THE CANADIAN PRESS

WINNIPEG -- Sunday's CFL East semifinal was exciting football but would you watch it four times?

You would if you're Paul LaPolice, the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

He watched the Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeat the Montreal Alouettes 52-44 then he sat down and hit replay and watched it twice more. Then he got up early Monday and watched it again.

“I think we're doing everything in our power to be prepared,” he said Monday, and he isn't putting a lot of stock in those three regular-season wins the Bombers scored against the Ticats.

The temperature isn't the only thing that has changed a lot since Winnipeg first defeated Hamilton 24-16 on Canada Day.

“I was very impressed with the win by Hamilton, they did a tremendous job and for us, as a team, we know this is a team certainly we didn't face.”

Despite the lineup changes that have helped put Hamilton in the division final, the Bombers know what they have to do, he added.

“Hamilton's success this year has been on the big play… They've got players who can make big plays and they've got a quarterback who can locate the football, so we have to make sure we minimize their big plays and be able to run the football ourselves and keep them off the field.”

Simple, right?

LaPolice gives full marks to Ticats quarterback Kevin Glenn, who also once wore a Bomber uniform, as well as wide receiver Chris Williams.

“Kevin obviously is very hot, making some tremendous throws. Williams is obviously very explosive with the ball.”

Glenn has struggled at times this season and has a bit of a reputation for blowing both hot and cold but then Winnipeg's quarterbacking situation also has had its ups and downs and it still isn't certain who'll be throwing the football come Sunday.

The odds seem pretty good it will be regular starter Buck Pierce, the guy partly responsible for those three regular season wins against the Ticats, as he comes off what was described officially as a knee sprain.

“His treatment's been going fine, he seems fine, we'll see how he is,” LaPolice said Monday. Pierce has already said he feels good to go.

If, for some reason, it's felt he isn't ready, the job would fall to backup Alex Brink, who has seen a little more action this year and has numbers comparable to Pierce, but has yet to post a win as a starter. Otherwise, most of the Bomber starting squad looks ready to play.

“Pretty much everybody's practising,” said LaPolice. “That's what the bye week gives you.”

Winnipeg didn't have a lot of stars this season but the one player who did stand out was cornerback Jovon Johnson, the CFL East's nominee for most outstanding defensive player.

He was voted Winnipeg's most valuable player and also won special teams honours. There isn't much he hasn't done for the Bomber secondary this year and he has a league-leading eight interceptions.

Defensive back Johnny Sears also will be available once more, after his one-game suspension for a helmet-to-helmet hit.