Saskatchewan Roughriders a centrepiece for Football Frenzy

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When Corey Mace arrived in Saskatchewan earlier this year to become head coach of the CFL’s Roughriders, he was informed his new home was more Frozen Frenzy than Football Frenzy.

“Somebody told me early that it’s a unique spot,” said Mace. “You know, everybody loves the Riders, but this is a hockey province.

“I don’t know if that’s the case, to be honest with you. I’m happy that football is alive in Regina.”

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Frozen Frenzy was an ESPN-inspired scheduling quirk that had all 32 NHL teams playing regular-season hockey games on the same, Tuesday evening. It was an interesting idea that got some traction in the U.S. but not so much in Canada, where ESPN’s telecasts aren’t available to all TV viewers.

Football Frenzy has just started, with an extended weekend filling the local gridirons and reminding football fans of the programs that produce great athletes locally, like Riders receiver Mitch Picton, linemen Logan Ferland and Noah Zerr, defensive backs Nelson Lokombo and Jaxon Ford and long snapper Jorgen Hus, the greybeard of the bunch in his ninth CFL season.

Football Frenzy began Thursday, when Johnson beat Thom 44-3 in the Regina Intercollegiate Football League’s 5A championship at Mosaic Stadium. On Friday night, the University of Regina Rams were scheduled to meet the University of Alberta Golden Bears at Leibel Field; a victory by the home team would put it into the Canada West playoffs.

At Leibel Field on Sunday, the Regina Thunder meets the Okanagan Sun for the privilege of advancing to the 115th Canadian Bowl. Regina advanced by beating its provincial rivals and the reigning Canadian junior champions, the Saskatoon Hilltops, 24-19 on Sunday.

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In the middle comes a CFL game slated for 5 p.m. Saturday at Mosaic Stadium, the regular-season finale for the playoff-bound Roughriders and woeful Calgary Stampeders.

“I sometimes feel tunnel vision around here,” Mace said following a recent Riders practice. “But I’m not ignorant to the fact about the big game between the Thunder and Hilltops. We were discussing high schools … It’s awesome!”

If the Montreal Alouettes defeat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers earlier Saturday, a subsequent Roughriders victory would give them a first-round bye and hosting rights for the West final on Nov. 9. Otherwise the Roughriders, who have qualified for their first postseason appearance since 2021, play host to the West semifinal Nov. 2 against the B.C. Lions. Football Frenzy will continue at least one more week.

“A home playoff game is huge,” said Roughriders receiver Mitch Picton. “Our fans definitely deserve it because the last couple years certainly haven’t gone the way we would’ve liked. And we love playing in front of our fans, so being able to do that in the playoffs is huge for us as well.”

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Picton is a University of Regina product whose brother Aaron is the current Rams president, plus he was a teammate of head coach Mark McConkey. He’s conversant about the Thunder’s prospects and frequently drops into Rams games.

Picton just returned to the Riders lineup after missing six games with an ankle injury. As a Canadian who can play multiple positions, Picton’s presence allows the Riders roster flexibility with their American ratio. Sometimes he starts, sometimes he backs up. Former Riders head coach Craig Dickenson once said Picton was “too valuable” to be a starter.

“That wasn’t my favourite quote in the world,” said Picton. “I felt like I should have been out there a little bit more, but we’ll leave it at that.”

Picton seems to be most noticeable in late-game situations, when the team needs a vital first down and a scrambling quarterback has to find an open receiver past the markers.

“Mitch is similar to Logan Ferland,” said Mace, comparing Picton to the Thunder product who has played every position along Saskatchewan’s offensive line. “Dependable, reliable.

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“He knows everything it is to be a Rider. That’s important to me. And his roots here are important to me.”

Quarterbacks Trevor Harris and Shea Patterson rave about Picton’s reliability. Picton credits that acuity to his football knowledge, coming from a family with lots of football experience and playing with high-quality teams. And then there’s the support from family, friends and fans, particularly anyone donning his jersey inside Mosaic Stadium.

“There are always a lot of ‘Picton 81’ jerseys in the stands,” said Picton. “I think I know all of them.”

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