Playoff aspirations for the Saskatchewan Roughriders have been cut short, following a loss to the Toronto Argonauts on Oct 21.
This is the Riders’ second year finishing the season with a six and 12 record, ending with a seven game losing streak.
“We had a lot of explosives. I thought we did decent in the red zone. Turned the ball over. Obviously that hurt. It wasn’t anything that we were doing, I thought we had a pretty good beat on them,” said quarterback Jake Dolegala in a post-game interview.
“At the end of the day this season was a failure we didn’t get to where we wanted to, which was get in the playoffs, compete for a championship, and we weren’t able to do that,” head coach Craig Dickenson said.
“The people make the decisions will make the decisions and I respect whatever direction they decide to go. I’ve enjoyed every minute here and I hope to continue to coach here but if that’s not the way they go then I leave with no regrets,” he said.
Sunday marked ‘garbage bag day’ for the organization, a day when players empty out their lockers as the future for many of them, including Dickenson, is now uncertain.
Quarterback Trevor Harris, who spent much the season sidelined with injury, said it was one of the toughest of his career, especially emotionally. If the team have made the playoffs, Harris said he was told he’d be allowed to practice with team at that point.
“I didn’t sleep very well last night. I laid there in tears almost, just because I worked so hard to try and get back, that way I could make myself available,” he said.
“All the guys got together and we started making sure that we held each other more accountable and started embracing each other more as a family as we went along during the season. So, when things got tough it made us closer,” said defensive lineman, Anthony Lanier.