Murray McCormick’s musings from Day 13 of Riders’ camp at Griffiths Stadium.

FOOTBALL WEATHER

The weather forecasters were bang-on when they predicted cold temperatures and rain for Friday in Saskatoon. The rain stayed away until midway through Friday’s session, but it was still only 8 C with winds gusting to 37 km/ h.

Chris Jones, the Riders’ head coach and general manager, ended practice 45 minutes early due to the conditions. A hearty cheer by the players and coaches greeted the dismissal.

HUMBOLDT STRONG

The Riders will be in Humboldt Sunday for a noon-hour barbecue and walk-through. The trip is a part of the CFL team’s support for the community that was rocked by a bus crash on April 6 that killed 16 members of the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos club.

The Riders are also expected to announce details for a “Humboldt Strong ” home game June 30 against the Montreal Alouettes.

INJURY UPDATE

Jones didn’t have any details on the status of offensive lineman Josiah St. John, only that St. John will be out for “a while.”

Slotback Chad Owens was apparently injured Friday after landing awkwardly on his left shoulder. There wasn’t any update on Owens’ status Friday.

MURRAY’S MONSTER

Finding a backup to veteran centre Dan Clark has been a challenge. Dariusz Bladek moved from guard to centre and was progressing until he suffered an injury in Sunday’s loss to Edmonton, so Dalton Houghton has been filling in.

Houghton was a defensive lineman at Minot State before being switched to an offensive lineman at the Riders’ spring mini-camp in Florida. Houghton hasn’t looked out of place at centre or guard. Houghton’s willingness to switch to a new position earns him Murray’s Monster.

FAN DAY

The Riders’ annual Green and White Day is Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

The event begins at 1 p.m. with Jones and assistant vice-presidents John Murphy and Jeremy O’Day taking part in a State of Rider Nation address.

The two-hour practice is at 3 p.m. Players will be available for photos and autographs after.