It’s been 620 days since the Edmonton football team last played in the 2019 Eastern Division Final in Hamilton. After the 2020 CFL season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic almost a year ago the long wait is finally over.
The Edmonton Elks will host a football game on The Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium Saturday night as they host the Ottawa Redblacks.
The game was in doubt Friday morning when the Elks cancelled their scheduled walkthrough and media availability because of COVID-19 protocols.
While two players including starting SAM linebacker Brian Walker and a staff member tested positive for the virus, Saturday’s game is going on as scheduled as the Elks will have more than enough players to suit up against the Redblacks. Walker has been placed on the team’s one-game injured list.
The Elks roster is the second-most experienced unit in the CFL behind the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and has a rookie head coach at the helm in Jamie Elizondo who is also the team’s offensive coordinator. He says his group is ready to go.
“Yeah I think there’s excitement and it’s building and it’s real,” Elizondo said.
“I think when you’re in the first week of training camp the first game is a long way off. Second week of training camp you’re in the grind; third week of training camp you’re hoping to make the team. Now when you’ve made the team you can taste it.
“You start seeing tents going up, the signs, and it becomes a little bit more real so there’s excitement.”
Elizondo is reunited with quarterback Trevor Harris and receiver Greg Ellingson who put up a record of 27-25-2 in three seasons in Ottawa from 2016 to 2018 which included two Grey Cup appearances and a Grey Cup championship in 2016. Ellingson has reached the 1,000 receiving yard mark in each of the last five seasons and has the most yards in that time span (6,036).
Derel Walker is back in green and gold — the CFL’s active leader in receiving yards per game (82.0).
The Elks face a Redblacks team led by quarterback Matt Nichols who has won his last four starts against Edmonton and has won 12 of his last 14 starts overall. He joined the Redblacks from the Blue Bombers and joins his former Winnipeg offensive coordinator in Paul LaPolice, who holds the same role in Ottawa along with being the second head coach in franchise history.
Of note in the Elks’ starting lineup, three Canadians will receive their first CFL start in receiver Shai Ross, safety Scott Hutter, and defensive end Mathieu Betts. American offensive lineman D’Antne Demery will make his first CFL start at left tackle as SirVincent Rogers is on the six-game injured list with a chest injury. The linebacking group will have two rookies in Americans Kieshawn Bierria and Nyles Morgan who beat out Vontae Diggs for the starter’s spot.
The following is the projected offensive and defensive starters for the Elks:
Offence
Quarterback: Trevor Harris
Running back: James Wilder Jr. (fullback: James Tuck)
Offensive line: D’Antne Demery, Jacob Ruby, David Beard, Matt O’Donnell, Justin Renfrow
Receivers: Derel Walker, Greg Ellingson, Armanti Edwards, Mike Jones, Shai Ross
Defence
Defensive line: Mathieu Betts, Jake Ceresna, Mike Moore, Kwaku Boateng
Linebackers: Nyles Morgan, Kieshawn Bierria, Darius Williams or Afolabi Laguda
Defensive backs: Jonathon Mincy, Trumaine Washington, Scott Hutter, Aaron Grymes, Jonathon Rose
You can hear live coverage of the Elks and Redblacks on 630 CHED starting with an extended edition of Countdown to kickoff at 6 p.m.
The opening kickoff on The Brick Field at Commonwealth will be at 8 p.m. with Morley Scott and Dave Campbell calling all of the live action. Hear analysis from Blake Dermott and Eddie Steele with Brenden Escott reporting from the Elks sidelines.
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