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Off-Season Forecast: Regina Thunder

By Ryan Watters (@ryan2tswatters), 07/08/19, 10:00PM PDT

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The Thunder is ready to roll into the new season

Photo courtesy of Wanda Harron Photography

The Regina Thunder finished the regular season on a three game winning streak in 2018 but had to go on the road to Edmonton for the semi-finals.   They would ultimately fall in that semi, ending their season.

They have retooled preparing for the upcoming campaign and will no doubt be challenging again for a Prairie Conference title.  They have not captured that very title since the 2013 season.  They will open the new year right back in Edmonton on August 18th when they visit the Wildcats.

What’s Changing?

The coaching staff has had a reshuffle excluding the head coach and offensive coordinator.  The reshuffle has been a role change rather than coach turnover.  Most coaches are back however head coach Scott MacAulay says “it’s exciting to see the enthusiasm of the coaches and in the same breath the team will be evolving.”  The Thunder coaches are all volunteers putting in hundreds of hours for the sake of loving the game and organization.

Key Grads:

The Thunder will be missing a pair of offensive lineman as Brayden Moroz and Chad Teskey leave behind massive shoes to fill as veteran players up front.  They rarely made a mistake on the line and helped their ground attack to be one of the most dangerous in the CJFL.

DL Matthew Williams was a key contributor for the Thunder last season combining for seven tackles, five assists and had a sack and a half.  He also had a knockdown and a fumble recovery.

What They Need:

For the Thunder in 2019 they need instant playing depth at most spots.   In the past once a player was injured the back-up player seemingly wasn’t ready to play at the CJFL level. The coaching staff is trying to solve that issue this upcoming season.

Counting On:

QB Blake Scherley:  Last season he completed 35 of 59 attempts for 493 yards and connected on six touchdown strikes.   The coaching staff will look to him to be a major contributor this season.

RB Brayden Long: To alleviate some of the pressure on a younger quarterback like Scherley, Long must have a big year to keep defenders at bay.  Last year he rumbled 85 times for 482 yards and scored five touchdowns.  

LB Davin Williamson: He was outstanding last season with a team high 41 solo tackles, second most in the Prairie Conference.  He also assisted on 18 other stops, had a sack and forced a fumble.  He will be the anchor on the defensive side this season.