Trevor Harris to play in Riders’ pre-season game against Bombers

For the first time, Trevor Harris will suit up as the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ starting quarterback Friday.

“We’ve got total buy-in right now,” Harris said. “Things have been fluid and it has been organic in things we have altered and changed and tweaked. We’re excited to go out and execute.”

Harris missed the Saskatchewan’s first pre-season game, a 30-27 win over the B.C. Lions on Saturday, to be at home in Ohio for the birth of his son Tripp.

The elder Harris will get the start against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday. Kickoff for the game is set for 6:30 p.m.

“It’s always important to get out there and feel the speed of the game with the other team’s colour on and get some live snaps going,” Harris said. “I’m excited.”

While the 37-year-old will start, he won’t play the full game.

Head coach Craig Dickenson said the coaches have a list of goals they want to see the veteran complete before they take him out of the game.

“We want to give him a certain amount of throws. We want to see him in certain situations. We hope to do a tempo series with him … He’s got a checklist of what we want to see from him and (offensive co-ordinator Kelly) Jeffrey is going to call the game to try and get it,” Dickenson said.

Some position battles are still up in the air, with Dickenson saying only about 60 per cent of the roster is set in stone ahead of the game.

“There are some openings and openings for that practice roster more than anything,” Dickenson said. “I think a few starting spots on both offence and defence (are available) but the main thing is your depth guys.”

That means the backup quarterbacks will get a chance to try and emerge from the pack to be No. 2 on the depth chart.

In the first pre-season game, Jake Dolegala threw for 92 yards. He also added three rushes for 23 yards and a touchdown.

“I feel like I’ve had a really solid camp,” Dolegala said. “I have a lot to build off heading into the season and looking forward to this last game.”

Mason Fine, who threw a pick-six on his first pass Saturday, bounced back with 110 yards and two touchdowns.
Shea Patterson added 77 yards and a passing touchdown in the game.

“I’ve never been in a battle for a backup quarterback position ever,” Patterson said. “We’ve got four guys who can go out there and play.

“It has been awesome competing with them every single day and also competing with myself getting better and better every day.”

The Riders will feature a majority of their expected Week 1 starters in the game but a few key members will be missing.

Defensive lineman Micah Johnson hasn’t practised for the final two days of camp and won’t play in the game. Punter Kaare Vedvik has a pulled quad and will be out as well, meaning a newcomer, Australian punter Adam Korsak, will handle those duties.

Jerald Hawkins, who took a majority of snaps as the team’s starting left tackle in camp, will be absent from the lineup as he went home for a family matter.

His absence moves Philip Blake to left tackle and Evan Johnson comes in to left guard.

“That seems to be the story of our life every year; there are always some shuffles every year and we just have to have the next-guy-up mentality,” right guard Logan Ferland said. “Everyone needs to know their position and the other position so we are able to move guys in and out of positions across the line and we have to be flexible.”

The Bombers will be without a number of their key defensive players including linebacker Adam Bighill, defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat and defensive back Winston Rose.

The Bombers are also resting starting quarterback Zach Collaros, running back Brady Oliveira, slotback Nic Demski, and wide receiver Dalton Schoen.

The pre-season game will give players like Riders defensive end Bryan Cox Jr., who had a sack in the first game against the Lions, a chance to continue to fight for a roster spot.

“Football is a dog-eat-dog world. It is a man’s sport and you’ve got to come in and compete for your job,” Cox Jr. said. “You’ve got to come in and pretty much take (the job) from another man.”

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