Riley’s day – Huskies OL goes seventh overall to Roughriders

Mattland Riley will be looking to open up huge holes for the Roughriders.

    Mattland Riley will become the latest to live out the Saskatchewan football dream, and he totally deserves that opportunity.

    On Thursday, the Melfort, Sask., product and left guard with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team was selected in the first round and seventh overall by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL Draft. 
    Riley’s selection helps the Huskies uphold their reputation as “O-line U” as the storied U Sports program has a history of sending numerous offensive linemen to the Canadian professional ranks over the years.

    The 23-year-old becomes the latest player to go on the journey of growing up in a smaller Saskatchewan learning the game of football there, moving on to the university ranks and finding his way to the province’s CFL team.

    Riley, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 300 pounds, played high school football in the nine-man ranks with his hometown Melfort and Unit Comprehensive Collegiate Comets before joining the Huskies in the U Sports ranks.

    Over the past two seasons, Riley piled up the individual accolades with the Huskies.

Mattland Riley has been an elite pass protector.

    In 2018, Riley was a Canada West all-star and a second team U Sports all-Canadian all-star. He helped the Huskies win the Hardy Cup as Canada West Conference champions.

    In 2019, Riley was again named a Canada West all-star and a first team U Sports all-Canadian all-star. The Huskies finished second in the Canada West Conference with a 5-3 record and advanced to the Hardy Cup title game falling 29-4 to the eventual U Sports champions and Vanier Cup winners in the University of Calgary Dinos.

    Riley, who has used four years of U Sports eligibility, has all the physical tools to succeed at the professional level. He is really skilled at using his hands to tie up the hands and arms of on-rushing defensive linemen.

    The engineering major has smarts too.

    On top of all that, Riley is pretty down to earth, easy going and enjoys each day as it comes. He is pretty humble and never likes to have himself put in front of his teammates as individual awards pile up.

    When he arrives with the Roughriders, he is going to find he has a lot in common personality wise with veteran star offensive left guard in Brendon LaBatte, who grew up in Weyburn, Sask. The main difference between the two is LaBatte likes to race fast stock cars and does that as a hobby.

    Riley is one who legitimately puts the team first. He knows that if the team succeeds he will ultimately find success.

Mattland Riley, right, was a first team U Sports all-Canadian all-star.

    He always notes he plays along with some really good guys on the Huskies offensive line.

Riley will also get to renew some old football ties and seen an old friend when he begins working out with the Roughriders.

    In late November, the Roughriders signed offensive lineman and fellow Melfort product Logan Ferland to their main roster. Ferland was on the Roughriders practice roster last season and played his fifth and final CJFL campaign at left tackle with the Regina Thunder.

    Riley and Ferland were former teammates on the Comets and will now get to reunite in the professional ranks.

    While the spectre of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hangs over the world having shutdown most walks of life in Canada, Riley has continued to work out at home turning the spare room at his place into a weight room.
    On Thursday, he got to enjoy a great day as all the hard work he has put in and continues to put in has resulted in the chance to live out the Saskatchewan boyhood dream, because he will have a chance to play for the Roughriders.

Mattland Riley, right, is at locking up a D-lineman’s hands.

    Overall, Riley was one of five Huskies player to be selected in the CFL Draft. Defensive end Nicholas Dheilly, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 230 pounds, was selected in the fifth round and 46^th overall by the defending Grey Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

    Receiver Sam Baker, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 205 pounds, was picked in the sixth round and 48^th overall by the Toronto Argonauts.

    Right tackle, Nick Summach, who stands 6-foot-8 and weighs 330 pounds, was selected in the seventh round and 57^th overall by the Edmonton Eskimos. Summach’s selection helps further cement the Huskies reputation as “O-line U.”

    Utility player Colton Klassen, who stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 200 pounds, went in the eighth round and 69^th overall to the Montreal Alouettes. Klassen made an amazing recovery from a season ending broken right leg.

    Defensive end Tom Schnitzler, who played for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds and is an alumnus of the 22-time CJFL champion Saskatoon Hilltops, was selected in the eighth round and 72^nd overall by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Schnitzler, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 245 pounds, is an accomplished long snapper too.

Mattland Riley (#55) has enjoyed being part of the Huskies O-line.

    The University of Regina Rams had two players picked in the CFL Draft.

    Offensive lineman Theren Churchill, who stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 280 pounds, went in the first round and ninth overall to the Toronto Argonauts.

    Offensive lineman Andrew Becker, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 280 pounds, was selected in the sixth round and 49^th overall.

    The British Columbia Lions traded up to get the first overall selection from the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL Draft. In a trade that was announced at the draft, the Lions sent the third and 12^th overall selections to the Stampeders for the first overall pick and 15^th overall selection.

    With the first overall pick, the Lions selected linebacker Jordan Williams, who stands 6-feet and weighs 230 pounds, from the East Carolina University Pirates football team in the NCAA Division I ranks.

CFL seeks financial aid from federal government, other notes

Will the COVID-19 pandemic crush the CFL?

    On Tuesday evening, The Canadian Press broke a story the CFL was looking to the Canadian federal government for financial assistance due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

    After The Canadian Press broke that story, it blew up on all of Canada’s mainstream media outlets. It was even covered by FOX News in the United States.

    The CFL is looking for $30-million in Canadian funds now to manage the impact COVID-19 has had on league business. The circuit is asking for additional assistance for an abbreviated regular season and up to another $120-million in Canadian funds for a completely lost season.

    In other words, the CFL is looking for $150-million in financial assistance if its nine teams are unable to play the 2020 regular season and playoffs.

    The CFL isn’t the only sports organization looking for financial assistance from a government in Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 22, the British Columbia Hockey League, which is a junior A circuit, asked the provincial government in B.C. for financial aid.

    On Tuesday, the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, which is a junior B circuit that has 19 out of its 20 located in B.C., said in a release it will be seeking financial assistance from both the B.C. provincial government and the Canadian federal government.

Will fun times like this return to Mosaic Stadium in Regina?

    On Wednesday, it came out the Canadian Premier League, which is an eight-team professional soccer league, is asking the Canadian federal government for $15-million in financial aid.

    Also on Wednesday on the profession basketball front, Devin Heroux of CBC Sports reported the Canadian Elite Basketball League is looking for a $5-million loan from the Government of Canada to help with finances.

    I have no problem with the CFL going after financial assistance from the Government of Canada. I believe the CFL is a Canadian institution that needs to be preserved.

    I could see the CFL folding if it doesn’t have a season in 2020 and doesn’t receive financial assistance.

    Actually, I do not have a problem with any sports league, sports entity or non-sports business seeking out financial assistance from the Canadian federal government of any of Canada’s provincial governments.

    In order to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, all these governments have ordered shutdowns and prevented all of these entities from doing business. The ability of any of these outlets to bring in revenue has been extremely hampered due to no fault of their own.
    It is highly unlikely any of these sports leagues, sports entities or businesses would be asking for aid if a pandemic didn’t happen. 

Will Canadians like Evan Johnson (#64) be able to show off their skill.

    If the pandemic didn’t happen, all of these entities would go on with business as usual and be healthy.

    They weren’t mismanaged, and they didn’t ask to be forced to shut down by governments.

    If you shut down the entire whole non-essential work sector in society, there will be massive consequences, and these financial aid requests are part of the consequences.

    On Wednesday, Global News national telecast said Statistics Canada had complied data with the cooperation of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and the numbers aren’t good.

    In that story, Statistics Canada said 53 per cent businesses surveyed reported revenue decreases of 20 per cent or more during the first three months of this year compared to the first three month of last year.

    Statistic Canada said one-third of businesses surveyed reported revenues dropped by 40 per cent or more during the first three months of this year compared to the first three months of last year.

    Out of the businesses surveyed, 41 per cent of businesses have been forced to lay off some employees. In the accommodation and food services sector, 24 per cent of those businesses surveyed said they have laid off all of their workers.

Will Zack Evans, right, be able to keep playing in his home city?

    I suspect if you take out what happened in January and February out of that Global News report the gloom of those numbers would be worse.

    I have no problems with sports leagues, sports entities or non-sports businesses asking for financial assistance from governments in these COVID-19 times. I also realize that there is only so much money to go around.

    Unless the governments of Canada elects to throw open the economy for business as usual, it is hard to optimistic about what could happen to these sports leagues, sports entities or non-sports businesses on the business front.

    One thing is for certain, I can’t see life in Canada returning to what it was on March 10 of this year before all the shutdowns happened until after a lengthy stretch of time passes.

• On Wednesday, Donna Spencer of The Canadian Press wrote a story that quoted a trio of people involved with the now defunct Canadian Women’s Hockey League being upset about men’s professional sports leagues asking for financial assistance. The CWHL folded on May 1, 2019 due to financial difficulties. The article quoted others who worried this will widen the gender gap in sports. Spencer’s piece can be found by clicking right here.
• On Tuesday, the 2020 Hlinka Gretzky Cup hockey tournament, which is an under-18 national team best versus best event, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hlinka Gretzky Cup was set for Aug. 3 to 8 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta.
• On Tuesday, the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede summer festival scheduled for July 22 to 25 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• On Tuesday, the Clunie-Cooper Memorial Professional Bull Riding event slated for June 12 to 13 at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• On Tuesday, it was announced the Saskatchewan Summer Games set to run July 26 to Aug. 1 in Lloydminster have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are now slated to be held in Lloydminster July 18 to 24 2021.
• On Monday, the Saskatoon Blades signed offensive defenceman Tanner Molendyk to a WHL Standard Player Agreement. The Blades selected the McBride, B.C., product in the first round and fifth overall in the WHL Bantam Draft held on April 22.
• On Wednesday, the Prince Albert Raiders signed defensive defenceman Terrell Goldsmith to a WHL Standard Player Agreement. The Raiders selected the Fort St. James, B.C., product in the first round and 15^th overall in the WHL Bantam Draft held on April 22.
• On Thursday, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team announced that 21-year-old forward and Saskatoon product Dawson Holt has committed to the team. Holt played for four and a bit seasons with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants from 2014 to 2019. Last season, he started the campaign in the WHL with the Regina Pats before joining Vernon Vipers of the British Columbia Hockey League in the junior A ranks.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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