Robservations: Mason Fine’s time to shine … Roughriders’ top 10 pre-season games … and good luck, Warriors!
SASKATOON — Today’s starting quarterback plans to be a free Mason.
“I’m excited to get out there on the football field and just play loose, play free, and not put too much pressure on myself,” Mason Fine said leading up to the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ pre-season finale against the host Edmonton Elks.
“I want to see these guys make plays and see this offence just roll up and down the field.”
Fine will be the first of four Saskatchewan quarterbacks to see action this afternoon Commonwealth Stadium (2 o’clock., 620 CKRM, CFL+).
Shea Patterson, Antonio Pipkin and Jack Coan will also be behind centre for the visitors during a game that will be live-streamed on the SaskTel MaxTron at Mosaic Stadium as part of the second annual Rider Rally.
“No matter who’s back there, the offence needs to move efficiently, so we’re looking for that,” Head Coach Corey Mace said.
“You just want to see them efficiently moving the ball down the field and making sure we’re getting the right reads.”
Trevor Harris will be the No. 1 pivot when the Roughriders return to Edmonton for the June 8 regular-season opener.
Harris made the trip to the Alberta capital on Friday, but will be in civilian clothes instead of green game garb on Saturday.
“He’ll really be an extra coach on the field, allowing these quarterbacks to push to be as successful as possible,” Mace said.
Fine joined the Roughriders in 2021 after a sensational college career with the North Texas Mean Green.
As a rookie, he was No. 3 on the Roughriders’ depth chart until being elevated to second-string status for the playoffs.
He entered each of the past two regular seasons as the next man up, behind Cody Fajardo (2022) and Harris (2023).
“You don’t get a whole lot of reps as QB2, so whenever they call upon you, you’ve got to be ready and you’ve got to execute the offence at a high level,” Fine noted.
His CFL resume also includes six starts over the past two seasons.
The objective as the 2024 campaign looms is to fend off a challenge for the No. 2 spot.
Right out of the gate in Edmonton, Fine will get a chance to make a case for himself.
“I think you just go out there and do your job,” he said. “Nothing’s solidified yet.
“I have to go out there and perform, execute, play within the offence and try not to press. When it’s getting to this time, you have to live within the offence.
“I have to make sure my eyes are sharp, my feet are sharp, throw accurate balls, make the right reads, and then just move the ball up and down.
“Whatever happens, happens.”
TOP 10 PRE-SEASON GAMES
The CFL has served up some (virtually) forgotten classics.
Take the Steve Alatorre game, for example.
And let’s not overlook the John Foruria game.
Although their tenures with the Roughriders did not extend beyond the pre-season, Alatorre and Foruria did create some excitement — as did several other hopefuls.
With that in mind, here is one scribbler’s list of the Roughriders’ top 10 pre-season games:
#1: June 13, 1982. The Roughriders trailed 31-13 in the second quarter but went on to defeat the Calgary Stampeders 33-32 at McMahon Stadium. With 1:02 left in the fourth quarter, Alatorre hit Chris DeFrance for an eight-yard TD pass. Alatorre then ran for a game-winning two-point convert.
#2: June 14, 2013. Saskatchewan scored two touchdowns 29 seconds apart in the final minute to win 31-24 in Edmonton. With 54 seconds left, Brody McKnight converted Tino Sunseri’s one-yard TD pass to DeDe Dorsey to pull the Roughriders into a 24-24 tie. Graig Newman followed up with a 57-yard, game-winning interception-return TD with 25 seconds left. Newman snared a pass that had been tipped by defensive backfield colleague Paul Woldu and took off for the end zone. Earlier in the game, the Roughriders’ Carlos Thomas had scored on a 30-yard pick-six.
#3: May 27, 2023. The B.C. Lions led 27-17 before Fine threw back-to-back fourth-quarter TD passes to Mitch Picton, who scored at 4:57 (four yards) and 12:16 (12 yards). On the game-winning drive, Fine went 4-for-4 for 58 yards.
#4: July 13, 1970. An 81-yard TD pass from Foruria to Gord Barwell midway through the fourth quarter put the Roughriders ahead to stay as they edged the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 22-21. In the final minute, the Blue Bombers’ Gene Lakusiak was unsuccessful on a 37-yard field-goal attempt. The Roughriders happily conceded a meaningless single and won 22-21 at Winnipeg Stadium.
#5: July 7, 1984. Dave Ridgway’s 47-yard field goal on the final play gave Saskatchewan a 33-30 victory in Edmonton. With 38 seconds left, Kevin Ingram threw a 56-yard TD pass to Brian Allen before finding Milson Jones for a game-tying two-point convert. Joe Paopao proceeded to move the Roughriders’ offence 41 yards in four plays to set up Ridgway’s climactic kick.
#6: July 12, 1966. George Reed’s one-yard touchdown run against the host Montreal Alouettes with 2:17 left in the fourth quarter capped an eight-play, 96-yard game-winning TD drive as the Roughriders prevailed 23-17. Hugh Campbell, who made two key catches on the final drive, finished with four receptions for 121 yards. On the game’s first offensive play, Ron Lancaster hit Paul Dudley on a 73-yard touchdown bomb.
#7: July 3, 1974. Saskatchewan trailed 25-11 before Lancaster threw fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Steve Mazurak (at 8:46) and Tom Campana (12:45) against the host Toronto Argonauts. Ralph Galloway converted both majors. His second convert concluded the scoring in a 25-25 tie. (Mazurak turns 73 today, by the way.)
#8: June 24, 1990. The Blue Bombers won 41-40 (sorry!) on a 32-yard Trevor Kennerd field goal with two seconds remaining. But what a game! Saskatchewan led 36-14 before being outscored 27-4 over the final 17 minutes. The Roughriders piled up 607 yards of total offence, including 473 through the air. Saskatchewan slotback Jeff Fairholm caught six passes for 154 yards and two TDs, one of which was an 83-yard collaboration with Jeff Bentrim.
#9: June 10, 2017. In the first CFL game of any description at new Mosaic Stadium, Quinn van Gylswyk kicked a 38-yard field goal with three seconds remaining to give the Roughriders a 25-25 tie with Winnipeg. Marquise Williams had moved Saskatchewan’s offence 64 yards in six plays to set up the game-tying kick — van Gylswyk’s fourth field goal in as many attempts on the day. The first points at the new stadium, by the way, resulted from Brandon Bridge’s seven-yard TD pass to Duron Carter at 9:42 of the first quarter.
#10: Sept. 15, 1938. The Regina Roughriders used what was then regarded as a powerful aerial attack to defeat the Concordia College Cobbers, from Moorhead, Minn., 14-7 at Park de Young. The game was played under American rules. A 58-yard pass from Howard Cleveland to Leo Danaher set up Regina’s first TD — by Danaher, on a seven-yard run. Cleveland threw a one-yard pass to Lloyd Connelly for the other Roughriders major. Over the course of the game, the home side amassed nearly 100 passing yards, which was a notable feat back in the day.
PUCKS AND PIGSKINS
From one community-owned team to another: Good luck, Warriors!
On Friday in Saginaw, Mich., the Moose Jaw Warriors played in a Memorial Cup game for the first time in franchise history. The host Saginaw Spirit won 5-4.
Before the Warriors flew east, they received an autographed football and assorted keepsakes from the Green and White.
“Incredible gesture from the @sskroughriders to drop off some gifts for the team before we head to the #MemorialCup!” the Warriors tweeted, or X’d, the other day.
ROLL CREDITS …
- Nice people who deserve a plug: Peter Stoicheff, Kathryn Warden, Tyler Daku, Glenn Klein, Troy Slywka, Arlene Mongovius, Ethel Mongovius, Archie Le Rocque, Patricia Morris, Kairo Pehlic, Aldin Pehlic, Jamie Lammerding, Ewald (Shortee) Lammerding, Louis Christ, Dan Servetnyk, Maren Tunison, Paul Woldu, Peter Woldu, Julie Woldu, Jon Willows, Ajou Ajou, Tre’ Crawford, Melique Straker, Joe Couch, Pete Paczko, Kyle Carson, Jacob Brammer, Shane Clausing, Eli Hetlinger, Eva Fletcher, Jason Ripplinger and Sophea Schneider.
