Arthur Ward, CFL.ca
It’s been quite some time since we’ve been able to watch some CFL football. Even longer since we could enjoy the summer weather at a stadium somewhere across the country.
While we wait for football to return, let’s take a walk down memory lane to almost exactly a year ago.
It was Week 8, the first weekend of August. Just like the weather, the battles on the field were heating up. By the end of the weekend, CFL fans were treated to four exceptional contests, full of lead changes, comebacks, overtime and big plays.
The week started off with an incredible comeback by the Toronto Argonauts, handing the Winnipeg Blue Bombers just their second loss of the season.
Winnipeg had made a name for themselves early on in the 2019 campaign with a 5-1 record. Toronto, on the other hand, had lost their first six of the year and were hungry to get into the win column.
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The Boatmen clawed back from a 20-0 deficit to eventually win 28-27. McLeod Bethel-Thompson found S.J. Green in the end zone with just 10 seconds remaining and Tyler Crapigna booted the game-winning convert.
Bethel-Thompson had his strongest performance of the season at the time, completing 37 of 49 passes for 343 yards and three touchdowns to lead Toronto to its first win.
Later on that Thursday night, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats paid a visit to Regina to take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
It had been a close game throughout the night but as the clock started to run out, the Riders were trailing 19-16. That’s when the pivot in green took things into his own hands. Cody Fajardo began the game-winning drive passing to Shaq Evans, then called his own number before finding Kyran Moore and finally handing off to William Powell. Then with 44 seconds ticking on the clock, Fajardo used his legs to run into the end zone for the five-yard TD.
Along with the completed convert and a single, the Riders defeated Hamilton 24-19.
Friday night saw the Ottawa REDBLACKS head to Montreal to take on the Alouettes.
Not only did the REDBLACKS snap their four-game losing streak with an epic overtime victory, DeVonte Dedmon also stole the show, scoring two touchdowns and set a franchise record with 377 combined return yards.
Lewis Ward booted a 46-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter to make it a three-point game before tying things up himself in the final seconds of regulation to send things to overtime. Once again, the REDBLACKS kicker would be the one to score, as he put the game away with a 14-yarder sailing through the uprights.
The final game of the weekend was the Battle of Alberta, where the Calgary Stampeders played host to the Edmonton Football Team. It was a defensive battle between the two West Division squads in the first half; the only points that were scored were three Rene Paredes field goals.
Things picked up for the teams in the second half of the contest, however. Trevor Harris threw the first TD pass of the afternoon to Ricky Collins Jr., tying things up at nine. That wouldn’t last, however. On the ensuing kickoff, returner Terry Williams scored a 103-yard touchdown to give the Stamps a 15-9 lead. That kickoff return TD was a CFL record eighth of the 2019 season.
Another Collins Jr. major followed by a Sean Whyte field goal made things interesting in the final frame, pulling Edmonton within three points. The teams exchanged drives with no points scored until Paredes booted a 27-yarder through the uprights with a only a minute left to extend the lead to 24-18, which would end up being the final score.
What was your favourite matchup of the week? Winnipeg vs. Toronto? Hamilton against Saskatchewan? Ottawa and Montreal? Or Edmonton and Calgary? Have your say below!
