CALGARY 鈥� Dave Dickenson is a little uneasy heading into Monday鈥檚 Labour Day Classic between his Calgary Stampeders and the Edmonton Elks at McMahon Stadium.
After all, the Stampeders (4-6) haven鈥檛 played since dropping a 31-29 decision to the Ottawa Redblacks at home on Aug. 15.
鈥淚t just feels like our last game was so long ago,鈥� Dickenson said. 鈥淚鈥檓 anxious to play and I think the guys have good energy and are looking forward to battling.
鈥淚 know it鈥檚 going to be a battle, I鈥檒l put it that way. I鈥檓 a little uneasy with this break and I鈥檓 hoping our guys respond and are tight on the details.鈥�
Although Edmonton coach Jarious Jackson was happy to hear that Dickenson is wary about his team鈥檚 return to action, he added that he fully expects that his counterpart will have his players ready.
鈥淭hat is kind of good to hear, but at the same time I know how Dave is and I know how his teams are,鈥� Jackson said. 鈥淚鈥檓 sure he gave them a good amount of time off during their bye week, but at the same time I鈥檓 sure they鈥檙e ready to roll as well.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to take them lightly. I know at the end of the day, they鈥檝e got to come back and knock the cobwebs off, but it鈥檚 football, so they鈥檒l get adjusted pretty fast.鈥�
After reeling off three straight wins to get their season back on track, the Elks (3-8) suffered a disappointing 21-17 road loss to the Montreal Alouettes on Aug. 25.
鈥淲e absolutely destroyed them in the first half and then we sputtered in the third quarter,鈥� said Elks quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who threw touchdown passes to Eugene Lewis and Kurleigh Gittens Jr. to stake his team to a 17-6 halftime lead.
Of Edmonton鈥檚 eight losses, four have them have been by three points.
鈥淲e鈥檝e lost more games than we鈥檝e won and we felt like we should have won a lot of those,鈥� said Bethel-Thompson, who鈥檚 excited for the opportunity to play two games in six days against the Stampeders with the rematch scheduled for Saturday at Edmonton鈥檚 Commonwealth Stadium.
鈥淒efinitely, we want to get out on the right foot. We want to throw the first punch and get away with this win here in Calgary.鈥�
Although Calgary and Edmonton currently sit in fourth and fifth place, respectively, in the CFL鈥檚 West Division, both teams remain in striking distance of the first-place B.C. Lions and Winnipeg Blue Bombers (both 6-6).
鈥淓verybody in the West is just going to scratch and claw here for those three playoff spots,鈥� said Calgary quarterback Jake Maier. 鈥淚t is unbelievable that everybody in the West can legitimately win it.
"I don鈥檛 think you鈥檝e been able to say that about the West Division for a long, long time. That鈥檚 really fun for us as players, but at the same time we鈥檝e got to keep pace with everybody.鈥�
Receiver Jalen Philpot, who missed the entire 2023 season with a hamstring tear, is excited to play in his second Labour Day Classic contest against the Elks.
While he didn鈥檛 have much of an impact in Calgary鈥檚 26-18 win on Sept. 5, 2022 during his rookie season, Philpot is looking forward to playing a bigger role on Monday.
鈥淚鈥檓 definitely looking to come out and make a big play, score a touchdown, do something to help my team win in this game,鈥� Philpot said. 鈥淲henever there鈥檚 big games, I always think that I can come out and make a play. I like to feel like I shine better under pressure.鈥�
Like Philpot, Gittens would like nothing more than to help lead his team to victory.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited to play some football, especially coming off a loss to Montreal,鈥� said Gittens, who has caught touchdown passes in two consecutive games for the Elks. 鈥淚鈥檓 really just excited to play in the atmosphere and to see how it is over here.鈥�
Gittens, who the Elks acquired from the Toronto Argonauts last January in a trade that saw defensive lineman Jake Ceresna go the other way, has fond memories of playing at McMahon Stadium in his rookie season in 2021 with the Argos.
鈥淢y first-ever CFL touchdown was in Calgary,鈥� said Gittens, who caught the TD pass from Bethel-Thompson before Boris Bede kicked the game-winning field goal to lead Toronto to a come-from-behind 23-20 win over the Stamps. 鈥淚t was special.鈥�
Gittens is now hoping he and Bethel-Thompson will be able to rekindle the same kind of chemistry against the Stamps.
鈥淗e鈥檚 my guy,鈥� Gittens said. 鈥淚鈥檝e got a lot of love for him and I think he鈥檚 got a lot of love for me, too. I love going to battle with him and I wouldn鈥檛 have it any other way.鈥�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 1, 2024.
Laurence Heinen, The Canadian Press
