Redblacks looking at changing of guard with Gott in centre
With the return of SirVincent Rogers — the Canadian Football League’s Outstanding Lineman two years ago — the Ottawa Redblacks are looking at another big switch on their offensive line.
At Wednesday’s practice, Jon Gott was playing centre and Alex Mateas was lined up at right guard. When Gott was sidelined for nearly a month, Mateas shifted from guard to centre and was part of a unit, missing three starters, that got better and better, with the Redblacks winning three-straight games down the stretch. When Gott returned Oct. 13 in Saskatchewan, he played guard — with Mateas remaining at centre.
The Redblacks will watch film and decide how they’ll line up in Sunday’s East Division semifinal against the Roughriders at TD Place, but the betting is it’s Gott at centre — a potential move that’s drawing heavy criticism in social media circles. Weighing into the decision may be Gott’s experience and the communication required, something that’s magnified when facing a Chris Jones-influenced defence.
“It doesn’t matter (where I play),” said Mateas. “The team winning takes priority over everything.”
“We’re going with the best five,” said coach Rick Campbell. “We’re taking a look with Gott at centre, we’ll see where we’re going. We’re comfortable with either one of them at centre, we think we have a good option either way.”
“We know they’re five really good players, we just have to make sure we get the guys in the right spots for the right chemistry,” said offensive line coach Bryan Chiu. “We still have two more days to decide. Alex played the majority of the year at guard, Jon played the majority of the year at centre. They’re really interchangeable parts.”
The green report: Gotta think Duron Carter, who had 11 catches for 231 yards Oct. 13 against Ottawa, then played cornerback for most of his team’s last three regularseason games, is back at receiver Sunday. Said Campbell: “He’s a good player. We need to make sure we limit the deep balls with these guys. They definitely made an effort to go over the top on us.” ... The Riders, who will go with Kevin Glenn as their starting QB vs. the Redblacks, had all five of their running backs, including Trent Richardson, on the field during an indoor practice (it was -15C in Regina) on Wednesday.
A good man: Mateas, the Redblacks’ nominee for the Tom Pate Memorial Award, said: “I’m honoured and excited ... I’m speechless. I love football, but to be recognized for the work I try to do in the community is great. There’s still plenty more I want to do. I feel like I’m giving back to the community that gave me so much. I wouldn’t be where I am today without all the help I had in soccer, judo, weightlifting, basketball ... absolutely everywhere, I had incredible coaches.” Among the off-field stuff, Mateas helps with Christie Lake Kids and the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. The award, which will be presented to one of the league’s nine nominees during the CFL Player Awards gala on Nov. 23, recognizes sportsmanship as well as contributions to the athlete’s team, community and the CFLPA.