The Edmonton Eskimos kicked-off the 2018 CFL pre-season with a 35-12 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders on The Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium.
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Quarterback Mike Reilly, the league’s Most Outstanding Player last season, led the Eskimos to the end zone on their first two drives Sunday afternoon.
“It felt great just to get back out on the field and get in front of our fans; feel the excitement and the energy,” said Reilly. “And it was great to see the young guys that I’ve been talking about all off season, that haven’t necessarily been major starters in our offence, step up and show that the stage isn’t too big.”
Reilly marched the team down the field on its first possession, which ended with a three-yard touchdown run by CJ Gable.
Reilly then hit Duke Williams for a 20-yard touchdown strike on their next drive, to hand the team an early 14-0 lead.
Quarterback Kevin Glenn then stepped into the game for the Eskimos, but their third drive stalled with a turnover on downs.
The game also saw the return of veteran linebacker J-C Sherritt, who played in his first football game since rupturing his achilles tendon in week one of last season.
“I was definitely a little rusty with my footwork, but that’s what preseason’s for,” said Sherritt. “And I got into my groove as the game went on, and it just reminded me how much I love this game and love being out here.”
The Eskimos will wrap-up the pre-season in Winnipeg on Friday night, with a matchup against the Blue Bombers.
The kick-off will be at 6:30 p.m., with the Countdown to Kick-off starting at 5 p.m. on 630 CHED.