By Canadian Press

Stampeders host Roughriders and chase first home win of 2023 season

Jun 23, 2023 | 5:41 PM

CALGARY — The Calgary Stampeders need their young receivers to help get the job done on offence Saturday against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Veteran slotback Reggie Begelton and wide receiver Tyson Middlemost on the injured list this week opened the door for a couple rookies — first-round draft pick Cole Tucker and six-foot-seven Simon Fraser University alum Rysen John — to make their CFL debuts.

“They’re young, but they’re fearless,” Stampeders quarterback Jake Maier said. “They have what it takes to get the job done this weekend.”

The Stampeders and Roughriders both head into bye weeks following Saturday’s clash of 1-1 clubs in the West Division.

Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris threw three touchdown passes to Samuel Emilus and compiled over 400 throwing yards, but in a losing cause as the ‘Riders fell 47-25 to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Week 2.

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“Trevor played well and I thought his receivers played well for him, also,” Saskatchewan head coach Craig Dickenson said.

“We’ve got to run the ball. We’ve got to run the ball better and we’ve got to be able to make their quarterback uncomfortable . . . make him pat the ball a little bit and give our secondary a chance to break on some passes.”

Calgary’s receiving corps will be somewhat green overall Saturday.

Wideouts Luther Hakunavanhu and Malik Henry starting their third CFL campaigns are the most seasoned. 

Rookie Charles Barnes and second-year receiver Tre Odoms-Dukes round out the starting slotbacks.

With 2022 league rushing leader Ka’Deem Carey out a second straight game with a foot injury, sophomore running back Dedrick Mills will continue to get more work Saturday.

Mills rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown in Calgary’s 26-15 road win over the Ottawa Redblacks last week.

“We’re young,” acknowledged Stampeders head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson, who is Craig’s younger brother.

“There’s basically three rookies out there. Of our veteran guys, Ka’Deem and Reggie were our leaders by default and performance coming into the season, and our best playmakers.

“So without two of our best, but that’s an opportunity for someone else and an exciting opportunity. If you’re behind a guy like that, you’re not hoping for an injury, but you’re trying to find your way on the roster. Well, you’re here. Go make your plays.” 

Vancouver’s John and six-foot-four York University alum Hakunavanhu are tall targets for Maier in man-on-man situations.

“It definitely gives you the ability to throw the ball up to those guys, when in doubt,” said Calgary’s quarterback, who has thrown one touchdown pass in the first two games of the season.

“Sometimes those 50-50 opportunities swing in the direction of your favour when you’re six-five, six-six.”

Calgary made Tucker out of Northern Illinois the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft. He’ll start in Begelton’s absence Saturday.

“We ask our receivers to do a lot,” Dave Dickenson said. “We’ve got to build these guys. 

“We’re going to have mistakes. I get that, but we also need to make plays. If we make plays, we can handle the odd mistake as long as they’re not making the same mistake twice.”

Dave Dickenson is 5-2 against sibling Craig as CFL head coaches.

If Calgary’s game roster was fluid heading into Saturday, Saskatchewan’s was more so with 10 lineup changes from last week.

Among them, tackles Jerald Hawkins and Colin Kelly will play their first games as Roughriders. Rookie receiver Kendall Watson gets his first career start at slotback.

“We’ve had a good camp and all these guys that we’re putting in know our system know what we expect of them,” Craig Dickenson said.

“The message this week was the faces may change, the names may change, but the standard of what we expect doesn’t.”

The 37-year-old Harris is playing for his fifth CFL team after stops in Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton and Montreal.

But he’ll experience for the first time how many Roughriders fans there are in Calgary, where a multitude of green jerseys surface at McMahon when Saskatchewan is in town.

“That would be great,” Harris said. “We worked in a little bit of silent cadence because there have been times where I played here in the Labour Classic (with) Edmonton and it was loud.

“It’s good to know that ‘Rider Nation is ‘Rider Nation and not just Regina Nation.”

An influx of opposing team fans can boost attendance at McMahon.

Calgary’s home-opening loss June 8 to the B.C. Lions drew an announced 17,942, but there were swaths of empty seats. 

“We haven’t played well at home yet this year,” Maier said. “Honestly we didn’t play all that great at home last year either. We’ve got to protect this place better. 

“We’ve got to give our fans something they can cheer about, get excited about and just build some momentum for this community and this organization. That starts with playing well at home.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2023.

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press