Big time roster turnovers reflected in Rifles play

The Winnipeg Rifles needed to get out of their own way.

That was the consensus in the junior football club’s locker room after it opened the Canadian Junior Football League season with four straight losses before breaking through with a 37-23 home win over the Edmonton Huskies last weekend.

The Rifles kept their playoff hopes within reach with three games remaining in the regular season. If nothing else, it injected some much-needed confidence into a group that believes it has the talent to compete with the rest of the Prairie Conference, but needs to stop shooting itself in the foot.

“It was definitely a sense of urgency. It was definitely a must-need win, and especially a lot of our other games, we would be in the game, and then we would kind of start beating ourselves almost,” said Jarome Penner, the club’s leading receiver.

A prime example came against the Regina Thunder last month, when the Rifles held a two-point lead at halftime on the road but shut down in the second half and wound up losing by 25.

“Got in our own heads a bit, but we knew we had the team to do it, and we did go into the week anticipating the win, and we just kind of finally were able to click on all three sides of the ball, and it just came together nicely,” Penner added. “It was a much-needed win, and we plan to build on that.”

It was the day after the Rifles’ fourth loss when head coach Geordie Wilson made a humbling cut-up of the mistakes that his team made against the Calgary Colts. The purpose wasn’t to rub his players’ noses in their shortcomings, but to give a dejected group some perspective.

Wilson simply asked his players whether they felt the repeated mistakes were correctable, to which they concluded they all were.

“You were pissed off and mad and sad and all that stuff, but when I started watching all the stuff back, I went, ‘You know what? We’re gonna be fine,’” Wilson said. “And I still believe that, and I think our best is yet to come.”

Wilson admits the Rifles are still navigating the turnover from a 2025 roster that helped the club to a 4-4 record, tied for its best finish in the last 12 years. Star running back Kaiden Banfield moved on to the University of Regina, while three receivers and seven starters on defence also departed.

“Big time turnover, and that’s been reflected in our play,” Wilson said, emphasizing the impact it’s had on his defence in particular.

“I mean that happens, right? Guys get older and whatever, but for sure it has impacted our defence, no question.”

Starting quarterback Riley Element — who led the conference in passing yards and was tied for the most passing touchdowns last season — said the personnel changes were difficult to handle, but he’s worked hard to establish a similar chemistry with a younger group of receivers.

“It was definitely frustrating,” said Element. “We all know how it feels and stuff like that happens, but we came together as a team, and throughout those losses, we always ask the honest questions, and we’re real with each other, and (it) came down to little things, and we just stick together.”

One player who Element hasn’t had trouble finding is Penner. The duo was one of the country’s most lethal tandems last season and has continued to be a consistent bright spot for the Rifles through some trying moments.

While Element’s 1,450 passing yards and 10 touchdowns pace the conference again, Penner leads all receivers with 422 yards and is fourth in receptions (25).

“It’s been good. We’ve had some hiccups here and there, but we’ve been able to really build as we get to know each other more, because we’re both coming on basically our last years here,” said Penner, who still has another season of eligibility. Element is in his final season of eligibility.

“So, second year together, but it feels like we’ve been doing it a lot longer than two years together.”

Penner, who has participated in each of the last two training camps with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and has remained on the pro team’s practice roster this season, is a security blanket for Element.

“It’s definitely important,” the pivot said. “Jarome’s a great guy to play with, a great player, and it’s definitely reassuring that when you’ve seen so much on film, how when he has a certain route, when you could peek over to that side and (know)… he’ll come down with the ball.”

With some confidence now on their side, the Rifles look to continue their second-half playoff push on Sunday when they host the undefeated Regina Thunder (5-0) at Dakota Collegiate (1 p.m.). The Rifles will play two more at home (the Sept. 27 game against the Edmonton Wildcats as the regular-season home finale) before travelling to Saskatoon for their regular season-finale on Oct. 4.

“I never felt like, ‘We’re screwed, and we’re dead and buried,’” said Wilson. “If we take care of stuff we can control, we think we’re in a perfect spot.”

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