The Hamilton Tiger-Cats will face their final preseason test on Friday night when the Ottawa Redblacks visit Tim Hortons Field.
Although there may not be as much on the line compared to when the two teams last faced each other in the 2015 East Division final, there is still plenty to play for.
The deadline for each team to make final cuts and reduce their rosters to 46 active players is June 19. Friday will be the last opportunity for many Ticat hopefuls to prove their worth and showcase their skills in a game situation.
Long-term injuries to Hamilton’s defence will also give players the opportunity to move up on the depth chart. Both defensive back Demond Washington and defensive tackle Evan Gill were placed on the six-game injured list on Wednesday. Washington started 58 games during his four seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before signing with the Ticats as a free agent this year while Hamilton drafted Gill in the first round, ninth overall, in 2014.
Defensive coordinator Orlondo Steinauer says that now is the time for players to step up.
“I would hope that, them as players, would relish this opportunity,” Steinauer said after Wednesday’s practice. “Maybe they were a number two on the depth chart last week, but now they’re the guy. All you can really give people in this game is opportunity. And that’s just true in life.
“You get opportunity and what you do with it is up to you.”
Jeremiah Masoli will once again get the start at pivot for the Ticats on Friday night after throwing six-for-nine for 43 yards in Hamilton’s opening preseason game on June 11; a 25-16 loss to the rival Toronto Argonauts.
The Ticats were blanked 10-0 in the first 15 minutes, but two long field goals by Brett Maher and a 50-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Mathews to Tiquan Underwood put Hamilton up 13-10 at halftime. The Ticats were unable to hold off a 12-point, fourth-quarter surge from the Argos and managed only a field goal in the entire second half as most of the starters were held out after halftime.
All four quarterbacks saw the field during the game. Masoli and Matthews split the first two quarters while Jacory Harris and Jake Waters took over in the second half.
Harris was also placed on the six-game injured list on Wednesday, automatically moving Waters up to No. 3 on the depth chart. The injury to Waters means all three quarterbacks will likely see more of the field on Friday.
“We’ll see how the game goes, but he’ll [Waters] probably play a bit more,” Ticats’ head coach Kent Austin told reporters on Tuesday. “But Jeremiah and Jeff need to play a bit more as well to get ready for the season.”
The Redblacks are coming off of an 18-14 victory over the Blue Bombers on June 13. Ottawa’s one-two punch at quarterback was on full display, as both Henry Burris and Trevor Harris looked impressive at pivot. Burris paced the Redblacks in the first half by completing 13-of-21 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown while Harris threw 7-for-13 and 107 yards in the third quarter.
The combination of the four-day turn around time and starting the regular season on the road in Edmonton means that the Redblacks will leave most their starters behind, according to Ottawa head coach Rick Campbell.
“We’re expecting to not take as many as 30 people on this trip,” Campbell told OttawaRedblacks.com. “The motivation behind that is that we’re trying to do everything we can to be ready to go for Edmonton on the 25th… we’re just trying to be smart. We’ve been asked to play two preseason games four days apart and we’re just trying to make sure we’re doing the right things to be getting ready to go for the regular season.”
The game will be streamed live at Ticats.ca and will feature a pregame, halftime, and post-game show by Ticats TV. The broadcast will begin at 7:00 p.m. EST with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
