Another September, another Labour Day home-and-home series between the Edmonton Elks and Calgary Stampeders. Except for the first time in more than two decades, it’s the Elks entering as the clear heavyweights. The provincial rivalry has indeed been closer in recent years – in fact, the Elks were only slightly ahead of the Stamps in the West Division standings before the annual Classic at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium just two years ago – but you’d have to go back, waaaay back, to find a gap as wide as the one heading into Monday’s clash. That was 2004, when the defending Grey Cup champion Eskimos held a six-point lead over Calgary before their traditional September showdown. Today, the Elks sit first in the West at 8-3. The Stampeders are last at 5-6. That said, the Elks aren’t paying much attention to Calgary’s record. Rush end Malik Carney knows exactly what awaits the Elks’ defence against the CFL’s highest-scoring offence. Running back Dedrick Mills ranks second in the league with 874 rushing yards, five receivers have topped 350 receiving yards, and short-yardage quarterback Quincy Vaughn leads the team with eight touchdowns. “This team that we’re about to face, you can’t look at their record,” Carney said Wednesday after practice as he prepared for his first Battle of Alberta since joining the Elks as a free agent this year. “They’re a really great team, so we got to come with our stuff and be ready to play.” That “stuff” includes the CFL’s top-ranked defence led by Carney, along with Edmonton’s own collection of offensive weapons: dual-threat running back Justin Rankin and his league-best 1,300 all-purpose yards, receiver Austin Mack’s 892 receiving yards (fifth in the CFL), and quarterback Cody Fajardo’s 3,300 passing yards (fourth). The Elks are coming off a bye week and returned to practice Tuesday, looking to shake off any rust before heading to Calgary while building on the momentum of back-to-back wins. Fajardo said getting “back into rhythm” is a priority. “Labour Day is a different beast,” Fajardo told reporters Tuesday. “(It’s) as close as you’re going to get to a playoff atmosphere, so we’ve got to make sure we’re on our P’s and Q’s, and continue to get into that rhythm that we went into the bye week with.” The Stampeders lead the Labour Day series, played most years since 1949, with a record of 32-31-1. Coming and going Three players are expected to return to the Elks lineup Monday, including one who could make his season debut. Receiver Joe Robustelli, who signed with Edmonton as a free agent in February, has been a full participant in practice this week. If he plays Monday, it will be his first game action of the season. Also practising fully are offensive lineman Coulter Woodmansey, another high-profile free-agent addition who appeared in the season opener, and defensive back Royce Metchie, who has played two games this season after returning from injury before landing back on the injured list early last month. Not practising this week are running back/kick-returner Javon Leake and receiver TJ Luther.
