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“I still remember the first game I went to,” he says, rewinding to 1958. “Cookie Gilchrist was playing for the Riders.

“I remember the first Regina Rams game my dad took me to. The Rams were wearing grey uniforms.”

Over the years, Kuntz saw the stadium’s west and east sides grow. He watched the end-zone seating transform from the Rider Rookies section to Pilsner Place. He can recall the days when the south-end scoreboard included an advertisement for a cigarette manufacturer, and occasions when smoke has emanated from nearby transformers — power outages being a part of Taylor Field lore.

Photo by Don Healy / Regina Leader-Post

Oh, but there was electricity — provided by Roughriders greats such as Gilchrist, Frank Tripucka, Ron Lancaster, George Reed, Hugh Campbell, Ed McQuarters, Bill Baker, Joey Walters, Kent Austin, Ray Elgaard, Bobby Jurasin, Jeff Fairholm, Kerry Joseph, Weston Dressler, John Chick, Kory Sheets and, of course, Darian Durant.

Fittingly, Durant scored the Roughriders’ final touchdown at Taylor Field, in their penultimate game at a complex that was once known as Park Hughes and Park de Young.

It is sheer coincidence that Durant is in town, as a member of the Montreal Alouettes, on a day in which there will be two happenings — his first game at the new stadium, and a controlled collapse at the old one.

Durant does not plan to be among the spectators this afternoon at what promises to be a well-attended civic event.

“I don’t want to breathe it in, because there may be too much dirt and debris. I might not make it to the game,” a chuckling Durant said Thursday at Mosaic Stadium after the Alouettes arrived in Regina. “So I’m going to lay low and make sure I’m going to be able to get out here (Friday) night and play some football.”

Not even a year ago, a gigantic photo of Durant was prominently displayed on Taylor Field’s west-side facing. It was an appropriate tribute to someone who was the victorious quarterback in the Roughriders’ ultimate home-field victory — a 45-23 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the 2013 Grey Cup game.

Photo by Don Healy / Regina Leader-Post

It goes without saying that Kuntz was there. He was also at “The Little Miracle of Taylor Field” — a classic playoff contest against the Calgary Stampeders, who also provided the opposition in the deciding game of the 1970 Western Conference final.

Kuntz was among the frostbitten fans, sitting in the north end zone. On the final play, Calgary’s Larry Robinson attempted a 32-yard field goal into a forbidding wind. Improbably, the frozen ball was blown between the uprights, and Saskatchewan’s best-ever regular season — the 1970 edition was 14-2 — was for naught.

Although Kuntz could not have had a better view of an historic play, he would have preferred not to see it. The same mindset could very well apply Friday, when the west grandstand crumples. It will be difficult to watch, but how can he not take a look?