Restrained sneak peek at new-look offence coming tonight

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This article was published 20/06/2012 (5217 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BLUE BOMBERS fans will get a taste — but not yet the full flavour — of the club’s much-anticipated new offensive scheme when the Bombers take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Canad Inns Stadium tonight in the final pre-season game for both clubs.

“The coaches want to go out there and show all of it,” quarterback Buck Pierce said with a laugh during a news conference Tuesday morning. “And I’m kind of telling them to hold back a bit. We’re all excited because we worked all off-season on it and we’ve talked so much about it.

“There will be some new things,” Pierce continued, “but it’s not going to look totally different from what we did last year. We’ll do some new things and there will be a few new twists in what we’re going to do.

“But we’re definitely not going to show our hand.”

The Bombers struggled offensively in 2011 despite advancing to the Grey Cup game and the club is pinning its hopes in 2012 on new offensive co-ordinator Gary Crowton, who broke franchise and league records for offensive production during a long career in the NCAA and a stint in the NFL.

Crowton, along with the entire Bombers coaching staff, has been vague during training camp about what the new offence will look like, other than to say it will be uptempo and include more of a short passing game.

BLUE ROSTER: Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice is hoping to give Pierce most — and possibly all — of the first half, before turning to backups Alex Brink and Joey Elliott, in that order, in the second half.

A decision on the No. 2 Bomber pivot will be made after the game, the coach said.

LaPolice expects most of his projected starters to play most of the first half, but there will be at least four who will be absent entirely because of injuries — offensive tackles Andre Douglas and Glenn January, linebacker Marcellus Bowman and slotback Cory Watson, who is dealing with a hamstring issue.

Their statuses for the 2012 season opener in B.C. will be determined next week.

TICATS ROSTER: Despite not getting into Winnipeg until today, Hamilton is expected to have most of its starting roster in uniform for the game. Quarterback Henry Burris; running back Avon Cobourne; receivers Chris Williams, Dave Stala and Sam Giguere; plus linebackers Jamall Johnson, Renauld Williams and Markeith Knowlton are all expected to dress. Receiver Andy Fantuz was not on the depth chart Tuesday.

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HALL OF FAME GAME: The 2012 Canadian Football Hall of Fame induction celebration will be held in Winnipeg this November. The event features a gala dinner at the Winnipeg Convention Centre on Friday, Nov. 2, with the Hall of Fame game between the Bombers and the Montreal Alouettes slated to go at Canad Inns Stadium the following day (Saturday, Nov. 3).

The club last hosted the Hall of Fame game in 2009.

Two former Bombers — receiver Milt Stegall and defensive end Tyrone Jones (posthumous) — are among the Class of 2012. Stegall, who played 14 years with the Blue and Gold, said having the event in Winnipeg is perfect for him.

“It will almost be like that one last time I get to hear those fans roar and scream my name,” he said. “I always tell people, that’s the one thing I miss about football: that high I always get from those fans.”

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca — with files from Paul Wiecek