Breakout returner Trey Vaval to start in battered Blue Bombers secondary against Redblacks

Photo courtesy: Winnipeg Blue Bombers

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have promoted rookie returner Trey Vaval to a starting role at boundary cornerback following yet another injury to their secondary.

The 24-year-old native of Blue Springs, Mo. has seen action at cornerback in each of the team’s past three games, though he’s yet to make a start. In Week 8, he took the place of a benched Marquise Bridges at field-side cornerback, then he replaced an injured Jamal Parker in Week 9. Last week, he took over at boundary cornerback from Terrell Bonds, who announced on Tuesday that he’s out for the season due to a knee injury.

Vaval has made nine defensive tackles and three special teams tackles through eight career CFL games but has become a household name due to his work as a returner. The five-foot-eleven, 163-pound speedster leads the CFL with 528 punt return yards, ranks fourth with 457 kickoffs return yards, and has two return touchdowns.

With Bonds being moved to the six-game injured list, the Blue Bombers have promoted rookie defensive back Cam Allen to the active roster. The six-foot-one, 195-pound native of Bluefield, Va. was a standout at Purdue University where he made 203 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, 13 interceptions, 31 pass knockdowns, four forced fumbles, and one blocked kick over 56 games. He has been listed as the backup safety behind Redha Kramdi.

The rest of Winnipeg’s roster remains unchanged following last week’s loss to the Calgary Stampeders, during which the team struggled offensively in the second half. Zach Collaros completed 21-of-26 pass attempts for 214 yards and one touchdown, though almost half that yardage went to running back Brady Oliveira as Kevens Clercius, the team’s leading receiver, managed only 32 yards.

Players who remain on Winnipeg’s one-game injured list include running back and returner Peyton Logan, offensive lineman Micah Vanterpool, defensive lineman Cameron Lawson, and defensive back Jamal Parker. Those who remain on the six-game injured list include receivers Kody Case and Dalton Schoen, offensive lineman Eric Lofton, linebacker Lane Novak, and defensive backs Bonds and Enock Makonzo.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (4-4) will host the Ottawa Redblacks (3-6) at Princess Auto Stadium on Thursday, August 14 with kickoff slated for 8:30 p.m. EDT. The Redblacks are coming off a 46-42 win over the Toronto Argonauts, while the Blue Bombers suffered a walk-off loss to the Calgary Stampeders.

The weather forecast in Winnipeg calls for a high of 29 degrees with a 60 percent chance of showers and a risk of a thunderstorm. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on TSN 1200 in Ottawa and 680 CJOB in Winnipeg.