When linebacker Kenton Effa puts on a Huskies uniform to play the Regina Rams on Saturday, he will see some familiar faces. “I lived in Regina for five years, so a lot of those guys I know pretty well and it’s exciting to go have a big game against them,” Effa said before practice at Griffiths Stadium on Tuesday. The former Regina Thunder product is familiar with the Highway 11 football rivalry, both in the university ranks and in junior football, where he once stood across from his current teammate on defence, Riece Kack, who previously played for the Saskatoon Hilltops. Both played on defence but also took the field at the same time on special teams. “Me and Kenny played against each other all three years. A lot of special-teams battles. We do chat about the similarities or just how the whole vibe was for each of us,” Kack said. “You think that those would be the guys that you hate the most, obviously them being hilltops, my biggest rivals for five years, but then you get in the same locker room and you realize football guys are football guys. You’re going to be brothers, you all come together towards a common goal,” said Effa. Effa helped bolster the Huskies defence after returning from an injury earlier this year. At one time opponents, but now in the same uniform, he and Kack are ready for the playoffs. They’re part of a Huskies defensive unit that’s been stellar for most of the season, but allowed 59 points against UBC last week. “That’s one of the most embarrassing games that I have been a part of from a defensive standpoint,” said Kack. But head coach Scott Flory said all sides of the team deserved blame for last week’s loss. “That is a team effort. It isn’t just on the defence, trust me. Offence, we can’t be going two and out. We got to control the ball. There was an interception for a touchdown to a defensive lineman. That was a pretty wild game.” Offensively, the Rams bring in the number one rushing attack while the Huskies boast the best game through the air. Both offences could see success thanks to some late help from Mother Nature, offering a nice forecast, which had Huskies coach Scott Flory smiling. “This weather in November is unbelievable, so somebody is smiling down on this province to have the forecast that we’re looking at. So it’s going to be great!” Kickoff for Saturday’s semi-final playoff game is 2 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium.
