(Un)friendly competition

REGINA – Jermarcus Hardrick knows exactly what kind of battle he is in for on Sunday in the 61st edition of the Labour Day Classic.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders right tackle has ample experience lining up opposite Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive end Willie Jefferson, both as teammates and opponents during the past decade and change.

In this pivotal matchup between Prairie rivals jockeying for position in the CFL West Division, this head-to-head battle in the trenches figures to be must-see TV.

“Willie is one of my best friends, one of the best players in the league. It’s amazing to see what he’s doing on film, what he’s always done on film,” said Hardrick, who spent eight seasons with the Blue Bombers before joining the Roughriders in 2024 as a free agent. “With the way that you know he plays and what he can do to a team with his energy and knowing that’s on the other side from you all game, that’s a big challenge that you look forward to.

“It’s definitely a long week thinking about going against Willie. Just mutual respect, hoping to put my best foot forward and hug him after (the game on Sunday) and tell him that I love him.”

Upon his arrival at the team hotel in Regina, Jefferson was asked about facing his close friend in a game that features so much pomp and circumstance in what will be a sold-out crowd at Mosaic Stadium, where kickoff is set for just after 6 p.m.

“It’s going to be fun. It was always fun during practice, doing one-on-ones and team periods and stuff like that,” said Jefferson, who was sporting a bright yellow Humboldt Broncos jersey to show his support for the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team. “(I appreciate) his physicality and his ability to try to get under people’s skin. I’ve known him for a while and I know the way that he plays the game. It’s fun to try to battle him and to get under each other’s skin.”

How challenging is it to do the things required to get under the opponent’s skin, while trying to avoid being penalized for any extra curricular activity that may take place as you try to gain the upper hand?

“Most definitely you try to play it as close to the line as possible,” said Jefferson, who picked up the 100th pass knockdown of his career last week against the Montreal Alouettes. “This is a game that both of us circle on our calendars at the beginning of the year when the schedules come out.

“We’re going to get the work in and then we’re going to be able to shake hands, hug and do all of that good stuff after the game.”

Roughriders head coach Corey Mace showed his appreciation for Jefferson, before delving a bit deeper into the individual matchup.

“He’s a Hall of Famer. A guy that no matter where he’s been and whatever team he’s been on, you’ve got to know where he’s at. He can affect the game in so many different ways and he seems to make big plays in big games,” said Mace. ““As a football nerd, you love it. I know certainly as a football fan, seeing Jermarcus and Willie have a chance to go at each other, knowing their relationship and what that looks like off the field, it just speaks to the character of those men. To know that while (they) are really close friends, on game day, there’s no such thing and that’s fun to watch.”

Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea shared a similar sentiment when asked about two guys who are among the best to do it at their respective positions in the CFL.

“It’s one of those matchups that if you could train yourself to not watch the ball, that you would key in on something like that,” said O’Shea. “They’re both excellent players, highly-skilled, high level, tops of their game type of players and they are both fun to watch.

“Unfortunately in my position, I have to try and take in more than just that battle and I hope it is a physical battle. You’d hate for it to just be finesse. Not on Labour Day.”

The game itself – and the highlighted individual matchup – will undoubtedly be physical.

Looking at the bigger picture, both the Bombers (6-5) and Roughriders (7-4) would love to be able to sweep the two-game series that continues with the Banjo Bowl next Saturday, but neither team is looking beyond Sunday given how tight things are in the West Division.

“The West right now is a fight,” said Hardrick. “Every win matters, especially in the head-to-heads and back-to-backs. These are huge weeks for both teams.”

ONE DOOR CLOSES …

The Blue Bombers were bitten by the injury bug this week and will be without slotback Nic Demski, defensive back Jonathan Moxey and linebackers Brody Clark and Dylan Hazen.

Demski’s absence opens the door for rookie receiver Dorian Singer to slide into the slot in his CFL debut.

“He’s a guy that when he first stepped on the field at training camp, he caught a bunch of eyes for sure,” said Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros. “He’s a very talented football player and he’s put a lot of work in. He’s done a great job of learning what we do and staying on top of that kind of stuff. He’s stayed ready for his opportunity, so I’m really excited for him.

“His athletic ability really stands out, with the way he can go up and get the football. He’s fast, he attacks the ball when it’s in the air and he does a really good job of plucking it out of the air. He can do a lot of things. This is a really cool game to make your first (CFL) game and I think he’ll have a lot of fun with it.”

Singer was noticeable throughout the course of the week, both for his ability to make catches while working with the first-team offence but also for the work he put in going over his script after the official workouts were over.

“It shows some great self-awareness,” said O’Shea. “He understands how he needs to learn. Not everybody does it that way. Understanding how you learn is a great start toward being a pro.”

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