Shiltz to become 12th post-Calvillo starter for Alouettes; Pipkin also to play

MONTREAL The long list of quarterbacks who have taken snaps for the Montreal Alouettes in the past four years is about the stretch a little farther.

Rookie Matt Shiltz is to get his first Canadian Football League start, and Antonio Pipkin is to make his CFL debut when the Alouettes end the regular season with an otherwise meaningless game in Hamilton on Friday night.

Both will be looking to impress general manager and head coach Kavis Reed enough to be invited back next season.

“Every time you step on the field it’s an opportunity to show the league and your team and the coaches what you can do and why you deserve to stay,” said Shiltz, who was working as an accountant last March when the Alouettes called to invite him to camp. “It’s not going to change this time.

“I’m starting and I know I’ll be taking a lot of practice reps, but my mentality is not going to change. I feel I deserve to be here and I want to show that.”

Shiltz has already seen action in three games in relief of either starter Darian Durant or backup Drew Willy. He has completed 28 of 45 passes for 289 yards, including his lone touchdown toss to Samuel Giguere in a loss last week in Saskatchewan.

The future of all the quarterbacks is up in the air going into next season. Reed, who stepped in for fired head coach Jacques Chapdelaine in September, is to name a new head coach.