Every fire needs a spark.

It can come from anywhere, but without it, it’s impossible to grow a flame.

Assistant head coach and special-teams coordinator Mark Kilam believes his unit is the kindling the Red and White can utilize to help build a red-hot offence and fiery defence.

“It’s a three-phase game,” explained Kilam, “but we’re just trying to be the spark for our offence and give our defence long fields. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

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The Stamps dropped their home opener in a 25-15 loss to the visiting Lions, only accumulating 250 yards of offence and giving up 421 yards on defence.

However, it was the third phase of the game that glowed for the Red and White.

Running back Peyton Logan opened the tilt with a 43-yard kickoff return and continued to find space throughout the night to give the homeside a shorter field to work with on offence.

Third-year punter Cody Grace booted the ball for a net of 315 yards and, with near perfect coverage on every punt, the opposition had to work with a long field for most of the game.

Although the end result didn’t turn out how they hoped, this special group is looking to maintain that success they found in week one this week in Ottawa.

Kilam, who is in his 19th year as a coach in the CFL, understands it will be a tough task against an ironclad Redblacks group, including the comeback of explosive returner Devonte Dedmon.

“You obviously respect what (Dedmon) can do, but I think as a unit they have good units over there,” said Kilam. “They’re well-coached, their personnel is good, they’ve been very successful on special teams the last few years.

“We know we’re going to have our hands full, and it’s going to be a battle.”

The last time Calgary ventured east to the Nation’s Capital was 10 months ago and head coach Dave Dickenson had to stay home due to illness. It was Kilam who took over the reins and helped orchestrate the team to a 17-3 victory in his first-ever game as an acting head coach.

Speaking of special, it’s no secret longtime kicker Rene Paredes is one of the best kickers to ever play the sport of football and that he is a future Hall-of-Famer.

At the end of the 2022 season, fans weren’t sure if the “Goat” would still be kicking it for another year, but Paredes didn’t keep them waiting long for his decision.

On Nov. 17, 2022, just six days after the Stamps’ season ended, the two-time Grey Cup champion not only announced he’d be returning for this 12th season in Red and White but that he’d be starting his firefighting career as well.

Since then, there have been no days off for the veteran kicker. When he’s not on the turf kicking footballs through the uprights, he’s busy working at the firehall.

It became official on March 30 as Paredes and the rest of the City of Calgary Fire Department 2023-1 graduating class finished off their training. The group was welcomed in the locker-room at McMahon and even brought the firetruck out in front of the Stampstron.

Congratulations to Rene and the rest of the City of Calgary Fire Department’s graduating class of 2023-1! 👏🚒 pic.twitter.com/cXN6e9wsge

— Calgary Stampeders (@calstampeders) March 30, 2023

It seems as though every other week the 38-year-old is breaking another CFL record or hitting a career milestone, both on the field and off.

This week is no different.

Paredes is just three field goals away from making 500 in his career, something he could very well accomplish Thursday evening.

It’s hard to predict that you’ve met a future CFL legend, but Kilam still remembers when Paredes first arrived on the scene in Cowtown back in 2011.

“I don’t think you ever foresee it,” Kilam admitted, “I think that the things that you do see are the ways that they approach every day, the type of professional that they are on and off the field, and that’s what you saw right away (with Rene).

“The other thing that he has is he’s cold as ice. He’s been the same guy his entire career. His first kick was a fifty-yarder, and it was late in the game and he hadn’t done anything the whole game. He’s been the same guy since then.”

The coach’s words are true. Last Thursday night, Paredes missed his first two field-goal attempts, an anomaly for all Calgary faithful watching the game. But, with ice in his veins, the veteran shook it off and knocked the next three kicks through, including a 52-yarder.

Keep your eyes on the fireman throughout the season, Paredes is set to play in his 200th game on July 30 in his hometown of Montreal and is also 47 points away from hitting 2,000 points in his career.