CHICK SAVOURS SACKS AGAINST ROUGHRIDERS
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated Saskatchewan Roughriders 53-7 in CFL action Saturday at Tim Hortons Field. Things seen and heard by Ian Hamilton of the Regina Leader-Post.
GETTING HIS REVENGE
Tiger-Cats defensive end John Chick faced the Roughriders for the first time since being released by Saskatchewan on Jan. 14 for financial reasons.
Chick, who still isn’t happy about the way things transpired, paid back the Roughriders on Saturday with two sacks.
Asked by reporters if he took any measure of personal satisfaction from the game, Chick replied: “Absolutely.”
“Any night you do well, especially (in light of ) some of the circumstances, it was a great night,” he said.
Throughout his six seasons with the Roughriders, Chick had never been allowed to hit quarterback Darian Durant in practice.
Chick finally got his former teammate Saturday, earning bragging rights in their friendly rivalry.
“We went at it a little bit out there,” Durant said of the trash talk, “but that’s just what good friends do.”
MAIDEN VOYAGE, PT. 1
Playing in his first career CFL game, receiver Caleb Holley led the Roughriders in catches (five) and receiving yards (80).
But Holley also had some issues, including dropping a sure touchdown pass. “I didn’t do enough, to be honest with you,” he said when asked to assess his performance.
“I should have made a couple more plays. But that’s what happens.”
Holley only started practising with the first-team offence this week, so the fact he was targeted as often as he was indicates he already has Durant’s trust.
“He’s an excellent player,” the quarterback said.
“He understands football first and foremost and he has the talent to go with it. It’s about just continuing to build that chemistry and just trying to get better each and every week.”
MAIDEN VOYAGE, PT. 2
Cornerback Kacy Rodgers only started practising with the firstteam defence on Wednesday after Buddy Jackson left with an undisclosed injury.
The rookie had three tackles in Saturday’s game. He also was involved in a strange play.
Hamilton quarterback Zach Collaros threw a ball toward receiver Luke Tasker, but the ball deflected off Tasker’s fingers. It then skipped off Rodgers’ hands and into the waiting arms of Hamilton receiver Andy Fantuz, who fought his way into the end zone for the game’s first touchdown.
“I wish I could have that one back,” Rodgers said. “That was a big-time game-changer. I could have taken it down to the other end zone.
“But it’s a fluke play. You’ve just got to bounce back from it.”
BY THE NUMBERS
Playing in just his second game of the season after returning from knee surgery, Collaros finished with 23 completions in 30 pass attempts for 381 yards with five touchdowns … Terrence Toliver led the Tiger-Cats with 139 yards receiving on five catches … Saskatchewan’s Rob Bagg caught three passes for 28 yards. His third reception was the 300th of his Roughriders career … Ed Gainey had six tackles and two pass knock-downs to lead Saskatchewan, which got five tackles and a sack from Jeff Knox Jr. Simoni Lawrence recorded seven tackles for the Tiger-Cats … The Roughriders’ punt and kickoff coverage teams held Hamilton’s Brandon Banks in check. Banks had just one kickoff return for 19 yards and three punt returns for 13 yards … Saskatchewan kicker Tyler Crapigna connected on both of his field-goal attempts and is now 18-for-20 on the season.