RIDERS BEST IN THE WEST

Calgary Stampeders quarterback Henry Burris gets sacked by Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive end John Chick.
Photograph by: Troy Fleece, Leader-Post

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are the best in the West.

It's the first time since 1976 that the Roughriders have been able to make that statement at the conclusion of the regular season. The Riders clinched top spot in the CFL's West Division on Saturday with a 30-14 victory over the Calgary Stampeders before a sold-out crowd of 30,945 at Mosaic Stadium.

"It really means so much,'' Riders head coach Ken Miller said after Saturday's game. "For some of our fans to have waited 33 years, and for some of our fans who were born during that time period who have never experienced finishing first, it means a great deal to them and to our organization. It validates the direction that this organization is moving in.''

The Riders earned a berth in the West Division final, which is to be played at Mosaic Stadium on Nov. 22. They also avoided playing in Sunday's West Division semifinal. The Stampeders will play host to the Edmonton Eskimos in that contest.

Finishing first is nice but Saskatchewan's sights remain on a bigger prize -- playing in the Grey Cup in Calgary on Nov. 29.

"It's a good thing, but there is a lot yet to be done,'' said Miller. "A win in two weeks to get to the Grey Cup and then a win in the Grey Cup, that's really what we work for.''

The sixth sell-out crowd of the Riders' regular season remained long after Saturday's game to celebrate the team's accomplishment. Some players saluted the noisy crowd before heading into the locker room.
"It's huge for this organization,'' Riders fullback Chris Szarka told the Leader-Post's Ian Hamilton. "My whole career, we've never hosted a Western final -- we've hosted very few playoff games at all -- so this is a big thing for our team, it's a big thing for the city, and it's a big thing for the province.''

The Roughriders and Stampeders both finished the regular season at 10-7-1. The Riders were awarded first place by virtue of a 2-0-1 record in the season series between the two teams.
The Stampeders, who won the 2008 Grey Cup, vowed to do what they can to earn a return trip to Regina for the West final.

"We're still the defending Grey Cup champions,'' said Calgary quarterback Henry Burris. "Nobody else is the champ until the champion goes down. We will keep fighting until the end and make sure that we're back here in two weeks.''

© Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-Post