ROBSERVATIONS: An appreciation of Trevor Harris … shaking, baking and record breaking … the importance of being Urness
11/16/2024 03:16 PM
An uncannily accurate right arm helped Corey Mace start out on the right foot.
"I would advise anybody who's looking to become a head coach for the first time to have Trevor Harris as your quarterback," Mace told reporters on Sunday when asked to reflect on his rookie year as the Saskatchewan Roughriders' field boss.
Mace was named the CFL West Division's Coach of the Year in acknowledgment of the integral role he played in the Roughriders' resurgence.
Another key contributor was Harris, who also earned West laurels — those of all-star quarterback.
Harris was recognized for a season in which he led the CFL in quarterback efficiency rating (108.4) and was second in completion percentage (a franchise-record 72.4).
The Roughriders (9-8-1) were 7-4-0 in games started by Harris.
He piloted the team to four victories in succession down the stretch while helping the Green and White secure hosting privileges for the Western Semi-Final.
Harris proceeded to go 26-for-33 for 279 yards and one touchdown as Saskatchewan posted a 28-19 playoff victory over the visiting B.C. Lions on Nov. 2. QB rating: 113.1.
Then came the Western Final, won 38-22 by the host Winnipeg Blue Bombers one week ago.
The defeat was still fresh on the minds of everyone when Harris met the media on Sunday at Mosaic Stadium. One of the first questions pertained to his future.
"I promised myself before the season that I wouldn't think of anything past this year until after the season," said Harris, 38, whose contract is to expire in February.
"After the catastrophic injury that I had last year, I wanted to make sure that I came back and I was a tier 1 quarterback for this organization who is giving this organization a chance to compete for championships. And if I wasn't able to do that, I knew for a fact that it would be time to be done.
"So I think the process kind of starts now. Does this organization have a chance if I'm here? If the answer is no, I don't want to be here, because I care about this organization way too darned much. They deserve the top tier of everything. If I'm not that, I should walk away, and I will."
It was a typically classy response by the team-oriented Harris.
"I'm truly grateful for Trevor and everything he has brought to this team," said Mace, referencing some of the contributions.
"How he approaches each day to set the tone as an example of what it looks like as a professional. To be able to play at a high level for as long as he has. How he practises.
"He does everything the right way. It was really a heavy reason why I thought this job was going to be awesome. Everything I had heard about the guy was exciting.
"I got here and found out that everything I'd heard was incorrect. He's much better, so it was awesome."
Harris became one of only nine quarterbacks in Roughriders history to earn all-star honours at least one:
Stan Stasica: West — 1947.
Glenn Dobbs: West — 1951.
Frank Tripucka: West — 1954.
Ron Lancaster: West — 1966, 1968, 1970, 1973, 1975, 1976. CFL — 1970, 1973, 1975, 1976.
Kent Austin: West/CFL — 1990.
Kerry Joseph: West/CFL — 2007.
Darian Durant: West — 2009, 2013.
Cody Fajardo: West/CFL — 2019.
Trevor Harris: West — 2024.
"I feel like I'm playing some of the best ball I ever have," Harris said. "Another year in this system would be awesome, but I don't know what's going to happen.
"I've got to talk to my wife and my kids. I've got three kids and a fourth one on the way. Praise God for that. There's a lot of levels to it.
"It's not that I'm hesitant in any way. It's just that I promised myself that I'd wait until after the year."
This much is certain.
"My motivation is as high as ever," Harris stated. "My love for my teammates is as high as ever.
"I still feel like my best football is right in front of me. I honestly do. I really believe that."
There is the accompanying belief that the right decision will be made, all around.
"God's will is God's will," Harris said. "That's something that I think (the Roughriders) have to answer and something that I have to speak to my family about.
"I'm not 28. I'm a decade later than that. I don't feel like it. I don't feel like I have physically deteriorated. If it is done, it wouldn't be because I think there's physical deterioration.
"But that's on them. They'll make a sound decision. They're really smart people and whatever they decide is awesome.
"I'm going to be rooting for this club because of who those type of people are and the character of those men upstairs, Now, I know what I think, but that's neither here nor there.
"This organization is in a good place because of the people they have up top and the core group of guys in the locker room. Make no mistake about that."
SHAKE-AND-BREAK!
Kian Schaffer-Baker broke a long-standing Roughriders record last Saturday in Winnipeg.
His 12 catches were the most by a Roughrider in a playoff game. Don Narcisse set the previous record of 10 nearly 31 years earlier — on Nov. 15, 1992 in Edmonton.
Narcisse and Schaffer-Baker are the only Roughriders with double-digit reception totals to their credit in a playoff game.
The 12 catches also put Schaffer-Baker in a five-way tie for fifth All-Time, league-wide, in the playoffs:
16 — Derrell Mitchell, Toronto (Nov. 8, 1998 at Montreal).
15 — Rollin Prather, Edmonton (Oct. 25, 1952 versus Calgary).
15 — Tony Gabriel, Ottawa (Nov. 10, 1974 versus Hamilton).
14 — Ed Hervey, Edmonton (Nov. 2, 1997 versus Saskatchewan).
12 — Allen Pitts, Calgary (Nov. 13, 1994 versus Saskatchewan).
12 — Arland Bruce III, Toronto (Nov. 14, 2004 at Montreal).
12 — Bralon Addison, Ottawa (Nov. 18, 2018 versus Hamilton).
12 — Kian Schaffer-Baker, Saskatchewan (Nov. 9, 2024 at Winnipeg).
Addison, by the way, was the target on 12 of the 29 completions registered by Harris during a record-setting day.
Harris went 29-for-32 for 367 yards and six touchdowns — the latter total being an enduring CFL playoff record — as the Ottawa REDBLACKS defeated the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats 46-27 in the 2018 Eastern Final.
Last Saturday, Harris found Schaffer-Baker 12 times for 162 yards.
The yardage total was the second highest by a Roughrider in a playoff game — 20 behind Narcisse's total from his 10-reception game of Nov. 15, 1992.
TED TALK
• Ted Urness was ahead of his time. In 1968, the Roughriders' perennial all-star centre was named the Most Outstanding Lineman in the CFL's Western Conference. Ottawa Rough Riders linebacker Ken Lehmann, the Eastern Conference representative, won the league award. At the time, there was not a separate award for offensive linemen, so players on both sides of the ball were eligible. If the Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman award had existed in 1968 — it wasn't established until 1974 — Urness assuredly would have won.
• The Roughriders' Rolan Milligan Jr. is only the second defensive back to be named the CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player since the award was first presented in 1974. Winnipeg's Jovon Johnson broke the ice in 2011. If the MODP award had existed in 1972, there is little doubt that Al Brenner would have won. Brenner registered 15 interceptions — still a league record — in 16 regular-season games with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Four of those picks were in one game, at the expense of Toronto Argonauts quarterback (and future NFL star) Joe Theismann.
• After members of the Football Reporters of Canada cast their ballots, Hamilton's Rocky DiPietro was named the league's Most Outstanding Canadian in 1989. A fellow receiver, Saskatchewan's Jeff Fairholm, was the runner-up. Despite missing three full games and most of two others due to injuries, Fairholm posted superior totals in receiving yardage (893, to DiPietro's 884) and touchdown catches (11 to two). DiPietro registered 13 more receptions (58) during a season in which he became the league's All-Time leader in catches. The outcome was in Saskatchewan's favour two days later, though, when the Roughriders defeated Hamilton 43-40 in the 79th Grey Cup Game.
SHORT SNORTS
• Claire Dore is the new head coach of the Western Women's Canadian Football League's Regina Riot. She spent a month on the Roughriders' coaching staff during Training Camp 2023 as part of the CFL's Women in Football program.
• The Prince Albert Carlton Crusaders won their first provincial high school football title last weekend, defeating the Saskatoon Bishop James Mahoney Saints 35-34 in the 5A final. Zane Litzenberger scored the winning touchdown with 1:12 left, catching a five-yard scoring strike from Sullivan Smith-Windsor. Darren Steinke wrote a terrific recap on his blog, Stanks' Sermon.
• Congratulations to the Crusaders and all the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association football champions. The honour roll also includes the Saskatoon St. Joseph Guardians (6A), Melfort Comets (4A nine-a-side), Clavet Cougars (2A six-a-side) and Hafford Vikings (1A six-a-side).
• Proud alumni of the aforementioned teams: Roughriders teammates Logan Ferland (Melfort) and Jorgen Hus (St. Joseph).
• An all-star reader, Michel Pettit, points out that Roughriders receiver Colton Hunchak attended Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox. So there you have it: Hunchak of Notre Dame!
• What a season for University of Saskatchewan Huskies receiver Daniel Wiebe! In 10 games, he caught 65 passes for 919 yards and nine touchdowns, with a long gain of 87.
• Grey Cup prediction: Winnipeg 31, Toronto 18.
• Grey Cup MVP: Zach Collaros.
• Grey Cup's top Canadian: Nic Demski.
• 2025 Grey Cup champion: Saskatchewan.
ROLL CREDITS …
• Nice people who deserve a plug: Thea Anderson, Eric Anderson, Lauren Anderson, Lorie Tatlow, Dean Tatlow, Lex Tatlow, Julia Vaughan, Arielle Zerr, Sebastian Soltes, Adam Korsak, Jorgen Hus, Brett Lauther, Troy Lauther, Godfrey Onyeka, Kosi Onyeka, Joe Couch, Trevor Harris, Corey Mace, Petra Mace, Micah Mace, Maleena Mace, Rod Fink, Sam Berg, Braden Konschuh, Bob Irving, Cody Fajardo, Claire Dore, Moosa Imran, Brenden Purdy, Donovan Maess and Jason Johnson.
