Need to Know | Western Final

Andrew Harris remembers the hurt and the tears that came with it. He remembers the feeling of an opportunity lost in a profession that can chew up and spit out players.

And so if the Winnipeg Blue Bombers veteran running back is looking for any other ways to get motivated for Sunday’s Western Final – aside from the usual – he need just rewind to last November and the loss to Calgary that prevented them from a shot at the Grey Cup.

“I just know how I felt after that game in Calgary last year and I just don’t want that feeling again,” Harris said after the Bombers returned to practice on Wednesday. “For myself, it’s relaying that emotion and just that feeling I had to everyone else who might not have been here and just reiterating how important and how big and how special this is.

“You’ve really just got to put 100 percent focus in throughout the week, do whatever you can to get your body ready to go all out and play at a super high level. And you’ve just got to seize the moment, seize the opportunity. Again, I remember how emotional I was after that game and how I felt and I just don’t want that feeling again.”

Harris doesn’t have to revisit those emotions with many of his teammates who returned after suffering through the same anguish from a year ago. But it’s worth noting that 11 starters from last year’s division final moved on before the season started and six other players who dressed in that game are also gone.

That said, veterans or rookies alike all know what playing in Regina is like after three visits already this season in the preseason, the Labour Day Classic and again in October. The Bombers practised again with the canned crowd noise being pumped in on Wednesday and know any trip to Saskatchewan – particularly for the playoffs – brings a certain amount of zany before and during game day.

“It’s going to be nuts. It’s going to be nuts,” said Harris. “We all know how passionate those fans are and we’re in their way right now to go to a Grey Cup, so it’s going to be absolute chaos in there. But that excites me and I know it excites the guys in this locker room.

“There’s no better feeling than going into an atmosphere like that and shutting up their fans and coming out with a ‘W.’ That’s the goal.”

The Bombers returned to practice Wednesday for the first time since last Sunday’s Western Semi-Final win in Calgary and in advance of this weekend’s Western Final in Regina. Here are some of notes and quotes from the session in this week’s NEED TO KNOW…

OUCH REPORT:

QB Chris Streveler played the spectator at practice on Wednesday, with Zach Collaros getting the bulk of the reps, along with Sean McGuire and Trevor Knight. Also limited on Wednesday were DB Jeff Hecht, LB Shayne Gauthier and LS Chad Rempel.

As for the status of Streveler, O’Shea – as expected – was tight-lipped.

“Vet day, like other guys,” said O’Shea. “We’ll see. Once again, we don’t set our roster until whatever time is we have to set it so we’ll see where that leaves everybody, which always changes.”

Asked whether he would list Streveler as questionable or day to day, O’Shea added: “I think he’s going to be good.”

Earlier it was suggested to Andrew Harris that the media is running out of words to describe Streveler. Asked how he would describe him, Harris grinned and said:

“He’s a tough SOB, man. He plays with a certain attitude and a certain fire and it’s definitely inspiring. It’s great to be around and great to have a teammate like that and he’s definitely someone you can feed off of.”

THE MORE YOU CAN DO:

Spotted at practice on Wednesday was LB Adam Bighill attempting field goals. He put one left, then right – with lots of distance – from 32 yards out, before hitting one from 25.

“I’ve done it a time or two,” said Bighill. “In my career I’ve been a back-up snapper and kicker. Little known fact you didn’t know, now you know. I’ve got some skids.

“You always want to cover your bases and God forbid anything would happen to (Justin) Medlock, you want to have someone be able to come in there and execute, so I might as well get some reps in.”

Asked about his effective range, Bighill smiled and said, ‘”Well, I hit one from the 25 and it went out the back (of the end zone), so you can do the math.”

MESSAGE DELIVERED:

Bombers DE Willie Jefferson spoke to the media on Wednesday and offered up a tidbit related to the current mood of the team.

“Right now we’re trying to get back to that ‘one game at a time,’” said Jefferson. “Right now we only have one game to get to the Grey Cup and that’s where we wanted to be at the beginning of the season. When Coach O’Shea started the season off he said everybody came in with aspirations and goals for themselves. But by the end of the season everybody was going to end up with the same goal and that was going to be to win the Grey Cup.

“Before the Calgary game he said that same speech again and it really clicked for a lot of people. That Calgary game could have been our last game, but everybody went out there and gave it their all.”

Asked about that message later, O’Shea offered this:

“I’m not really big on messages – Ever. I think the players understand what’s at stake and they’re in a good spot. I just sit back and observe a lot and get a feel for where they’re at and if something needs to be said, it needs to be said. A lot of times it doesn’t because we’ve got a good group.”