Watch above: The Montreal Alouettes are preparing to host the Eastern conference semi final at Molson stadium Sunday. Global’s Billy Shields was checking out the left coast lions at the stadium on the hill.
MONTREAL – As Montreal Alouettes coach Tom Higgins spoke to reporters on Saturday, he joked around with reporters with a demeanor generally reserved for someone who had nothing to do over the weekend.
When a reporter asked him the secret to the team’s recent resurgence, he quipped “we won games after we were 1-7, that helped a lot.”
Huggins was kidding, but the Alouettes find themselves playing a home game in the playoffs against the BC Lions after they were all but finished during the first half of the season. The team now has a record of 9-9 going into Sunday’s game at Molson Stadium.
“We’re looking for an electric environment from our fans,” said Jonathan Crompton, the Als quarterback.
“We’ll come out here, execute our game plan and look to have a good time.”
Like any playoff team, the Als have to deal with injuries.
Running back Brandon Whitaker is not slated to play Sunday, and will be replaced by Brandon Rutley, a versatile running back.
“I catch just as well as a receiver, I do kick returns, punt returns, whatever they want me to play I’m ready,” Rutley said.
Montreal plays in the Eastern Division, BC plays on the opposite side.
What led the two teams to face each other in the opening round of the playoffs is known as the “Crossover Rule,” a controversial measure adopted in the nineties.
If the fourth-place team from one division has a better record than the third-place team from the other, it crosses over in the playoffs to play in the other division.
It’s a rule that comes with a certain amount of controversy. “I think it’s one of the things that comes up in the discussion,” said Kevin Glenn, who is slated to start at quarterback for the Lions Sunday. The alternative, he noted, was to take the top six teams in the league regardless of where they played.
The two teams will square off at Molson Stadium at 1 p.m. Sunday.
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