June 6, 2017

Familiar foes meet again in pre-season opener

CFL.ca

CALGARY — For the BC Lions, Tuesday’s visit to McMahon Stadium is a return to the scene of the crime. Although, for them and the Calgary Stampeders, the mood will be much different.

It was roughly six months ago that the Stamps eliminated the Lions in a one-sided drudging in the Western Final last November. The two sides meet again in the first pre-season game of the 2017 CFL season.

“I am anxious to see these guys perform,” said Lions head coach and general manager Wally Buono. “You’re starting to form your opinion, you’re starting to see the guys that you believe will be your next stars.

“If they have great games it will build their confidence and restore their faith.”

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Bo Levi Mitchell and Jonathon Jennings meet following last year’s Western Final (Larry MacDougal/CFL.ca)

For Buono and Stamps head coach Dave Dickenson, the focus Tuesday will be on evaluating new additions. Reigning Most Outstanding Player Bo Levi Mitchell will not play for the Stamps, while Jonathon Jennings and Travis Lulay are likely to see only limited action for Buono’s club.

It’s barely been a week since training camp opened, but Dickenson says his players are ready.

“I don’t think these guys care if it’s this early (into training camp),” Dickenson told Stampeders.com following a Monday-morning walkthrough. “But the challenge for us is to make sure they’re prepared.

“What I’m most worried about is them trying to understand the CFL clock – substitutions in pre-season are a mess,” he continued. “But as for the actual football, these guys are ready to play and it will be fun to be out there.”

For the Stamps, several players will be making their first appearance with the team, including seven picks from this year’s draft class. In total, 37 players – including both rookies and CFL veterans – are expected to make their Stampeders debut.

While Mitchell won’t play, Dickenson says he’ll try to distribute playing time evenly among his other three quarterbacks. Mitchell Gale, Ricky Stanzi and Canadian Andrew Buckley are all vying for the backup job in Calgary, which opened up after Drew Tate was traded.

“We won’t play Bo (Levi Mitchell) and everyone else will just play, hopefully an equal amount and we will evaluate,” Dickenson revealed. “We’ve been doing that all camp so I’m not changing my philosophy. I need to see these other three guys and let’s see how they play.”

 

Both Calgary and BC went 1-1 during pre-season action in 2016. Each side suffered a defeat at home, which included the Lions’ 10-point loss to the Stampeders in Vancouver.

Once the 2016 regular-season got underway, the Stamps put together a club-record 15-2-1 campaign to clinch first place in the West. But in the wake of one of the greatest regular seasons in CFL history, the Stampeders fell to the Ottawa REDBLACKS in one of the largest Grey Cup upsets of all-time.

The Lions settled for second place with a 12-6 mark and beat the Blue Bombers in the Western Semi-Final before dropping the Western Final, 42-15 in Calgary.

Both teams have redemption on their minds but won’t find any on Tuesday. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing to be gained.

“We know it’s always an uptight moment, especially for these young guys because there is a lot at stake,” said Buono. “They know a lot is on the line in this game.”

For the Lions, much has changed since a year ago at this time, when Jennings had to solidify his starting job against former MOP Travis Lulay. Jennings went on to throw for 5,226 yards, 27 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, emerging as one of the game’s top young pivots.

On Tuesday, backup quarterback Keith Price will be the one under watch. Price and Alex Ross should see a heavier workload as the battle for No. 3 remains in high gear.

“Our expectations are much higher on Keith and when you grade them, you grade them a little more severe,” said Buono on the University of Washington product.

“He has shown the things we have always believed he has which is a good arm, good vision and good decisions. He is going to have to use all those qualities [on Tuesday].”

 

Buono, meanwhile, will get his first real glimpse of seventh overall pick Junior Luke. Fighting for a starting job, the Montreal Carabins product could not stop smiling at the thought of his first professional action.

“I’m excited to show what I can do on the field against another team, and that I can play at this level,” said Luke.

Competition has dominated the first week of Lions camp and that will only heat up leading up to the team’s first regular season game on June 24 vs. Edmonton.

The Stampeders, meanwhile, play their second pre-season tilt just five days after squaring off against the Lions when they visit the Eskimos on Sunday.

Then, after nearly two weeks off, the defending West Division Champions will begin their regular season in Ottawa on June 23 for a Grey Cup rematch with the REDBLACKS.

– With files from Max Campbell/Stampeders.com and Matt Baker/BCLions.com