The Gazette from Montreal, Quebec, Canada • 18

ilnl.l B6 THE GAZETTE, MONTREAL, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1997 SPORTS PROVINCIAL GRID WARS Football CFL PLAYOFFS Esks expect tough going Rougiiriders no underdogs heading into Western final CFL helps black QBs REG CURREN Canadian Press I IAN MacDONALD The Gazette S. 'Zr' 1 EDMONTON Edmonton Eskimos veteran Rod Connop won't be looking at the Saskatchewan Roughriders as underdogs when he takes to the field for today's Canadian Football League Western final. Never mind the fact that the Eskimos won two of three regular-season games against the Roughriders or that Edmonton finished first in the West and has spent the past two weeks sitting at home, healing injuries and resting up. Connop, now in his 16th season as an offensive lineman with the Eskimos, said yesterday that the Roughriders make him nervous especially Warren Moon started out as a backup this season with the Seattle Seahawks, so the fact he's in the upper half among National Football League quarterbacks in completed passes and touchdown passes is remarkable. Even more so when you consider that Moon will turn 41 next month.

Had Moon not spent the first six seasons of his professional career with the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League, it is reasonable to suggest he would be a landslide first-ballot selec after Saskatchewan rolled over the heavily favoured Calgary Stampeders in last week's semi-final. "I don't agree they're underdogs, you just have to look what happened between these two teams this season there's no way you can say we're a favourite," said Connop, 38, who will play in his 303rd CFL game today tion for the NFL's Hall of Fame. Going into today's game against the San Diego Chargers, Moon had completed passes for 46,059 yards. That is good enough for fifth place on the all-time list, with only Miami's Dan Marino and Denver's John Elway having more among active QBs. If you add in the 21,228 yards worth of completions and 144 TDs passes Moon had while leading the Eskimos to (3:45 p.m..

CBC). "We beat them in two games where they could have Rod Connop is feeling nervous. Damon Allen earns praise. PIERRE OBENDRAUF, GAZETTE LaSalle Warriors' Jason Christie pulls down North Shore Lions' David Timmins (27) during yesterday afternoon's provincial bantam Triple-A championship game at Molson Stadium. The Lions won 41-6.

In other championship action, A Ma Baie Falcons of Pierrefonds piled up the points to bomb the Greenfield Park Packers 60-34, capturing the atom crown. Als loading up on defence in bid to dethrone champs ALOUETTES Continued from Page Bl has isolated themselves from those who would doubt and distract them. "We have battled an identity crisis since we started in Montreal and we've used it as a motivational factor," Petersen said. "We've accomplished a lot and deserve respect. Toronto is fallible, like any team." The Als have loaded up on defence in an attempt to dethrone the champs.

With linebacker Tracy Gravely out with a concussion, defensive-back Mark Washington has been activated, giving Montreal two extra players in the secondary. Charlie Gordon, the other, will likely play extensively as the Als present different defensive pack But it might also have awakened a sleeping giant. The Argos have had two weeks to ruminate about their rare loss. "I have never felt any better going into a game than I do now," Toronto head coach Don Matthews said. "We are ready to play our best football, and I'm confident we'll do that.

"No question, the loss had an effect on this team. Every time we lose it has an effect. There's easily beaten us, that's how close they were and in the one game that wasn't close they won. That causes us a lot of concern." Edmonton won by scores of 24-18 and 37-34. while the Roughriders were 29-15 victors when the teams last met.

Connop said Saskatchewan, which is likely to have significant fan support among a crowd that's expected to push past 35,000, seems to match up wrell against the Eskimos. "For whatever reason, Saskatchewan plays the Edmonton Eskimos very tough," said Connop. TWO-WEEK LAYOFF Another worry for Connop is how the Eskimos will handle the two-week layoff the team has just gone through and that five of the last seven teams to in the West in the regular season have failed to make it into the Grey Cup. "You think (the layoff) is a positive when you're starting into it," said Connop. "But now that we've been through it and we're coming up to the game there is some I hope that week off isn't going to haunt "We're not dwelling on it, but the reality is there's some thought given to there might be something to the week off creating a little rust." A rusty Edmonton team is precisely what the Roughriders are hoping to encounter in the early stages of the game, allowing them to score early and establish their tempo much like they did against Calgary in the West semi-final.

DEFENCE ON HEELS The Roughriders dominated on ball possession and managed a field goal on their first drive to put the Stampeders defence on their heels. Saskatchewan quarterback Reggie Slack, who rushed for more than 100 yards against Calgary and scored the winning touchdown, said a quick start is crucial for the Roughriders. "For some teams a week layoff can be detrimental." said Slack. "Naturally, Edmonton is rested and they're prepared to go. But there's still, I'm sure, that fear that there's been too long off between playing from their last game.

"It's going to be interesting to see how they come out. I think the guys in this locker room are ready to play." ages. Stefen Reid replaces Gravely. He'll be joined by Rahsaan Giddings, as the Als go with two Canadian inside linebackers. Offensively, it would be ludicrous to expect Pringle to en "We've accomplished a lot and deserve respect.

Toronto is fallible, like any team A louettes DE Doug Petersen renewed dedication after a loss. That's one of the great character things about our team. We don't enjoy that feeling of losing." Although it has been 51 weeks since the Argos trounced Montreal 43-7 in last season's division final, the memory remains joy the same success he had last week, against B.C., when he set a playoff record with 264 yards rushing. That means quarterback Tracy Ham will pass more often and the Alouettes must be versatile offensively, while diffusing the Toronto blitz package. "We know we're a good team and we believe in one another." slotback Chris Armstrong said.

"We've come through everything together. "We needed to learn to play our collective souls, and that's what the team has done. We understand that collectively, we can be a force. But individually, we're nothing." resonant. Mike demons returned the opening kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown that day, and it was all downhill for the Als from there.

"I remember getting my ass whupped in humiliation," defensive-end Doug Petersen said. "I don't know if you ever get over that as an athlete. It's always in the back of your mind." There are many in the media who don't take this Montreal team seriously. Alouettes players have used that as their rallying cry and are determined that Toronto won't run roughshod over them two consecutive seasons. This is a group that believes in themselves.

This is a group that an unmatched five consecutive Grey Cup wins, he is all by himself as far as pro players are concerned. Moon didn't choose to play in the CFL because he wasn't good enough for the NFL. Instead, he came to Canada after a brilliant career at the University of Washington because he wanted to be a quarterback, and blacks didn't get that chance 20 years ago in the NFL And that situation hadn't changed much seven years later. In his stirring autobiography Marcus, Kansas City Chiefs running-back Marcus Allen talks about his brother, Damon, the B.C. Lions' QB, this way: "Damon, my younger brother, has been matching or bettering me all his life.

While I quarter-backed Lincoln High (San Diego) to the championship, he did it twice. While 1 was on a national championship football team at USC, he pitched Cal State Fullerton to the college World Series championship. "Though the L.A. Rams expressed interest in Damon as a running back, he made it clear he would play professionally as a quarterback or not at all. "Damon is proud of the fact I played on a Super Bowl championship team and was the game's MVP but is quick to point out he quarterbacked the Eskimos to two Grey Cup titles and was MVP both times." Speaking of Marcus Allen, that might not have been the prettiest pass one will ever see, but the game-winning TD completion he threw to wide-receiver Danan Hughes in the Chiefs' 13-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers Monday night was thoroughly effective.

"It didn't have to be a spiral, it just had to be a touchdown," Allen said. The NFL's all-time rushing TD leader, Allen has completed 11 passes in his career -five for touchdowns. With his 163-yard effort last week, Oakland Raiders wide-receiver Tim Brown recorded his fourth 150-yard receiving game of the season. He needs one more to tie the NFL record, which is shared by Roy Green (St. Louis Cardinals, 1934) and Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers, 1995).

Brown is the favourite and best of QB Jeff George's targets. When New York Giants fans watch uneasily as the Tennessee Oilers' Eddie George eats up yardage through the middle of their defence today (4 p.m., Fox), they should watch the guy leading the way More often than not it's centre Mark Stepnoski, who has won Pro Bowl honours for five straight years, even though he's the smallest starting offensive lineman in the league at 6-foot-2 and 269 When Jacksonville's James Stewart ran for five touchdowns in a 38-31 win over Philadelphia a few weeks ago, he became only the fourth player in pro-football history to perform the feat The last to do it was onetime CFL star Cookie Gilchrist, who scored five in a game when he was with Buffalo of the American Football League in 1963. In Canada, Earl Lunsford rushed into the end zone five times for the Calgary Stampeders against the Eskimos on Sept. 3, 1992. One of the ties that binds running-backs Thurman Thomas of the Buffalo Bills and Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions seems certain to end this season.

Each player has rushed for at least 1,000 yards for eight consecutive seasons. Sanders will stumble past that milestone today, but Thomas, happily sharing the rushing role in Buffalo with rookie Antowain Smith, will not. Thomas and Sanders were teammates at Oklahoma State in the mid-'80s. How good were they then? From 1984 to 1988, when it had one or both of them, Oklahoma State won almost three of every four games it played. Since then, the school hasn't been able to win one of every four.

Bills' All Pro defensive-end Bruce Smith led the team (along with Canadian kicker Steve Christie, who booted three field goals) to their 9-6 win over the Miami Dolphins last week despite a cracked bone spur in his right knee that has bothered him all season. Said the 1996 defensive player of the year: "When you're hurt like I am, you don't have the same faith in your pass-rush moves. You're worried that your leg might not be able to take it. Now. I'm using my left leg more than I should.

It's playing mind games with me." Nevertheless, Smith has 9 sacks in rf.ne games. Als-Argos tilt has Grey Cup feel SCOUTING REPORT TORONTO Is it the real Grev Cup? Today's Eastern Division final between Montreal and Toronto is being billed in some circles as precisely that, since it brings together the two teams with the CFL's best records. The defending Grey Cup champion Argonauts finished 15-3, while the Als w'ere 13-5. Als head coach Dave Ritchie said lak. It's difficult for any centre to snap the ball and then block.

Field position and which hash mark the ball is on dictates when Montreal will attempt a block, Spurgeon explained. "That's where the mental game comes in," he said. "Do they expect us to go for the block?" IN THE TRENCHES: Als right-guard Mark Dixon believes the bat ALOUETTES AT TORONTO ARGONAUTS, 12:45 P.M. (CBC, RDS, CIQC Radio-600) OFFENSIVE KEYS: RB Mike Pringle, the CFL rushing leader this season, set a league playoff record last week against British Columbia, running for 264 yards. Much of that yardage was accumulated over the right side, held down impeccably by Mark Dixon and Neal Fort.

QB Tracy Ham passed only 13 times against the Lions, completing nine. His favourite receivers this season were a pair of slotbacks Chris Armstrong and Jock Climie. They caught lb9 passes collectively for 2,625 yards, while scoring 18 of the Als ALOUETTES NOTEBOOK 2b receiving touchdowns. Where do we begin with the Argos? For starters, QB Doug it's time for the league to change its playoff format. His suggestion: give the teams with the two best records, regardless of divisions, a first-round bye.

Have the next four teams with the best records tle between Montreal's offensive line and the Argos defensive front ill determine today's winner. "No doubt, who wins up front will win the game," he said, "because their whole idea Flutie was the league's top-rated HERB ZURKOWSKY passer. He threw for 5,505 yards and 47 touchdowns. SB Derrell Mitchell caught 77 passes for 1.457 yarde and scored 17 TDs. RB Robert Drummond rushed for 1,134 yards and 12 TDs, while adding 840 yards and six TDs through the air.

Mike demons led the league in all-purpose yards, with 3,840. DEFENSIVE KEYS: Montreal rush-end Elfrid Payton was outstanding last week against the Lions, scoring a touchdown, causing a fumble, recording a sack and a hit for a loss. Payton led the CFL this season, with 14 QB sacks. "He's probably the best pass-rusher in the league," said Toronto head coach Don Matthews. "He has the ability to disrupt an offence's rhythm." CB Doug Craft, who led the Als with five interceptions, recovered a fumble for a TD against B.C.

The Argos led 22 of 25 defensive categories compiled by league statisticians. FS Lester Smith led Toronto, with six interceptions, including one TD. DB Johnnie Harris and CB Adrion Smith each had five interceptions. DT Andrew Stewart had eight QB sacks, while LB Reggie Givens had three forced fumbles. ROSTER CHANGES: Montreal LB Tracy Gravely will miss the game after suffering a concussion against B.C.

He has been replaced by Stefen Reid. Reid will team with Rahsaan Giddings, giving the Als two Canadians starting inside LBs. Replacing Gravely on the roster is reserve DB Mark Washington. Toronto LB Marcello Simmons, nursing an ankle injury, will be replaced by Eric Johnson, a reserve LB. ETCETERA: Toronto has won five of the last six games between the teams, including last season's division final, 43-7.

But the Als won the regular-season finale, two weeks ago, by five points in Montreal. Hero Zurkowsky meet in semi-finals. Had that format been used this season, the Als likely would be playing host to Edmonton today a team that beat Montreal twice in 1997. GOING FOR THE TRIFECTA: The last two times these teams have met. the Argos had punts blocked.

It marked the first time in almost two years that phenomenon occurred to a Toronto team. Coincidentally, Bruno Heppell, a rookie reserve running back, blocked them both. On the latter, in the regular-season finale, he also recovered the ball for a touchdown, providing the Alouettes with the go-ahead touchdown and the game's turning point "To me, as a special-teams coach." said Scott Spurgeon, "a blocked punt is the biggest thing that could happen in a game." What is the Als' secret? They'll frequently put 11 men on the line of scrimmage and go for the block. That puts a man Heppell in this case on Toronto centre tyke Kise- is to bring pressure and speed upon the offence." The Als must eliminate that pressure, providing quarterback Tracy Ham with that extra split-second to complete a pass. "By coming after us.

they've got to give something up." Dixon said. "The key is to make them take chances. If they get hurt, they won't take as manv chances." BUSY WINTER AHEAD: Ten Alouettes potentially could be playing their final game for Montreal today Quarterback Marvin Graves, slotbacks Chris Armstrong and Jock Climie, offensive linemen Uzooma Okeke and Bruce Beaton, defensive backs Irv Smith and Harold Nash, linebacker Stefen Reid, rush-end Elfrid Payton and defensive-end Swift Burch all become free-agents this winter. An 11th player, injured linebacker Paul Randolph, also is at the end of his contract. Some of them Payton, Nash and Armstrong in particular j-e ex- pected to try out for NFL teams.

"Yeah. I've thought about the fact that it could be my last game." said Armstrong, who undoubtedly will have more to say on the subject at a later date. ODDS AND ENDS: On the same day that Montreal fullback Michael Soles turned 31. Ritchie and his ife. Sharon, celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary.

Toronto quarterback Doug Flutie has been suffering from a cold and sore throat this week. Toronto head coach Don Matthews said it won affect his performance..