The Saskatchewan Roughriders will take the field Saturday against the British Columbia Lions in the CFL West Division semi-final and mark their return to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.

“It’s bonus football. Sometimes you don’t get a chance to do that and it’s really fun to be able to come out here and play this week,” exclaimed quarterback Trevor Harris.

Harris has plenty of playoff experience since joining the league in 2012, but this will be his first time as a member of the Roughriders.

“I’m excited about who we’re playing, who we’re playing in front of and that we get to play this week. Last year, at this time, I wasn’t sure if I would ever have the chance to play again. Here I am healthy, ready to play,” Harris said, referring to the injury that ended last season and the team missing the playoffs.

The two-time Gray Cup champion is already channeling his playoff mindset.

“I think sometimes people tend to overprepare and try harder. You grip the bat tighter, maybe you’re starting to get a little nervous. But for me, it’s about trusting my preparation that I’ve done all year, trusting our game plan, and I feel like we’re building something special,” Harris said.

However, the team reflected on its 27-12 loss to the Calgary Stampeders in the final week of the regular season. Even though Winnipeg won their game earlier in the day, ultimately leading to a meaningless game in the standings against Calgary, and the Riders were playing with the majority of their replacements, the team still wasn’t happy to end up with a loss before the playoffs.

“This is not how you want to end.” But we’ve cleared it out and we’re moving forward this week. From a coach and player perspective, that’s the focus now. You have to move forward because we are fortunate to be in this situation now,” said head coach Corey Mace.

One member of the team moving forward with a brand new look is AJ Ouellette, who debuted his new hairstyle in practice on Tuesday. The running back was known for his long blonde locks, but they were dyed brown for the playoffs.

“I just wanted to change some things, bring some energy to the playoffs. My hair was dark when I won the cup, so I’m bringing it back,” he smiled.

Ouellette was part of the 2022 Gray Cup champion Toronto Argonauts, as was coach Mace. Both men were asked to think about what it takes to be a champion and how they can help a team that hasn’t won the Gray Cup in over a decade.

“We tell young people: ‘Lean on someone who has already been there.’ I shared with my running backs that there would be ups and downs. You can’t just put your head down if you make mistakes, keep going, lock in and bring that energy,” he said.

“I think it’s about the ultimate trust in each other and that everyone will do their job and be the best at what they do. We always preach to selfish people to be selfless, to focus on being the best at their job and to know that the man next to you is doing the same,” Mace explained.