The second and last preseason game of our Alouettes is taking place on Thursday, June 6 at 7:30 pm and a bunch of battles could be particularly intriguing to watch.
1 – Who will make up the secondary?
We know one corner will be occupied by Tommie Campbell. Taylor Loffler will start at safety and Ciante Evans will likely sneak his way in at halfback. So what two DBs will take the vacant spots? Among those who have shown tremendous effort at camp are Marcellus Pippins and Jamarcus King. Veteran Jermaine Robinson also shouldn’t be overlooked.
2 – How many Canadians will fight their way into the o-line?
The number of national players starting up front could have an important impact on the composition of the team. For now, we know Kristian Matte, Tony Washington and Spencer Wilson will be of the lineup. Will the coaching staff opt for two Canadians like Sean Jamieson and young Trey Rutherford, for example, or will they prefer giving Na’Ty Rodgers what would be a fair shot considering his performances at camp and fit a local guy elsewhere?
3 – Could the receiving corps be completed with a Malcom Carter or a Chris Osei-Kusi?
If Rodgers was to make it, the team’s mission would be to find the diamond in the rough within our Canadian content who is ready to take on a leading receiving or d-line role. Standing tall at 6’6, Malcolm Carter, who was dressed for six games in 2018, could be the solution… Last week, in Toronto, he stood out by single-handedly catching a short pass from Vernon Adams and rushing into the end zone. Carter would line up next to BJ Cunningham, DeVier Posey, Eugene Lewis and possibly Jake Wieneke, another talented rookie. Wieneke, a slotback coming from the Minnesota Vikings; remember the name.
4 – Will we find the eagerly awaited defensive end?
John Bowman is back. Amazing news. Woody Baron and Ryan Brown who both had a great second half of the season in 2018 are also back. But who’s our other pass rusher? Veteran Gabe Knapton or 2019 draft pick Nathaniel Anderson who seems to have teeth? Plenty of combinations are possible here as well, with or without Canadians.
5 – Who will be the starting quarterback?
Now that’s what everybody is wondering. Will all four QBs – Pipkin, Mathews, Shiltz and Adams – hit the field again? Probably, and local product Hugo Richard too! Now the question is who will be measuring up to Ottawa’s number ones and how will he do? Pipkin, who, based on practice, seems to be the favourite, could finally have his best weapons by his sides on Thursday and give us a real glimpse of what our offensive squad is capable of.
Now that you know what’s at play, come watch us play! See you this Thursday, June 6 at 7 :30 pm at McGill Stadium.
