Calgary membership’s home-schedule finale options third instalment of CFL’s season sequence versus rival Edmonton Elks
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The tip recreation stays the identical for the Calgary Stampeders …
Present up and win out.
It doesn’t matter their circumstance, regardless that they’ve been eradicated from the 2024 CFL playoff race.
“We plan on profitable out the following three video games,” mentioned Stampeders veteran receiver Reggie Begelton, who all the time stands as much as deliver dedication within the face of frustration and heartbreak.
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“You’ve gotta perceive that we receives a commission for a job to do, and our job is to play soccer video games, proper?” continued the all-star. “Every little thing is an analysis, even for people who aren’t beneath contract for subsequent yr. I imply … you hopefully wish to proceed to play soccer, proper? So your movie is who you might be.”
Begelton & Co. hope to place a profitable present on movie this weekend, once they spherical out the house schedule of the 2024 CFL marketing campaign with the third instalment of The Battle of Alberta.
The Stampeders (4-10-1) host the rival Edmonton Elks (5-11) on Saturday at McMahon Stadium (1 p.m., TSN, QR Calgary).
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“Guys which can be skilled and have delight … they’re going to offer you all the pieces they’ve acquired,” mentioned Stamps GM/head coach Dave Dickenson. “And that does say quite a bit concerning the gamers.
“I assume, if you happen to’re actually on the lookout for future, you see how guys play in video games that don’t essentially have which means for playoffs, then normally you may inform who actually loves the sport and who’s skilled.”
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That mentioned, it’s unusual to see The Battle of Alberta — with each groups eradicated from the Gray Cup competitors — depend just for delight and never for place within the standings.
“Professionally, sure,” mentioned Begelton, when requested if the yr has been amongst his most tough ones. “However I’ve handled adversity the place we’ve had — you could possibly say — dropping seasons or we’ve been struggling. However it’s all about you representing all the pieces and why did you play soccer, so that you don’t let the circumstances dictate the way you play.”
Sadly, a scarcity of wins has dictated the season.
That present absence has reached seven straight video games with out one, with final Friday’s 32-15 drop to the host BC Lions a real microcosm of the misplaced marketing campaign — the franchise’s first with out playoffs in 20 years.
“It’s simply form of what’s been occurring all yr,” mentioned Begelton, recalling one other fourth-quarter collapse underscored by three premature turnovers on successive drives that turned a four-point deficit right into a sudden 21-point gap.
“It’s the illustration that we simply can’t end video games, proper?” continued Begelton. “Begin off sluggish, get scorching after which can’t end. Or we’ll begin off scorching and go sluggish and nonetheless can’t end. I imply … that’s simply a part of it. Execution, particulars and the sport of soccer is about what number of factors extra factors will you rating than your opponent?”
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“It does look like we discover methods to lose video games as an alternative of essentially profitable,” agreed Dickenson. “And it was deflating — little doubt about it. We tried to maintain our spirits up. However you recognize, we had been enjoying exhausting.
“You realize what I do, like, although, is that the defence stored enjoying proper until the tip. Our offence, we stored enjoying proper until the tip. And regardless that we had been very annoyed and you could possibly really feel the air was out of the balloon after these couple of performs, we stored working.”
The work, nevertheless, isn’t translating into wins.
“Truthfully, I can’t,” mentioned Begelton, when pressed to reply why the workforce has struggled a lot. “I come out right here and do my job and attempt to do my job day-after-day. I can’t actually pinpoint why us as a workforce wasn’t capable of recover from the hump.
“It’s simply a kind of bizarre years.”
It’s one with out playoffs that’s simply so utterly international to many, together with Begelton.
“Yeah … consistency is the secret — being constant and studying out of your errors and never doing the identical errors over and over,” Begelton mentioned. “On the finish of the day, to maintain doing that factor, you’re insane.”
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“It’s not like we had plenty of good moments,” added Dickenson. “The workforce received’t stop, although. We’ll play exhausting.
“We’re working exhausting nonetheless — the fellows get pleasure from being out right here. You may inform they pay attention they usually’re having fun with competing. Guys are wanting ahead to getting again on the sector and seeing if they’ll win.
“Simply, hopefully, we are able to flip a nook and win a ball recreation.”
Brief yardage
Begelton is simply six receiving yards shy of a second consecutive 1,000-yard season … WR Cam Echols (head) has been dominated out for Saturday’s affair, as has WR Ishmael Hyman (calf) … WR Clark Barnes (knee), WR Jalen Philpot (sickness), DB Demerio Houston (sickness) have all been deemed accessible to play towards the Elks.
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