Article content
Among the areas of improvement the Argonauts will be attempting to iron out this season involves finishing off drives by reaching the end zone.
advertisement 2
Article content
As much as placekicker Boris Bede stepped up during his first season in Double Blue in 2021, there were too many field goals and not enough touchdowns, which is not knock on the veteran.
Bede is as good as it gets in the CFL and could have easily been named the Boatmen’s most outstanding player.
Rewind the football calendar to last year’s East final at BMO Field. The Argos could have booked their ticket to the Gray Cup, but lack of finish by the offense ultimately led to their blowing a 12-0 halftime lead to lose to the Tiger-Cats, 27-19. All of Toronto’s points came off the right foot of Bede.
Article content
The kicker is entering his seventh season in the CFL and appears to be getting better with age.
When he’s kicking in rhythm, Bede doesn’t need any added edge to split the uprights. But, like every other kicker in the CFL, he will be afforded some extra margin with the hash marks being moved closer together.
advertisement 3
Article content
“It will be narrower,” said Bede on Saturday. “It should be to our advantage because the angles will be straighter.”
Word began to leak roughly three weeks before the start of camp — which was delayed by a labor impasse — that the new hash mark configuration would be in effect this season, one of a handful of measures designed to increase scoring.
Bede made his presence felt with the Argos all of last season. He connected on 28 of his 33 field-goal attempts and punctuated 86 times for a 44.2 average.
And while Bede will have to adjust to the new hash-mark placings on the gridiron, it should be easier for him being re-united with Mickey Donovan, the Argos’ new special teams co-ordinator.
Special teams were also inconsistent last season for the Boatmen, who had moments when kicks would be missed, punts blocked or kicks returned for a touchdown. One of the East final’s turning points came when the Ticats scored on a punt return.
advertisement 4
Article content
Donovan joins the team from Montreal where he worked with Bede for two seasons.
“Mickey knows me well,” said Bede. “He knows when I’m doing too much, he knows when I’m swinging. He’s gotten to know me quite well. He’s corrected me and here’s here whenever something goes wrong, we have to play the wind a little bit more, take it easy on the swing, you don’t have to kick as much today.
“I’m more of a kicking, kicking, kicking until the day is over. He’s more of let’s control the leg. He’s been good. He’s going to bring a lot of energy to the unit and he wants us to be the most dangerous unit in the country, which is what we’re applying and going for.
“We’re really excited to have him over and he’s a great co-ordinator. We’re going to have fun with him.”
Bede is getting his kicks.
advertisement 5
Article content
“I feel like wine,” said Bede, who turns 33 on Nov. 20, the day of this year’s Gray Cup in Regina. “A nice little Bordeaux or one of those wines that only gets better. I’m having fun.”
Special teams are always a work in progress during training camp because the lineup can’t be established until the starting offensive and defensive rosters are set.
“We’re working into it,” Bede said. “We’re easing into it. We’ve been getting the unit called a couple of times the last three days. We’re in no rush, but obviously you want to be in sync for Game 1 or even for the pre-season.
“It’s been nice and slow and steady.”
FAMILY COMES FIRST FOR CHURCHILL
Second-year offensive lineman Theren Churchill has decided to leave training camp in Guelph, and football altogether, for the time being.
advertisement 6
Article content
His girlfriend is expecting the couple’s first child and Churchill, rightfully so, has chosen family over football, a decision head coach Ryan Dinwiddie fully supports and understands.
“His mind is on home and I get it,” said Dinwiddie, a father of two boys. “He was having a tough time and we said: ‘Hey, take care of your business and we’ll welcome you when you’re ready to come back.’
“It’s unfortunate for him because he’ll miss training camp, but the kid has a bright future with us.”
Three-down football was on hold earlier this week when the league and its players association hashed out a new deal. That five-day window of non-football activity, Dinwiddie believes, allowed Churchill to take stock of his personal life from him.
advertisement 7
Article content
“I’m sure it was on his mind, thinking he’ll miss the birth,” said Dinwiddie. “I respected his decision. I would prefer he was here in camp, but at the same time we always say family first, football second.”
Churchill was at camp for one day.
“Being in a dorm for five days, you start thinking and I respect his decision,” added Dinwiddie. “We’ll see him in a bit.”
Churchill was taken ninth over by the Argos in the 2020 CFL draft, when the league canceled its season because of COVID.
He backed up in spurts last season as a rookie.
NO RUSH FOR NICASTRO
The biggest impact by a rookie offensive lineman was made by Peter Nicastro, who missed the East final loss to Hamilton because of a knee injury.
Nicastro stayed near his Calgary home to spend time with his doctor, though Dinwiddie expected him to arrive at camp on Saturday.
“We’ll be doing a lot of treatment here with our doctors,” said Dinwiddie. “We’ll slowly get him up to speed. We expect him to be our starting center. I did a great job for us last year.”
Nicastro won’t play in either of the team’s two pre-season games and, the way Dinwiddie described it, won’t be ready for the season opener, either.
“We’ll see,” the coach said. “He’s kind of aiming for that, but I might have to hold him back. We have to make sure he’s ready to go. I probably envision him (being available) a few games into the season.”
