August 25, 2018

Expect to Win

Antonio Pipkin was convinced, after practice on Wednesday, that we would get the best of the Argos. “I’m going to put the ball into my receivers’ hands and we are going to win this game.

He was expecting nothing less than a W.

And that’s what he said in his post-game press conference. “We came with confidence. We came out expecting to win. We didn’t do things to not lose, we expected to win.”

As a matter of fact, the guys did hit the field with their heads high, especially our 23-year-old quarterback who took full advantage of his first opportunity to impress Montreal fans. A look back at the game that ended with the score of 25-22 and took us through a whole gamut of emotions.

Unity Is Still the Key

Before going into details, we have to look at the big picture. The team showed a united front on Friday. And, by the team, we’re referring to the locker room, of course, but also to you, in the stands, who cheered on our boys until the very end. Thank you.

Coach Sherman, undoubtedly very very happy about his first win at home, reminded his crew that solidarity made the difference. “You know why we won? Because you didn’t quit on each other during the week. The reason it works is the chemistry we have in this room. Don’t forget that.

Slowly but Surely

Another element that had a significant impact on the game: a QB who threw for more than 300 yards. It wasn’t until the second quarter, however, that we were able to see the full potential of Pipkin’s arm. The scoreboard showed 3-3 – points brought to us by Bede and Medeiros – after the first 15 minutes of play.

Boris, who contributed to the game with four field goals and one single, secured another three points to close our Als first offensive series of the second quarter.

But it was a 52-yard bomb caught by Ernest Jackson at T37 that woke us all up with 12:31 minutes to play in the half. Interesting choice of play; it’s not every day that we see EJ stretching the field like that, but, visibly, having a QB who can get the ball in such spots changes the narrative.

The series, to which William Stanback also participated with a 7-yard run, was capped off with, of course, a 29-yard field goal by Boris Bede. It was 9-3 Montreal with 10 :24 minutes to play before the break.

The defence also stood its ground, not yielding to the Argos threats until the 27th minute when Bethel-Thompson reached Edwards in the end zone to take the score to 10-9 for the Double Blue. Until then, Toronto’s offence was being expertly contained. Defensive back Tommie Campbell set the tone and fire to his unit by shutting down his opponents twice in the first half; forcing and recovering a fumble and knocking down a pass. The Argonauts, who seemed to think targeting TC was a good idea, made changes to their strategy in the second part of the game.

You get a pass, you get a pass, you get a pass!

OK, so Toronto was leading. It wasn’t enough to disrupt our young QB’s poise. Pip, as his teammates call him, retaliated by running two yards into the end zone with a little less than a minute to play in the first half. It was 15-10 in favour of our birds and the game was reaching the heights of your expectations.

Let’s rewind and take a closer look at the series that led to Antonio Pipkin’s first TD:

25-yard kick return by Will Stanback.

18-yard run after catch by Will Stanback.

4-yard run by Will Stanback.

(The rookie who started at back on Friday replacing an injured Sutty didn’t catch a break!)

Followed by a 32-yard gain on a pass to Eugene Lewis, a 17-yard gain when Pip connected with George Johnson and a 7-yard gain thanks to Ernest Jackson’s hands.

Let’s call it a team touchdown. Because, well, Pip sees all his guys on the field.

A Nail-Biting Finish

Like it’s often the case, things got a bit complicated in the third quarter. The defensive unit emerged relatively unscathed from an Argos offensive series that lasted 7 minutes and managed to admirably contain James Wilder Jr around the 20-yard line. After an incomplete pass, Toronto called on Medeiros to tighten the gap down to two points (15-13).

And that’s when we started biting our nails. Toronto provoked THE turnover of the game, returning an interception on 46 yards and into the end zone. 19-15. Was it enough to give up? Certainly not.

A rouge following a punt by Bede and a field goal by the Argos took the score to 22-16 for Marc Trestman’s team with 15 crucial minutes to play.

Our guys were sound all-around in the fourth quarter. Moreover, they never lost hope. B.J. Cunningham, who was the victim of a nasty hit by his buddy Bear Woods in the third, hadn’t said his last word. A 22-yard spiral in his direction was all it took to make the crowd go berserk! B.J. stopped at Toronto’s 1-yard line and Pip skillfully sneaked into the end zone. It took them 30 seconds. 30 seconds of pure bliss for the fans.

What’s there to say about our squad’s last offensive play of the game in the red zone with a little less than two minutes to play? Not too sure… but Boris Bede was there once again to score the three points that led to the win.

Boy, were we nervous until the very last second though! Henoc Muamba saved the day with 16 seconds to play, brutally tackling ball carrier James Wilder Jr for a loss of six yards and forcing the Argos to kick. Then, the post also saved the day blocking a 54-yard field goal attempt by Medeiros.

A Wind of Hope

What. A. Night. Will we get more like this one? Seeing the atmosphere in the locker room since wonder boy Pipkin came back, we would say yes. His teammates trust him. He trusts his teammates. “I’m proud of Pip for rolling us through the game. On to the next one! I’m proud of us. It’s a new season about to start!” – word of a man who will keep fighting until the end, B.J. Cunningham.