Wray Morrison

By Wray Morrison

A business trip to Winnipeg

Huskies look to lock down top spot

Oct 28, 2021 | 11:07 AM

A first place finish and home field advantage through out the Canada West playoffs! It’s a high stakes football weekend for the U of S Huskies, as the team visits the Manitoba Bisons on Saturday (October 30th) at IG Field in Winnipeg.

Huskies defensive back Charlie Ringland, who is from Winnipeg, can’t wait for kick off. “Going back home seeing all my friends and family in the stands will be nice. The game is worth a lot.” With the shortened schedule due to Covid-19, this is the only meeting of the season between these 3 and 1 teams.

Huskies head coach Scott Flory admits that every team is nursing some injuries at this time of the season. Some Huskies starters took a “maintenance day” on Tuesday to prepare for Saturday’s game. The injury bug has also bitten the Bisons at quarterback. Graduating starter Des Catelier suffered a season ending injury earlier this year, while first year back up Jackson Tachinski suffered a hip pointer injury in the Bisons’ 26-24 loss to UBC on October 23rd. On Wednesday Bisons coach Brian Dobie said that there was a 50-50 chance that Tachinski would be the Manitoba starter against the Huskies. Next on the depth chart is Sawyer Thiessen, another first year quarterback. Ringland said the Huskies have respect for all of the Bison’s starters. “All the quarterbacks they have are capable of doing what their coaches ask. They have some dynamic receivers, and a good backfield. It’ll be a good fight for our defense.” The Bisons do have experience at key offensive positions including 5^th year receiver Macho Bockru, and 4^th year running back Victor St. Pierre-Laviotte.

Manitoba’s experienced defensive players also pose a threat. 5^th year defensive lineman Brock Gowanlock has two sacks this season, and also scored a touchdown on a 31 yard fumble recovery in a week one win over the Regina Rams. Huskies receiver Colton Klassen attended Montreal Alouettes training camp with Gowanlock. “He’s a good athlete. He’s got a huge motor. He’s quick, he gets after it. He wants to get sacks, he wants to be involved.”

The opportunity to secure first place in the Canada West standings, then rest some players in the final week of the regular season, serves as motivation for the U of S football team. (The Huskies’ final regular season game is November 6^th against the Calgary Dinos at Griffiths Stadium.)

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The Huskies, who are riding a three game win streak, are confident. “We’re hot right now” Klassen said. “I think we’ve stayed to who we are the last three games, and we came away with three wins.” (The Huskies have defeated UBC, Alberta and Regina this season.) When asked to put this game in to perspective, Klassen said “It’s a playoff game. We’re treating this like an elimination game. We need to go there and win this game.”

Saturday’s Huskies/Bisons clash can be heard on the HuskieFAN app, and HuskieFAN.ca starting at 12:50pm. (Saskatchewan time)

Other October 30^th Canada West games have (2-2) UBC at (1-3) Calgary, and (1-3) Regina at (2-2) Alberta.