Lemon comes up big with two sacks as Als advance to Eastern Final
Peter McCabe/CFL.ca
MONTREAL — Shawn Lemon knew exactly what he had to do coming into the Eastern Semi-Final against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The defensive lineman had a couple of sacks to help the Montreal Alouettes capture a second straight Eastern Final appearance with a 27-12 win over the Ticats at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
Asked before the game for his thoughts on Hamilton using multiple quarterbacks in the upcoming matchup, the veteran displayed his trademark confidence.
“Doesn’t matter, I’ll sack both of them,” said the defender to TSN’s Matthew Scianitti.
That’s precisely what Lemon did with one sack against Matthew Shiltz and one on Bo Levi Mitchell after the veteran took over late in the fourth quarter.
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Montreal’s defence did what the unit has been doing all season with another dominant performance, allowing 259 yards of net offence with zero majors and only four field goals. The group also had a fumble and two interceptions – one against each pivot – as the Alouettes ran away with the game in the second half.
Lemon has been a great mid-season addition for the Alouettes, registering nine sacks in the regular season to go alongside two picks, a forced fumble and a defensive major. The veteran has quickly embraced – and been embraced – by a team that continues to get better.
“We’re always a team that’s overlooked,” said Lemon to Scianitti after the game. “We just come to work. I’m just excited for this city, excited for this team.”
The Cody Fajardo-led offence was efficient once more to complement another outstanding defensive effort. The pivot completed 15 of 23 passes for 212 yards, two touchdowns – to Austin Mack and Jake Harty – and a pick. Running back William Stanback added 95 yards on 18 carries and was especially efficient late in the fourth quarter to ice the game.
Montreal now prepares for a rematch against the team that knocked them out in last year’s Eastern Final, the Toronto Argonauts. The game will be played at BMO Field on November 11.
