Stamps kicker embraces challenge of Hamilton wind
Maver may be forced to handle double duty for CFL tilt Saturday
Rob Maver handled all the kicking duties Thursday.
Whether he’ll do the same Saturday is still up in the air.
Maver filled in for Rene Paredes, who is nursing a groin/hip ailment, at practice and kicked the end-ofworkout field goals. How many did he make? “All of them,” Maver deadpanned. So, he’s on a streak. … “Well, it’s practice,” Maver said with a smile. “I don’t think practice counts.
“Rene should be fine, so (Thursday) was just a matter of giving him a rest.”
Paredes handed the kickoff duties to Maver after a couple of boots during the thriller Saturday against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Of course, Paredes was healthy enough to drill a game-winning 52-yard field goal with zeros on the clock.
Stamps head coach Dave Dickenson was hopeful he’d have his record-setting kicker splitting the uprights Saturday in Hamilton (2 p.m., TSN/News Talk 770), but didn’t seem to be overly concerned with the kicking game.
“We’ll let Rene give us the update,” Dickenson said. “I’m OK if Rob has to do it.
“Rene has had a great year, but we’ll let him make that call.
“We’ll bring him on the road regardless, so we’ll see how it plays out.”
Paredes said he was just playing it safe this week in practice.
And it’s not like a veteran kicker who has made 88 per cent of his 50 attempts, including a streak of 32 in a row, needs the reps.
“I feel better,” Paredes said. “I just wanted to get an extra day.
“I’m going to warm up on Saturday and determine (what to do) then. “I should be ready to go, though.” Maver was happy to be doing double duty during practice Thursday.
“It’s fun,” Maver said. “I’m content punting.
“But I get bored. I definitely love my job and I understand where I fit into this team, but I’d be lying if I said I wish I couldn’t play more football.
“To go out in practice and get a few reps doing it, it’s fun. It’s just a chance to go out and play a little more football. That’s all it is.”
Whether it’s old Ivor Wynne or the new Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton is a tough spot for kickers.
The last time the Stamps visited the Tabbies, the gale force winds played havoc with both special teams.
“I think I woke up to the sound of a twister whistling through my hotel window rather than my alarm clock,” Maver recalled.
Field goals were a bit of a circus that day, although Paredes somehow connected on five of his seven, including two in the final 53 seconds to pull out a 23-20 victory.
When you have the wind at your back, it can really boost the stats. Maver launched a 68-yard bomb in that game while the then-Ticats punter shanked a crucial 10-yarder in the final minute.
“It was impossible,” Maver said. “To tell you that you can do anything consistently skill-position wise in those conditions is a lie. And anybody who says anything differently is not being truthful.
“When you play in wind like we did last year, it’s just a matter of doing what you can to make that play OK. You’re not trying to pick corners perfectly.
“Your hands and feet will be sloppy because you don’t have a good grip on the snap. Everything becomes more challenging.”
Maver knows better than most what the elements are like in Hamilton after playing his college ball with the Guelph Gryphons.
He used to sneak into Ivor Wynne Stadium every chance he got.
“I used to bribe the stadium staff with a case of Coors light to let me on and kick,” Maver said. “So I’m pretty familiar with those winds, but it doesn’t really give you an advantage.
“You just know that it’s going to be a tough day at the office.
“There’s a few pointers you can lean on to get you through, but you’re still hitting and hoping in those conditions.”
Maver is a travelling weather man. You want to know what the conditions will be like Saturday? Just ask No. 6.
“A little bit of rain, shouldn’t be too windy.”
EXTRA POINTS
One out of two ain’t bad.
The Stamps got left tackle Derek Dennis back, but it appears right tackle Dan Federkeil won’t suit up Saturday.
Federkeil has started just six games because of a recurring shoulder issue.
“I’m going to keep him alive (for the roster),” Dickenson said, “but he’s certainly not trending in a positive direction.”
Randy Richards took over at right tackle Thursday.
Dickenson expects centre Pierre Lavertu (six-game injured list) to practise next week, but said there’s no update on 2015 first-rounder Karl Lavoie.
The Stampeders had running back Jerome Messam and wideout Anthony Parker back on the field.