The Saskatchewan Roughriders won a closely contested affair 25-17 over the Montreal Alouettes on Sunday to capture the franchise’s 5th Grey Cup.
After building a 25-7 lead midway through the 3rd quarter, the Roughriders had to weather a furious Als comeback, kicked off by Stevie Scott’s 11 yard score to close out the quarter. A Montreal field goal would make it a one score game not long after, as Saskatchewan fans began having flashbacks to past Grey Cup failures when they sailed a field goal attempt wide right to keep Montreal in the game.
The Als would drive the length of the field, but a Shea Patterson fumble near the goal line which was recovered by Saskatchewan would end any thoughts of a comeback from there.
Rider-Nation was finally able to exhale, and the league’s best regular season team was able to end their 12 year title drought from there. Saskatchewan has an extensive history of appearing in, and subsequently losing the big game. With Sunday’s victory, they move their Grey Cup record to 5-15 all-time, as the champagne was flowing at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg.
“My family is with me. This is all I’ve ever wanted and dreamed about,” said C.J. Reavis following the win.
“It’s a blur, all I saw was the green and white confetti and my teammates celebrating. It’s what I’ve dreamed about for a long time,” said Logan Ferland. “I’m just thinking about my family all the sacrifices they made and just looking forward to this time I get to spend with them now.”
Saskatchewan QB Trevor Harris, who went 23 for 27 for 302 yards, was named MVP of the game. Meanwhile, wide receiver Samuel Emilus was named most valuable Canadian after hauling in all 10 targets he saw for 108 yards on the night.
The team would go on to announce that they would be holding a championship rally at Mosaic Stadium on Monday at 1:30pm to commemorate their victory. “While there won’t be time for autographs or individual photos with the Grey Cup at this time, fans can take part in an exuberant welcome home to Saskatchewan’s team, including short remarks and a live look at the Grey Cup in the hands of our champions,” the team said in its announcement.
This will then be followed by a parade on Tuesday, kicking off at 2pm. The parade route will start at 13th avenue, and flow down Albert street before culminating on the steps of the legislative building. Head coach Corey Mace and QB Trevor Harris are both confirmed to be making speeches at the event.
Some have already begun to speculate whether Harris could be preparing to announce his retirement, opting to go out on top in his time up north. The 39 year old had won two Grey Cups previously as a backup, but earned his first championship as a starter on Sunday night.
A native of Waldo, Ohio, Harris has spent time with the Argos, Redblacks, Elks, Alouettes, and Roughriders since joining the league in 2012.
Photo: Mack Male. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.