'Would boost our morale': Regina Thunder looking to secure home playoff game

The Regina Thunder at practice on Thursday night. (Brit Dort / CTV News)

The Regina Thunder will host the Calgary Colts on Sunday in their final regular season game and with a win, they will secure second place in their division and a home playoff game.

“It’s super important. You don’t want to travel, you want that home playoff game. We really have to get into the right mindset and be violent out there to make sure we get it,” said linebacker, Zach Cloutier.

“Home playoff games are a big deal for our team. Aside from the idea that you get to play at home in front of your friends and family, it’s a culmination of all the hard work that we’ve been putting in over the season. It’s a reward for that,” echoed offensive coordinator, Stefan Endsin.

Heading into the final weekend of regular season action, the Saskatoon Hilltops sit atop the Prairie Conference with a perfect 7-0 record. Regina sits in second (5-2) followed by Calgary (4-3).

The Thunder dropped last weekend’s matchup versus the Hilltops, 36-11, and are eager to get back into the win column.

“Obviously the games against Saskatoon [this season] have been tough. We need to come together as a team and figure out how to get over that hump. So I think that’ll be our focus is moving forward and coming together,” said Endsin.

“[A win] would boost our morale quite a bit, and it’s much needed. Ending the season on a win would hype us up for the rest of the playoffs and hopefully give us a little bit of an edge that we need,” said running back Sadik Sadik.

Just two years ago, the Thunder were in the national championship, known as The Canadian Bowl, but came up short versus the Okanagan Sun. They have not won the coveted title since 2013. Members from the 2022 squad believe they still have it in them to get back to that title game this season.

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“I consider this one of the best teams I’ve played with honestly and I’ve been through quite a bit of change [with the Thunder]. The camaraderie honestly, just how close everybody is and the amount of effort that gets put in day in and day out,” Sadik shared.

“It’s just that experience of being there before. We’ve been there, we’ve seen it. It’s just about going out there and doing what we’ve seen works and try to make it happen,” shared quarterback, Carter Moberg.

Moberg currently leads the entire Canadian Junior Football League [CJFL] in passing yards with 1,688 in seven games.

“It’s about wins. There’s bigger things than that,” he said when asked about his personal stats.

“He’s doing pretty well but we certainly need to limit turnovers. I think we’re leading the league in interceptions too, so that’s something we need to improve,” Endsin added with a smirk.

Kickoff for Sunday’s game is slated for 1 p.m. at Leibel Field. The Thunder will recognize their fifth year players and families prior to the game.

The semi-final game will take place on Oct. 13, with a location to be determined.