Emotions will be high when Alouettes raise Grey Cup banner Thursday

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“I am actually enthusiastic about celebrating that second with our followers,” head coach Jason Maas stated. “Seeing the banner carry will probably be an unimaginable feeling.”

Printed Jun 19, 2024 • 3 minute learn

“I am going to in all probability get chills and I’d get a bit of emotional,” stated QB Cody Fajardo, who will probably be taking part in in entrance of his spouse and son, who’ve travelled from Nevada. “However as soon as the ball’s kicked it is soccer on the finish of the day.” Picture by John Woods /THE CANADIAN PRESS

With greater than 20,000 tickets bought, it needs to be an electrical environment when the Alouettes make their regular-season residence debut towards the Ottawa Redblacks Thursday evening at Molson Stadium (7:30 p.m., TSN3, TSN5, RDS, TSN Radio-690, 98.5 FM).

And the scene will undoubtedly get emotional when the group raises its Gray Cup banner in a pre-game ceremony.

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Then it is going to be as much as the Als to maintain their undefeated file intact and never spoil the social gathering. Definitely that’s not an excessive amount of to ask?

“The Week 3 banner reveal just isn’t very nice,” quarterback Cody Fajardo stated Wednesday at Olympic Stadium. “We’re two weeks into the season, we’ve already form of hit our stride and it’s a totally new group. For the (returning gamers) we’re not going to take it without any consideration. What we achieved final season is extraordinarily tough to do. The followers can have a good time with it and the gamers who have been right here will rejoice it. However that is 2024. Our objective is to win that Gray Cup (once more).

“After the (banner) reveal, hopefully we will put all of final yr to mattress.”

The Als launched their season with two spectacular street victories at Winnipeg, in a Cup rematch, and final Friday at Edmonton. They didn’t stay on the street between video games and solely practised twice this week. The Redblacks needs to be properly rested after opening their season with a win at residence final Thursday towards the Blue Bombers.

“It’s skilled soccer and it’s laborious each week,” Fajardo stated. “We began with two journeys west and went 2-0. We talked about it. Trying on the schedule there was a risk that we went into the banner reveal sport 0-2, with how tough the schedule was to start out. Luckily for us we’re within the best-case situation, being 2-0.

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“I’ll in all probability get chills and I’d get a bit of emotional,” added Fajardo, who will probably be taking part in in entrance of his spouse and son, who’ve travelled from Nevada. “However as soon as the ball’s kicked it’s soccer on the finish of the day. It’ll be an thrilling begin to the sport. Hopefully we give the followers one thing extra thrilling on the finish.”

The group, particularly head coach Jason Maas, has been trying to distance itself from final season. The Cup ring ceremony was held two days earlier than the beginning of coaching camp and, ideally, the Als would have begun their season at residence and turned the web page as rapidly as potential.

“I’m actually enthusiastic about celebrating that second with our followers,” Maas stated. “Our guys play with a whole lot of ardour and a whole lot of pleasure. I feel the preliminary working out on the sector and seeing the banner carry will probably be an unimaginable feeling for the fellows that have been right here. For the fellows coming in new, simply to see that and really feel part of this … we all know what we’re striving to do. It is a glimpse for them, to know this may be actuality. It’s a must to suppose it first.

“I feel everyone will probably be on an emotional excessive. I’ll be emotional. I’m an emotional individual. I’ll have an incredible appreciation for what it took to make it occur. It’s a particular second. I’m not going to shrink back from that.”

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The Als have made three vital roster adjustments.

Receiver Reggie White Jr. will play for the primary time since sustaining a debilitating knee harm in October 2022, coincidentally towards the Redblacks. Defensive-tackle Dylan Wynn, a free-agent addition from Hamilton, will make his Montreal debut, as will linebacker/defensive-back Titus Wall, solely signed on Tuesday after being launched by Calgary. Wall’s position will in all probability be restricted, and he’s listed as a backup to Bryce Cosby.

Wynn, 31, coming into his seventh CFL season, has performed 77 profession video games, registering 173 tackles together with 29 sacks. However he was restricted to seven video games in 2023, whereas recovering from accidents sustained a yr earlier. The 6-foot-2, 290-pound import is a three-time East Division all-star and received a Cup with Toronto.

“I’m excited and anxious for each sport,” Wynn stated. “I’m excited to lastly be capable to struggle individuals. We smother individuals. It’s a high-effort, highly-violent defence. That’s one thing I form of construct my sport round, too. It appears like residence. I’m able to go. I’ll have some goosebumps going into it.”

hzurkowsky@postmedia.com

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