Bombers-Riders close games in LDW memorable moments
TORONTO — OK Tire Labour Day Weekend always delivers when it comes to football entertainment and excitement.
This year is no exception with three rivalry-games offering plenty of intrigue – and history – between division foes looking to claim bragging rights for the next year.
We also have the BC Lions joining the party as they travel to Montreal to take on the Alouettes on Saturday, reenacting a matchup that has offered plenty of good football on both sides of the ball in past Labour Day Weekend matchups.
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Sunday will feature the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders who have finished within two points of each other in two of the last three Labour Day Classics.
Monday’s doubleheader features the Toronto Argonauts entering this year’s game with bragging rights for the first time since 2014, while the Tiger-Cats lead the all-time series. The final game of the day and weekend will have the black-wearing Stampeders facing the Edmonton Elks with the series tied 30-30-1.
CFL.ca takes you back to some of these memories as we prepare to enjoy a weekend ready to create new ones:
The legend continued to grow
Montreal 30, BC 25
Aug. 31, 2012
Calvillo had his eight straight 300-yard game on Labour Day Weekend against the Lions (The Canadian Press)
Anthony Calvillo threw for over 300 yards for the eight straight game as the Montreal Alouettes defeated the BC Lions 30-25 at Percival Molson Stadium to open up 2012’s Labour Day Weekend.
The legend for Calvillo continued to grow as he became the first player in CFL history to eclipse the 300-yard mark in eight consecutive games.
Lions’ quarterback Travis Lulay had wide receiver Arland Bruce in reach on the final play of the game in the end zone but Montreal defensive back Billy Parker knocked it down to preserve the lead.
Five picks and a pick-six
BC 25, Montreal 16
September 3, 2015
Beck entered the game in place of Lulay and led the Lions to a 25-16 win over the Alouettes (The Canadian Press)
The last time these two teams faced each other on Labour Day Weekend – and the last time the Lions were a part of Labour Day Weekend in general – John Beck threw two touchdowns in relief of Travis Lulay while Lavelle Hawkins scored the first of his career.
Lulay exited the game in the first quarter with a knee injury and did not return, but Beck stepped in to throw a pair of first-half touchdown passes to spark the Lions offence. The story of the game was the Lions defence that forced five interceptions and a fumble on Alouettes’ starter Tanner Marsh in that unit’s most dominant performance of the season.
Beck finished with 114 passing yards on 14-of-22 passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Five different players each recorded an interception for the Lions, who also added a pick-six by defensive back Eric Fraser.
Lauther for the win
Saskatchewan 19, Winnipeg 17
September 1, 2019
The last time the Roughriders won the Classic was in 2019 when kicker Brett Lauther connected on a walk-off field goal to push the Green and White 19-17 over the Blue Bombers.
With the Bombers holding a one-point lead late in the game, quarterback Cody Fajardo drove his team down the field all the way into Lauther’s range for the game-winning boot.
Fajardo threw for 300 yards and running back William Powell added exactly 100 yards from scrimmage as Saskatchewan won for the 14th time in 15 contests from 2005-2019.
Bombers’ defence does it again
Winnipeg 20, Saskatchewan 18
September 4, 2022
Three years later Fajardo and the Roughriders found themselves in a very similar situation.
After kicker Marc Liegghio put the Blue Bombers ahead with under three minutes left, the Riders were marching down the field until defensive back Nick Hallett came down with a tipped ball and Winnipeg’s offence put it away. It was the second straight season the Bombers won the Labour Day Classic.
Quarterback Zach Collaros finished 15-of-24 for 214 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions while Fajardo went 23-of-32 for 292 yards and that pick.
Chad Owens steals the show
Toronto 33, Hamilton 30
September 3, 2012
Owens finished with over 400 all-purpose yards for the Argos against the Ticats in 2012 (Geoff Robbins/CFL.ca)
The Argonauts beat the Tiger-Cats 33-30 in 2012 with a field goal by kicker Swayze Waters with only 29 seconds left.
Ricky Ray was leading the Argonauts offence and finished with a 32-of-45 for 375 yards and a touchdown stat line, connecting with receiver Chad Owens for 11 passes for 176 yards and a touchdown.
Owens was the name of the game for the Double Blue and also added 90 punt return yards and 136 kick return yards, pushing him over 400 all-purpose yards in the Argonauts’ 2012 win.
This. is. wide!
Hamilton 24, Toronto 22
September 4, 2017
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats got their first win of the season in the 2017 Labour Day Classic when Lirim Hajrullahu’s last-minute 37-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left for the Argos.
C.J. Gable scored the go-ahead touchdown with 2:30 remaining while the Argonauts came up just short of the late-game comeback, sealing a wet and wild Labour Day that included a two-hour, eight-minute delay due to lightning.
Jeremiah Masoli went 19-of-33 for 219 yards, a touchdown and an interception in what was his first Labour Day start. Receiver Brandon Banks had a team-high 98 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Argonauts quarterback Ricky Ray threw for 325 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 34-of-47 passing in a strong second-half performance by the legendary quarterback, including a pair of touchdown tosses to DeVier Posey.
Rene Paredes right down the middle!
Calgary 23, Edmonton 20
September 3, 2018
Kicker Rene Paredes was the name of the game with five field goals, including a 43-yarder with no time remaining that pushed the Calgary Stampeders to a thrilling 23-20 victory over Edmonton in the Labour Day Classic.
Bo Levi Mitchell returned from a second-half knee injury, connecting with Richard Sindani as part of a late scoring drive to set up the eventual game-winning kick. Paredes connected on five of six attempts in the game, while Mitchell’s first-half pass to DaVaris Daniels was Calgary’s only touchdown.
Calgary’s pivot finished with 255 yards and a touchdown on 16-of-30 passing, while Edmonton’s signal-caller Mike Reilly had 250 yards, a touchdown and an interception in addition to 40 yards on the ground.
Elks win on Labour Day after nine seasons
Edmonton 32, Calgary 20
September 6, 2021
The Stampeders were riding an eight-game win streak in the Battle of Alberta at Labour Day coming into the game until Trevor Harris and the Elks put together a complete effort in front of over 31,000 fans at MacMahon Stadium.
With both teams tied at 17 entering the fourth quarter, the visitors put together two touchdown drives in the fourth to win on Labour Day Weekend for the first time in nine seasons.
Edmonton’s pivot completed 31-of-41 passes for 398 yards and receiver Mike Jones added four catches for 107 yards and a major in the winning effort for the Elks.
