Late-game excitement leads Stamps to victory

CFL.ca Staff

CALGARY — Anyone who watches CFL football knows that the last three minutes of the game are usually the most exciting and that was exactly the case on Thursday night.

It came down to the wire between the Montreal Alouettes and Calgary Stampeders as Rene Paredes broke the tie with under a minute left on the clock, giving the Stampeders a 30-27 victory at McMahon Stadium.

“First of all, what a game,” Stampeders quarterback Jake Maier told TSN’s Sara Orlesky after the contest. “What a game. All three phases. We played up and down at times on all three phases but we were resilient at the end and that’s why you play the game.

“It comes down to the last few moments, really a few key plays at the end. Obviously we forced turnovers today, we had good special teams, we blocked a kick. We made the plays when we needed to. As for me, I always say, whenever my number is called, I’ll be ready.”

Maier’s number was called late in the fourth quarter when Stampeders starting quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell left with an apparent injury. With Mitchell on the sidelines, and the score tied at 27, it was all in the hands of Maier to move his team into scoring position. After both teams traded punts, Maier moved the chains and was able to help set up Paredes’ game-winning field goal.

“It’s great to put on a great show in front of our fans,” Maier said of the victory at McMahon. “Just having their support but the CFL season, as you know, it’s a marathon of a season. We’ll celebrate this one tonight, we have a nice long weekend, (we’ll) be able to catch up and watch other teams play. (We’ll) take it for what it’s worth, it’s one game and we could play better and we will.”

Fans at McMahon were treated to an exciting game from their home team and were treated to big plays from all three phases. Running back Ka’Deem Carey scored two rushing touchdowns while defensive lineman Mike Rose blocked field goal and hauled in an interception. Linebacker Jameer Thurman also got in on the action, picking off a pass himself.

“We faced adversity really early but we stuck together,” Carey told TSN’s Orlesky. “We knew our talent, we knew what we could do and we went out there and we played as a family and got the win.”

Next up for the Stampeders is a trip East to take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday night. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. ET at Tim Hortons Field.

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