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A28 - North Shore News - Sunday, July 7, 2013
YOUR NORTH SHORE GUIDE to THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY
A tale of two Dukes
Watt kicking it big time while rookie Palmer faces “retirement”
Andy Prest aprest@nsnews.com
A pair of North Vancouver football players on very similar life paths finally went spinning off in different directions this past month, punctuated by events surrounding the CFL regular season opener between Hamilton and Toronto last week.
Scan this page with the Layar app to see video of Spencer Watt breaking down his unique catch-kick combination as well as Bo Palmer scoring a historic touchdown for SFU.
Both Spencer Watt and Bo Palmer starred for head coach Jim Schuman’s Windsor Dukes in high school and both played for Simon Fraser University before getting drafted into the Canadian Football League. Watt, a receiver, went in the third round of the 2010 draft photo Toronto Argonauts to the Argonauts while Palmer, a running back, went in the NORTH Vancouver native Spencer Watt kicks a convert for the Toronto Argonauts in their home opener against fifth round to the Tiger-Cats Hamilton. Normally a receiver, Watt was forced into the kicking game after starter Swayze Waters got hurt. in 2012. The two were slated to reunite on the field in yards — but he had no faith in my leg, so we went for ‘Oh yeah, Swayze’s not going to kick the ball. It’s me.’” Toronto’s home opener June 28 but only one of them it on third down.” Watt took a simple one-step approach on the The Argos, in fact, did end up calling on Watt on made it onto the Rogers Centre turf. That would be Watt, and the fourth-year pro not only suited up, he the next play but it was to score six points rather than convert and knocked it through. It wasn’t the most just three. The speedy receiver ran a corner route and beautiful kick ever, but it went in. stole the show. “We actually were practicing a little bit the past With the Argos trailing 34-25 in the third quarter, Ray found him a couple of yards into the end zone. Watt hauled in a 50-yard pass to put the Boatmen in When he saw the coverage the Tiger-Cats were in, couple of weeks trying to get my footing down,” said Watt. “I (always) thought I could kick but I never scoring position. Two plays later, however, the drive Watt knew he could beat his man to the corner. “I just figured that Rick being Ricky, he would see actually figured I’d be doing it on a pro level.” remained stalled on the 20-yard line. Normally in The Argos then scored again on their next that situation a team would take the field goal but it and throw it,” he said. “I just ran as fast as I could the Argos lost Swayze Waters, their only kicker, to once I saw it in the air. I actually lost the ball in the possession to take a 39-34 lead that survived some injury on the opening kickoff of the second half. The lights — there’s a little split second where I kind of tense moments down the stretch to stand up as the look surprised . . . I kind of hesitated when I couldn’t emergency kicker was none other Mr. Spencer Watt. “(Head coach) Scott Milanovich looked at me, we see the ball and then readjusted once I saw it.” See Hip page 29 There was still, however, the matter of made eye contact and I thought he was going to let me kick the field goal,” Watt said in an entertaining the extra point. “I scored the touchdown, all the hoointerview posted on the Argos’ website following the game. “I wanted to kick it, I think it was like 25 or 30 rah-rah. I looked back and then was like,
photo Toronto Argonauts
photo Ron Hole/SFU Athletics
SPENCER Watt hauls in a touchdown pass. The multi-talented Windsor secondary grad kicked the convert for his own TD, helping the Argos to a big win.
BO Palmer gets airborne for SFU. An injury forced Palmer to “retire” before playing a single CFL snap.