All good things must come to an end.
The Stampeders will miss the post-season for the first time in 20 years, bringing their playoff streak to an end at 18 straight appearances.
It was made official following a 32-15 loss to the BC Lions (8-8) combined with a Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-7-1) 28-24 win over the Edmonton Elks (5-11) on Saturday.
It’s new territory for fans and players alike, including veteran linebacker Cameron Judge who will miss competing in November for the first time in his career.
“It’s definitely a new feeling,” he admitted. “I’m still getting used to it, even today.”
“I’ll be honest, yeah, it’s tough when you’re playing basically for nothing but you’re still playing for your pride, and you still want to win.
“It’s a weird feeling for sure, but I’m just coming out here to practice like I would any other week and trying to become an even better player.”
Obviously, the ultimate goal in any sport is always to win the championship at the end of the season and it’s easy to toss a bad year into the trash when you fall short.
But even seasons full of disappointment and frustration can lead to growth and development going forward.
“(There’s) no wasted seasons,” said Judge. “I spent the whole year on the bench in Toronto, but I felt I was able to become a better player through practicing hard and preparing like I’m going to play each and every week and treating each week like it was a championship game.
“You got to take advantage of the three weeks of practice we have left and just try to become the best player possible.”
The Red and White will fight to the final whistle, with their next outing a Thanksgiving edition of the Battle of Alberta when the Elks come to town for a matinee this Saturday. Kickoff for the provincial tilt goes at 1 p.m.
Then the club will wrap up the year with back-to-back games on the road, first against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and then finally against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
