Roommates done for season

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This article was published 25/07/2012 (4822 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive tackle Tyson Pencer, whom the Bombers traded up to draft third overall in the 2012 CFL draft, is done for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

And head coach Paul LaPolice revealed Tuesday afternoon that Pencer isn’t the only young Bombers prospect now done for the year.

He said running back Anthony Woodson, for whom the club had high hopes this year, is also scheduled for shoulder surgery and out for the season.

Pencer, who had shoulder trouble in college and hurt himself again in a pre-season game last month, was already on the Bombers’ nine-game injured list.

Woodson, a 2010 fourth-rounder for the Bombers, has a history of injuries that delayed his professional debut until this year. He was hurt in the regular season, but there had been talk as late as last weekend that he could return to the lineup as early as this week.

In a strange twist, LaPolice revealed Woodson, Pencer and LB Rene Stephan, who was already out for the year after earlier undergoing knee surgery, were roommates this season.

“All three of those guys are out for the season probably, and they were all roommates. So we’ve got to burn that house or whatever,” LaPolice said after the final full Bombers practice at Canad Inns Stadium before their home opener Thursday against the Edmonton Eskimos.

With the surgery, Pencer’s development will be set back at least another year. In the short term, the bigger impact on the Bombers will be the loss of Woodson and Stephan, both highly regarded as special-teams players.

Also Tuesday, the CFL announced Winnipeg placekicker Justin Palardy was the special-teams player of the week last week for his five-for-five field-goal performance against Toronto. Palardy is 10 for 11 on field goals this season after kicking a disappointing 76.9 per cent last season. He had no explanation Tuesday for his sudden consistency. “I’ve been kicking the same way since my first year of university,” he said.

SAM linebacker Jonathan Hefney gave the team a scare when he went down in practice Tuesday on a fierce collision with receiver Kito Poblah.

Hefney received treatment on the sideline and did not return to practice, but LaPolice said Hefney had only an injured shin.

Running back Chad Simpson, the best part of the Bombers’ offence before he was injured in a loss to Toronto last week, was back at practice taking most of the first-team reps and is expected to start.

Slotback Terrence Edwards, hurt in the Toronto game, returned to practice for the first time. Edwards took most of the first-team reps, but LaPolice said he’s still questionable for Thursday.

Linebacker Dustin Doe, injured against Toronto and again last Sunday returned Tuesday. He practised sparingly, but LaPolice said he’s expected to play.

The Bombers said they have sold close to 28,000 tickets for Thursday’s game.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca