The unbeaten Riders keep finding a way to rise above injuries. Next up, their biggest test yet

CBC

6 days ago

You could forgive a Saskatchewan Roughriders fan for holding their breath when quarterback Trevor Harris tackled running back A.J. Ouellette in a bear hug after last weekend's win against the B.C. Lions.
The Riders have had terrible luck with injuries this season, so it wouldn't be too surprising if the team's star running back was injured due to a freak accident.
Going over the Riders' injury list, it seems as though one of the only members of the team yet to spend time in the trainer's room has been Gainer the Gopher.
In spite of the injuries, the Riders are heading into Week 6 at the top of the standings, having cemented unbeaten status with a 37-18 win over the BC Lions to improve to 4-0. They are the last remaining unbeaten team in the CFL after the Winnipeg Blue Bombers lost to the Calgary Stampeders last week.
A team dealing with as many injuries as the Riders shouldn't be this good. But for those that have been tuned into the team since Corey Mace became the head coach, it's difficult to be surprised.
In the locker room last season, Mace would tell his players that they were "built for this."
Well, here's another situation they were built for.
All-star centre Sean McEwen went down before the Riders had even played a game. No problem. Right guard Logan Ferland will slide over to take McEwen's place. Ferland was used to changing places, having seemingly played every position on the offensive line last season.
Receiver Kian Schaffer-Baker suffered an injury in the first game of the season. Samuel Emilus was ready to step into the spot. When Emilus suffered an ailment, Dohnte Meyers, KeeSean Johnson and Dhel Duncan-Busby picked up the slack.
The backfield has also been crowded this season, with Ouellette, Thomas Bertrand-Hudon and Ka'Deem Carey each getting to carry the ball thanks to various bumps and bruises.
Perhaps the biggest injury of all was to quarterback Trevor Harris, who was sidelined for the game against the Lions due to a head injury. The Riders didn't press the panic button, as Jake Maier replaced Harris.
Just in case it felt like the ship might be taking on a bit of water, special teams dynamo Mario Alford to delivered a walk-off kick return touchdown.
Four wins. No losses. Zero excuses.
This weekend, the Riders will be looking for their fifth win of the season as the Calgary Stampeders pay a visit to Mosaic Stadium.
Trevor Harris has taken first team reps at practice and looks poised to make his return to the lineup.
It will be interesting to see if there's any rust on Harris's game. Coming back from an injury — especially a head injury — is always a challenge.
This game is Saskatchewan's biggest test to date. A win would give them a cushion in first place. The team would also be off to its best start since 2013.
A loss would allow Calgary to claim top billing.
So far this year, the team has faced adversity and kept going strong.
In a way, this year's edition of the Green and White could be seen as a reflection of the people of the province. During Saskatchewan's cold winters, the people don't complain, they put on extra layers and go about their lives. When a player goes down on the field, the Riders plug in the next guy and keep going.
More importantly, they just keep winning. Riderville is pinning their hopes on that streak continuing.