REGINA -- When the Canadian Football League game between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Calgary Stampeders was postponed due to air quality conditions on July 11, most fans went home and relaxed then headed out the following afternoon for the rescheduled contest.
University of Regina Rams' defensive back Carson Sombach and his family took a rather different approach to killing time before the new kick-off. With former Rams standout and older brother Jackson Sombach a rookie with the Stamps, he ended up bringing back-up quarterback Quincy Vaughn and long-snapper Jason MacGougan home with him -- and as one might expect, that made for a rather interesting evening.
“They didn't have enough hotel rooms for the Calgary Stampeders guys, so it was cool that my brother and a couple others got to stay at our house that night before their game,” Sombach said during a conversation with Justin Dunk. “It was nice to see them before that, but it was awesome watching them out there, doing what we dreamed of as kids, going out and playing professional football.”
So how does one kill a few hours before bedtime with a bunch of football players -- younger brothers and fellow Rams Connor and Rylar were also on hand -- hanging around?
“Dad pulled out all the old board games, we had CFL football board games,” Carson said. “We were all playing before they went to bed, so it was fun.”
Sombach and the Rams are gearing up for their 2025 Canada West season opener, which takes place on Friday at 5:30 p.m. against the University of Calgary Dinos at McMahon Stadium.
With Jackson having moved on to the pro game, that leaves three members of the Sombach family set to take the field with Regina this season, all at the position of defensive back. It’s been a unique situation and one that Carson certainly appreciates.
“It's awesome. You go to class together, you live together, you run, you watch film at home -- it's nice to always be doing the same thing,” he said. “Our lockers, I can see them all from where I'm sitting in the locker room. Football never leaves: you go home, talk about football, go to the locker room, talk about football. We're doing everything as a family, so it's good.”
That includes a whole lot of winning.
The Rams posted an 3-5 record in the 2024 regular season but got hot at just the right time, eventually defeating the Saskatchewan Huskies 19-14 to win the Hardy Cup and Canada West title.
That meant the U of R was a win away from playing for a Vanier Cup national championship, but the Rams dropped a 17-14 decision to Laval at Mosaic Stadium in the Mitchell Bowl and saw their season come to an end. As one might expect, that disappointment has acted as nothing but motivation coming into the new campaign.
“A lot of guys have really bought in,” Sombach said. “The out-of-town guys will usually go home over the summer and do their training elsewhere, but a lot of guys stayed. We probably had a lot more attendance at our runs and lifts during the summertime than we usually do, which is really good to see. We bonded really well as a team going to lifts, going to runs, doing stuff like that together.
“The environment's high. The locker room's really good. All the guys really like each other's presence and I think having that tight bond between teammates is really going to give us that extra step.”
A major key will be leaving last year’s success in the past -- a new season means new players and new tools as well as a new outlook, regardless of how things went in previous campaigns.
“We’ve got a target on our back now because we won, but because we won it last year doesn't mean anything,” Sombach said. “It's a new team, new year, so the Hardy Cup's out of the mind. We got to go do it again. Last year was last year and it's on to the next.”
Should the Rams have another successful run, it’s extremely likely Sombach will be a major part of it. The fourth-year veteran was among the team leaders with 39 tackles through the campaign, including a team-high seven in their Hardy Cup win. That resulted in the two-time academic All-Canadian earning an invite to the 2025 U Sports East West Bowl.
Regina has already seen a touch of success, taking a 31-28 win over the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg last Thursday in an exhibition game.
“I think we'll be really good again this year,” Sombach said in describing his team’s chances in the new campaign, adding that the defence hasn’t seen a whole lot of turnover outside Jackson Sombach and standout linebacker Cameron Mah.
“Those are tough spots to fill and I think we filled them well. We had a lot of guys who were young with good depth who are athletes, I think they're going to come in and do a great job filling those spots. I think you're going to see the same thing this year as you did last year, maybe better.”
The Rams return to Regina after playing Calgary and prepare for their home opener, which has them taking on the University of Alberta Golden Bears on Friday, September 5 at 7 p.m. from Leibel Field.
