year veteran defensive back Omarr Morgan, who is making his first Grey Cup appearance. Morgan has spent nine seasons with the Riders, but was with Edmonton in '07 when Saskatchewan won its last league championship.