Regina Thunder

Reid Quest spent most of Monday in a fog.

Earlier in the morning, the Regina Thunder quarterback learned he would miss the rest of the Prairie Football Conference season with a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee, an injury he suffered in the third quarter of Sunday's 38-18 loss to the Edmonton Wildcats.

Quest is to spend the next six weeks with a brace on his leg and is likely two months away from being able to resume training.

"It feels like a dream," said Quest, who had a hopeful outlook immediately after Sunday's game. "This is the first real injury I've had. It's tough because it's still fresh in my mind. I was pretty crushed when I heard the news because I thought, worst-case scenario, I'd have to miss next game and be back for the playoffs.

"I wanted to be with my teammates in the last game. I wanted to be with my teammates in the playoffs. I wanted another shot at (the) Saskatoon (Hilltops, Regina's likely first-round opponent). I wanted to go back to their field and was anxious to play them again. I was anxious to play even the Vancouver Island (Raiders) team that everyone is talking about being so good. This (Thunder) team has the capabilities of going out there and playing the best team in B.C. because that's where the Canadian Bowl is this year. I just wanted to be a part of that."

The responsibility of leading the Thunder into Sunday's regular-season finale and into the post-season now falls to backup quarterback Wyatt Catley who, like Quest, is in his third season with the Thunder.

"I've been working as hard as he has and I think I'm ready to do the job," said Catley. "I don't have the game experience, but I've been here, I've been in the practices, seen the film and I think I can do a good job. I guess time will tell."

Quest still leads the league with 2,018 passing yards and 18 touchdown passes and may well finish the season as the leader in both categories.

"He's a competitor, he wants to play and for a kid to not be able to play -- considering how hard he has worked -- it is devastating," said Regina head coach Erwin Klempner. "Obviously he'll work hard and try to rebound for next year. But for him, personally, I know it's very disappointing."

At the same time, however, there is plenty of confidence in Catley to fill Quest's shoes. In limited action this season, the Usher grad is 16-for-30 for 223 yards with two touchdown passes (including a 75-yarder to Jay Smith on Sunday) and two interceptions.

"We're fortunate we've got a chance he can play a whole other game, get better and carry that into the playoffs," said Klempner.