Ciraco returns to Calgary a starter

They traded up to pluck him out of Alberta and, just six weeks later, they’re flying him back there as a starter.

Darius Ciraco, the pride of Burlington Assumption, returns to Calgary where he played his university ball as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ starting right guard for Saturday night’s seasonopening engagement with the Stampeders.

“I really like Ciraco,” head coach June Jones said Thursday, confirming what the untrained eye had seen all week in practice: Ciraco moves into the right side between centre Mike Filer and tackle Ryker Mathews. Jones said that veteran Landon Rice, who’d started training camp as the No. 1, would also play guard, as well as some tight end Saturday. Mathieu Girard, who came out of retirement to challenge for a guard spot, is injured.

Ciraco had an impressive university career with the Calgary Dinos, playing centre, guard and tackle. It was that versatility that prompted the night-before trade with Edmonton, moving the Ticats’ second pick of May’s CFL draft from 10th to 6th overall.

Neither the Ticats nor receiver Mark Chapman’s camp are crossing their very deep line in the sand, keeping the No. 1 overall pick unsigned. So Ciraco’s rapid ascension to replace traded allstar Ryan Bomben throws some rays of right-now positivity on the Ticats’ first-round decisions.

Defensive back Jackson Bennett, No.11 overall, has also impressed in recent days and will work special teams and add depth to SAM linebacker and safety next week in Alberta.

Ciraco is looking forward to his return to the foothills.

“It’s going to be amazing,” the 22-year-old says. “I was there the last four years and have a bunch of friends there. I’m excited to go back and see my girlfriend out there.”

Ciraco, who played the entire game at centre in the exhibition game in Montreal last week and looked solid, has drawn first reps at guard all week.

“He’s played a lot of games in there,” Jones says of the rookie’s return to McMahon Stadium. “I don’t know if he’s ever been in the visiting locker-room, though.”

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Only one of the five Ticats likely to start in the secondary Saturday — strong side halfback Richard Leonard — played in the same position as the season ended last year. Cariel Brooks, who will play corner, started at halfback, and two of the other three weren’t even in the CFL.

The Ticats will start a pair of first-year CFLers at cornerback: one-time NFL starter Jumal Rolle and 25-year-old Frankie Williams. Second-year Cats Brooks and Leonard will be at halfback. And it appears Mac grad Mike Daly will get the nod over incumbent Courtney Stephen at safety, although Jones would not tip his hand on any defensive backfield starters Thursday. “Stephen will play a lot,” he said. “I’m thinking we’re pretty solid in the back end. Both guys have leadership. We like them both. It’s a good problem.”

Stephen is in his sixth year with the team, and Daly his fifth. He missed all but two games because of injury last year.

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The Ticats are sending their “deepest condolences and sympathies to the family and friends of Harry Lampman,” says a team spokesperson.

The native of Hamilton died June 9 in Burlington.

Lampman, a tight end, played 31 games for the Ticats from 1957-59 and was part of the ’57 Grey Cup team. That was the famous “Bibbles Bawel Game” in which a fan on the sideline tripped the Ticat defensive back on his way to a touchdown after an interception.

Lampman also played with the Montreal Alouettes and Saskatchewan Roughriders. Four of his Rider teammates and one Winnipeg Blue Bomber were killed on a flight home from the 1956 CFL all-star game in Vancouver. Lampman, the only other Rider who played in the all-star game, was on a later flight.

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The Ticats are holding an Opening Night viewing party at Tim Hortons Field Saturday evening. The Hamilton-Edmonton game will be shown live on the video scoreboard and on TVs in the fourth-floor Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Admission is free, with doors to the stadium open at 6 p.m. for the 7 p.m. game. Concession stands and Stripes Jungle will be open, and fans can either sit in the stands or bring their own blankets and sit on the playing field. Nikita Whitlock and Sean Thomas Erlington will be the running back trio.