Final score: Winnipeg 34 – Montreal 31
Obviously, it wasn’t the result we were hoping for, but, even though victory slipped through our fingers in overtime, Jacques Chapdelaine’s troops can be proud of their performance. Not only did our Alouettes give quite the show to their fans on Thursday night, they played with heart and did everything they could to mount a comeback as only the best teams know how to do.
The effort was there. Here are some of the highlights.
The best of all time
If there was one player who really stood out tonight, it was Nik Lewis. The 35-year-old slotback continued along his merry way Thursday night at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium and is now Number 1 in league history for career receptions. By catching his 1,030th pass in the fourth quarter, Nik officially overtook Geroy Simon for first place, becoming the most prolific receiver in CFL history.
On defence, John Bowman didn’t wait long to show he meant business by ending the Bombers’ first offensive series with a vicious quarterback sack. The play of Bowman and his teammates forced Nichols and his troops to content themselves with a field goal.
With just over 6 minutes to play in the first quarter, the Bombers were getting dangerously close to the Als’ end zone when defensive back Greg Henderson knocked down a Nichols’ pass intended for Thorpe. Unfortunately, on the very next play the Bombers scored a touchdown… but that was hardly enough to put the brakes on the speedy Stefan Logan. The veteran’s instincts remain impeccable and he gave quite a performance with an ensuing 82-yard kickoff return to the Winnipeg 24-yard line. Logan had 141 total return yards tonight. An impressive addition to his résumé!
10-0 Winnipeg at the end of the first quarter. Certainly not an insurmountable lead.
Prolonged effort
The guys got back in the game in the second quarter and, at the same time, put the brakes to the Bombers. While Darian Durant’s offence gradually found its groove, the defence, led by Henderson, Dozier and Hebert (with a combined 19 tackles), held the fort.
True to form, Boris Bede was the first to put points on the board for the Als with 11 minutes and 54 seconds to play in the first half. But it was a subsequent 22-yard gain on a pass from Durant to B. J. Cunningham which caused a spark and the gave the offence the wind in their sails. Here’s what happened next: a George Johnson touchdown that evened the score at 10-10, a Dozier sack, an interception by Kyries “Angry” Bird Hebert and the fans were going nuts. All that with less than 30 seconds to play in the half. Wow.
In spite of a few setbacks, including a touchdown scored by Gudino on a short 3-yard Nichols’ pass in the third quarter, at no point did the Alouettes throw in the towel. Starting the fourth quarter down by 4 points, the Als were able to contain the Blue Bombers and forced them to settle for two field goals by Justin Medlock. With the scoreboard now reading 23-13 for Winnipeg, Darian Durant, who finished the game with an impressive 72% completion rate, spotted E-Jack deep. The receiver – known for his consistency – was open once again, catching the 38-yard pass and ending this offensive series in the end zone. Victory was within our sights.
With just under 2 minutes to play, defensive back Tyree Hollins was outstanding during a dangerous Winnipeg series by knocking down a pass intended for Clarence Denmark. It would prove to be costly for the Bombers!
Down 23 to 20, our offence was in possession of the ball and the stadium was rocking! Following the play that led to Nik Lewis entering the history books, Boris Bede was the saviour by nailing a 41-yard field goal, forcing the game to go into overtime.
B.J. and Rutley were sensational during the overtime period – with special mention going to Rutley who had 105 total yards and made a spectacular one-handed grab in the first quarter. Unfortunately, overtime saw our guys have victory escape their grasp. They were so close – we’re betting they will want to keep building on their final effort going next Friday against the Ottawa REDBLACKS.
In the words of our coach, “You can always get something out off your opponents. Today, we played against the team with the best momentum in the league. If we were able to steal some of that momentum, then we’re definitely better than we were yesterday.” After all the emotions we experienced tonight, we’ll need a week to get our nerves back in order for the next game…
Thursday, August 31. Same time. Same place.
