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Calvillo closing in on passing records
Courtesy Montreal Gazette:
He could have gone home last winter, like he usually does, to Columbus, Ohio. But Wes Cates required shoulder surgery that was going to be performed in Regina anyways, so he decided to spend the winter in Saskatchewan.
And he lived to tell the tale.
Cates, the Roughriders’ talented running-back, got his Honda Civic stuck in a snowbank and drove through a storm in early December. He visited various towns scattered throughout this vast province en route to community events and school appearances, made on behalf of the team, wanting to see what this region had to offer while giving something back to the team’s faithful supporters.
And he curled for the first time, claiming to have hit the button with his opening rock.
“I’m a master curler, a natural,” he said. “But the weather was freezing. It was one of the worst winters in the province. I made it through with time. I never thought I could, but I made it through.
“I’d like to think of myself as the kind of guy who can settle in easy where I’m at. Regina’s a small city in a small (populated) province. But it’s where I’m at and I’m going to make the best of it.”
Cates makes his Riders debut this afternoon, against Montreal, having recovered from the surgery, although he missed Saskatchewan’s opening two games. The Riders, undefeated this season, will be a stronger team with Cates in the backfield, although they weren’t shabby with Hugh Charles, his replacement. Charles scored three times in two games and is expected to dress as Cates’s backup.
The 6-foot, 215-pound Cates was a Canadian Football League all-star last season, while rushing for 1,229 yards in only 15 games. He scored 12 touchdowns.
“I’m excited … ready to play,” said Cates, acquired two seasons ago in a trade from Calgary. “This is no different than week one. I’m ready to go if they need me for 70 plays or overtime.”
Cates’s return is one of many intriguing storylines.
Als quarterback Anthony Calvillo is primed to become the league’s second-leading passer. Calvillo requires three touchdowns to surpass Ron Lancaster, who retired with 333. Ironically, Lancaster, who died at age 69 last September of a heart attack less than two months after being diagnosed with lung cancer, enjoyed his finest moments with the Riders between 1963-78. His number has been retired and his name enshrined at Mosaic Stadium, in the Plaza of Honour.
“It will be a special opportunity to pass him here,” Calvillo said. “Ron Lancaster was an icon to this league and especially this city. I know what kind of player he was and represented. It would be special because of the history here.”
The Als have lost their last three games in Saskatchewan, having failed to defeat the Riders here since October 2005. Games played in Regina historically have been high-scoring and exciting.
“It’ll be a huge test,” said Marc Trestman, the head coach of an undefeated team himself. “Saskatchewan’s a complete team and is playing extremely well defensively. They play with great tenacity and effort. At 2-0, they feel very good about themselves. But we feel good about ourselves.”
Last season, the Als squandered a fourth-quarter lead here, eventually falling 41-33 to launch a two-game unsuccessful road trip that continued with another defeat six days later, at Vancouver.
Not much was known at that time about Saskatchewan quarterback Darian Durant, but he matched Calvillo pass for pass that afternoon, throwing for 353 yards and three touchdowns.
The Riders went through their share of quarterbacks last season, starting with Marcus Crandell before eventually settling on Michael Bishop. Crandell now is an assistant coach with the team while Bishop’s out of the CFL. Durant? He has won all six of his career starts.
“I just want to win,” Durant said. “Winning takes care of it all and it makes us all look good. I’m not looking for any controversy. It’s the fans and media who cause controversy.”
Durant, coincidentally, isn’t even considered the team’s most-talented pivot. Instead, the organization looks at him as a bridge until Steven Jyles or Dalton Bell develop.
“Darian, by nature, is going to run when the opportunity presents itself,” head coach Ken Miller said. “We want him to be more consistent in his reads and understanding the offence.”
