Next Game
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ANDREW PARKER
Bluebombers.com Staff
WINNIPEG — It’s the final test before the results count on the record: Winnipeg will host the Toronto Argonauts tomorrow night to finish off their pre-season play. The Blue Bombers are coming off a 27-15 loss to the Alouettes in Montreal last week, in a match that featured fresh talent from both teams.
In this upcoming game Winnipeg will be putting the veterans back on the field, while hoping to build on positives seen in action last week with several new prospects. Head Coach Paul LaPolice commented on just that while considering tomorrow night’s game.
“We saw some good things last week. In pre-season, you don’t care about the score as much as you care about evaluating and getting guys time in a real game, and I thought we did a good job of that and saw some good things from the young players,” said LaPolice.
One of the players who did not see playing time in the Bombers’ first effort was Buck Pierce, the starting quarterback for part of last year. Pierce, returning for his second year with the Bombers, is scheduled to start the game, and is excited to be back on the field.
“It’s been a long offseason – especially for me – and you can only have so much fun in practice before you start itching for that game action again. As a team, we’re most excited to play in front of these fans and give them something to cheer about, even if it is still preseason,” said Pierce.
It has been a very long offseason for Pierce, as he missed games after a knee injury in week three of last season, and suffered an elbow dislocation in the Labour Day Classic that brought his promising season to an end. Although he missed the majority of the season, Pierce still threw for 1,180 yards and six touchdowns, and rushed for 237 yards on 22 carries.
Also looking to give the fans something to cheer about is linebacker Joe Lobendahn. He begins his fourth year with Winnipeg, and is coming off a season where he registered 55 tackles and three sacks. His goal is obvious: adding to that tackle total.
“We’ve had a good training camp but nothing compares to a real game. I can’t wait to get out there and hit somebody,” said Lobendahn.
He and the rest of the Bombers will look to slow down the Argonauts, who enjoyed early success in their match against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday. The Argos won 31-12, led by Cleo Lemon, the team’s starting quarterback from last year. After playing the first half in that game, Lemon is expected to start again tomorrow.