New faces the Blue Bombers’ bane

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This article was published 28/09/2023 (767 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

New faces have given the Winnipeg Blue Bombers a lot of problems in 2023.

It started with Ottawa Redblacks rookie quarterback Dustin Crum running wild in the fourth quarter of a 31-28 comeback victory in Week 6.

Then there was Jake Dolegala throwing for 300-plus yards with no turnovers on Labour Day to guide the Saskatchewan Roughriders to a 32-30 win in overtime.

Two weeks ago, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats led by first-year pivot Taylor Powell outduelled the Bombers en route to a 29-23 upset.

What’s the deal?

“I don’t know what the correlation is, those just seemed to be the games where we don’t operate the best,” said veteran defensive tackle Jake Thomas after Thursday’s walkthrough.

“I don’t think it’s us taking our foot off the gas by any means. It’s just in this league, anybody can win. You have to bring your A-game every week. Unfortunately, a few times this year we’ve tried to win games by playing 30, 40, 50 minutes. We need a full 60 (Friday) and hopefully we’re able to do that.”

The Bombers (10-4) will get another shot at a young and inexperienced arm Friday night at IG Field when they host the 12-1 Toronto Argonauts. With the Boatmen already having the East Division clinched, they’re sitting starting quarterback Chad Kelly and giving Cameron Dukes his first career start.

Dukes won a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national championship at Lindsey Wilson College before spending last season with the Vegas Knight Hawks of the Indoor Football League.

With Dukes only having 15 passing attempts this season, the Bombers have gone back and watched tape from his college days.

“He had a nice little arm in college… He likes to run around a little bit and use his legs to get him out of trouble,” said defensive end Willie Jefferson.

“He’s young. If he can’t find his first two reads, he puts his eyes down and tries to get out of the pocket and run.”

Jefferson’s drought

Willie Jefferson hasn’t been sleeping well lately.

The star defensive end is currently on the longest sack drought of his career at seven games.

Jefferson was hot to start the year with eight quarterback takedowns in six games.

“I’ve been able to get back there, cause some pressure, cause quarterbacks to get off their spot, disrupt the plays and things like that, but I just haven’t been able to finish in these last seven games,” said Jefferson.

“I’ve had an opportunity to sack a quarterback in every one of those games, I’ve just missed. (It’s giving me) nightmares.”

Toronto’s stout O-line has only surrendered 12 sacks this season which is the fewest in the league.

Snapshots by Sergio

He kicks field goals for a living, but in his spare time, you can find Sergio Castillo behind a camera lens.

The Bombers kicker recently developed a passion for sports photography and has taken pictures of the Winnipeg Goldeyes and Valour FC in action, the Manitoba Open professional golf tournament, and several amateur events around the city.

On Wednesday, Castillo had a front row seat at the Canada Life Centre to shoot the Winnipeg Jets in preseason action against the Calgary Flames.

Castillo’s agent Gil Scott was able to pull some strings to get his client the assignment.

“I’ve been trying to get into some Jets games but it’s so tough. And now I get why, there’s only four windows, four holes (for photographers),” said Castillo.

“(Scott) called me the day before the game and said ‘Hey, I spoke with Chevy, the GM, I know him. You should be expecting an email.’ So, that’s how it all came about.”

During the offseason, Castillo takes pictures for all the sports teams at his alma mater, West Texas A&M. He first got into the hobby when his wife started a Sunday men’s soccer league in Amarillo, Tx., in 2021.

“I was in charge of their social media. I started doing their TikToks and the TikToks blew up. And I’m talking about hundreds of thousands and millions of views,” said Castillo.

“I’d put goals, bloopers, but people just loved my commentating in Spanish. But I fell in love with the editing right then and there. And then finally this past Christmas, my wife got me a camera.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

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Taylor Allen
Reporter

Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor.

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