STAMPS AND RIDERS CLASH
Derek Dennis and teammates eager for Sunday’s game
Maybe there isn’t a secret to stopping Charleston Hughes.
Nobody seems to have found one.
Derek Dennis has a little advice, though.
Dennis, the Calgary Stampeders left tackle, went up against Hughes — now with the Saskatchewan Roughriders — last season when they were both on the other side of the ball in this western Canadian rivalry.
He also practised against Hughes when they were both with the Stamps in 2016, and if there’s one thing he learned it’s that the guy you see in practice is not the same defensive end you see in games,
“Charleston is one of those guys, I told (Stamps left tackle Randy Richards), you’ve got to be careful with him in games,” Dennis said. “Charleston in practice is a different Charleston when it comes to game time.
“He pulls a lot more moves out. He plays with a little more fire, and I know this year when he plays with us he’s a little more motivated to have success.”
When the Stamps played the Riders last month in Regina, Hughes made his former teammates pay by sacking quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell twice.
That’s pretty much consistent with what Hughes has been doing all season — and for most of his career, really.
The two-time reigning CFL sack leader has been on a tear in 2018, picking up nine sacks and 20 defensive tackles.
Hughes might be 34 years old, but he sure doesn’t look like he’s slowed down at all.
Based on how the Stamps and Riders are likely to line up when they meet again Sunday in Regina (5 p.m. MT), it will probably be Richards who is mostly tasked with limiting Hughes, although Dennis may have a part to play as well.
“We don’t switch tackles, so guys will go against guys,” said Stamps head coach Dave Dickenson. “It’s a tough matchup either way, and we’ve definitely got to give Charleston his due and we’ve got to make sure we’ve got some people on him.”
Richards wasn’t a part of the Stamps lineup when they last faced off with the Riders July 28.
At the start of training camp, the Missouri State product failed a medical and was placed on the six-game injured list.
He returned to the lineup for the Stampeders’ last game against the B.C. Lions, and will likely be the team’s starting right tackle as long as he’s healthy.
Richards might not have a bigger challenge ahead of him this season than Hughes, and he’s well aware of that.
“It’s a good challenge, he’s definitely a Hall of Fame player,” Richards said. “Going against him every day in practice the last two or three years, I definitely know what he’s going to bring to the table. He’s savvy, he’s going to take advantage of your mishaps, so you have to leave him with nothing.”
Richards isn’t the only Stampeders offensive lineman to use the word “savvy” when describing Hughes. It’s a word Dennis uses as well.
They all know Hughes has tricks up his sleeve and can punish them on any play.
“He had a really good game last game,” Dennis said. “He made some plays, and we’re just trying to find ways to negate those, because Charleston’s a vet, he’s savvy.
“He’s been in the league a long time and there’s nothing he hasn’t seen. He knows the ins and outs of finding his way to the quarterback, so we’ve got to be locked in to our game plan.”