Reid, Edwards and Hunt still have shot at individual titles

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/11/2010 (5449 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THE silver lining in all this, this campaign of painfully close losses and the absolute frustration that comes with it, lies in the fact three Win­nipeg Blue Bombers could be statistic­ally atop their individual positions when the CFL wraps up play Sunday.

That, of course, just adds to the dis­belief of how this lost season never found its way in the first place.

Running back Fred Reid needed just 12 yards to move past Toronto’s Cory Boyd for the lead in the CFL rushing race. Reid erased that with his first run in the 35-32 loss to the Calgary Stam­peders, a 49-yard gallop in the first quarter, but he was forced to leave soon after that. A rolled-up left ankle ended Reid’s night early, but with 48 yards worth of effort, the fourth-year Bomber back now sits atop the CFL leaderboard with 1,396 yards (on 213 carries) — and a 37-yard cushion on Boyd.

“When they tackled me I just landed awkward on my ankle, and the top of my foot is pretty bruised,” Reid said after the game. “The top of my foot is really sore. I tried to come back out, I really thought I was going to be able to, but I couldn’t go. It was too bad. I want­ed more than what I ended up with. I thought I was going to have a field day.

“Hopefully that will be enough.”

Word out of the Argos camp is that coach Jim Barker will sit Boyd out of Sunday’s game in Montreal, as the Boatmen prepare for the East Division semifinal next weekend. Barring a last-minute change (one that sees Boyd dressing), Reid will be the title holder.

Like Reid, Terrence Edwards also has a chance for some personal grati­fication.

The Bombers slotback came into the game with a 22-yard lead over Hamil­ton’s Arland Bruce III and Saskatch­ewan’s Andy Fantuz for the league receiving title. After his three-catch, 47-yard outing that lead is now up to 69-yards (1,372 yards on the season) — hardly a safe advantage in the CFL.

“I don’t get mentioned much when people (list) the top receivers in the league but that doesn’t bother me,” he said. “I know my talent, I know what I can do.”

Fantuz will be in the lineup when the Riders face Edmonton tonight, while Bruce was listed as questionable to play in the matchup with B.C.

Also looking to build on his numbers before the six other CFL clubs take to the field this weekend was DE Phillip Hunt. The CFL leader had 16 sacks coming into the Stamps game. Calgary held him off the stat sheet Friday.

“It’s still been a great season for my­self and I look forward to coming back and doing the same thing,” said Hunt, who may try his hand in the NFL next season.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca