Mark McConkey admits he has had Saturday circled on his calendar since the shortened 2021 Canada West football season was announced.

McConkey took over as coach of the program in February of 2020 after Steve Bryce stepped down, but he has had not had the opportunity to coach a regular-season game until Saturday when his team takes to the field in Winnipeg against the Manitoba Bisons.

McConkey knows his way around the Rams having been a former player and an assistant coach.   He knows the Rams way as he gets ready to lead his team into battle.

“It is a little surreal.  I was a 17-year-old kid coming in after getting recruited from Calgary.” McConkey said. “I’ve been here since 2007 straight whether it be a player or a coach.  I’ve been here more than I’ve been in Calgary.  Regina is my home now and I couldn’t be happier.  I’ve learned from a lot of guys that have come through here like Frank (McCrystal) and Bernie (Schmidt) and others like the assistants we have had like Sheldon Gray, Jeff Stusek and Sheldon Neald.  I’m looking forward to making the decisions that need to be made.

Many in Canada West feel the conference championship will go to either the Calgary Dinos or the Saskatchewan Huskies, but McConkey feels he has a team that can certainly challenge those two.

“Many have us right behind those two, but I think we are right there with those two teams.” McConkey says. “I will let other people do the talking about our team.  I just want to show people how good our team is and that starts Saturday.”

620 CKRM will have the game on Saturday afternoon starting at 1 with Mitchell Blair doing play-by-play.