‘I’m excited’: Dolegala gets first-team reps as Riders prepare for B.C.

Jake Dolegala appears to be the next man up to lead the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ offence.

With injuries to Trevor Harris (knee) and Mason Fine (hamstring), the 26-year-old Dolegala is set to be the third quarterback to start for the Riders this season when they host the B.C. Lions on Sunday. Kickoff for the game is set for 5 p.m.

“I like to think that I prepared as a starter prior to this, so it’s going to be no different,” Dolegala said after Wednesday’s practice. “It’s a professional start — you grow up as a kid dreaming of it.

“Of course I’m excited.”

With so many injuries at the pivot spot, head coach Craig Dickenson admits it does pose a challenge for the offence.

Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Craig Dickenson. (File photo courtesy of the Saskatchewan Roughriders)

“The quarterbacks take time to develop rhythm and that’s something you just can’t simulate,” Dickenson said. “We’re hoping to get as much rhythm as possible with Jake and Shea (Patterson) but that just has to come with time.

“The offence, in essence, is the same. The guys know the offence, it’s just the chemistry with the receivers.”

Dolegala has spent most of the season on the practice roster but was added to the game-day rosters following Harris’ injury in a 33-31 loss on July 6 to the Calgary Stampeders.

Since then, Dolegala has thrown for 207 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The second-year CFLer has also added 11 yards and a touchdown as the team’s short-yardage option.

While the product of Hamburg, N.Y. went into a 31-13 loss to the Toronto Argonauts with the game out reach, he did lead the team’s only touchdown drive of the contest.

But after Fine went out with the injury in the second quarter of last week’s game against the Montreal Alouettes, Dolegala couldn’t muster much in the game.

He completed 11 of 20 passes for 107 yards and an interception. He did add a rushing touchdown.

“(I) always can get better. (There were) just a couple of pressure issues and I need to get the ball out quicker,” Dolegala said. “We were down so (we) had to try to make a play here and there. It didn’t happen and now we’re moving on and focused on B.C.”

Dolegala started a game in 2022 with the Riders dealing with a COVID outbreak. He completed 13 of 28 passes for 131 yards with one touchdown and one interception as the team played with a lot of backups in a 31-21 loss to the Argos.

Now heading into his second start, Dolegala said only one thing changes going from the backup to starter.

“You’ve just got to come in confident,” Dolegala said. “That’s it.”

Notes: Quarterback Antonio Pipkin joined the Riders for his first practice. The Riders traded punter Kaare Vedvik to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for the pivot … Slotback Kian Schaffer-Baker was a full participant in Saskatchewan’s practice Wednesday. He had hip surgery in the off-season and hasn’t played a game in 2023. “He’s practising so we will see how he does and see how he looks by the end of the week,” Dickenson said.