HAMILTON — The Hamilton Tiger-Cats got their first win of the season on Sunday night after defeating the Ottawa REDBLACKS 21-13 at Tim Horton’s Field.
Tyreik McAllister had the big play of the night on a 64-yard touchdown reception, his only catch of the game. James Butler added 64 yards on the ground on 15 carries.
Jameer Thurman led the Ticats’ defence with nine tackles and two sacks.
Jeremiah Masoli returned to game action exactly one year after suffering a leg injury that cost him the rest of the 2022 season and the first three games of 2023. Ottawa was 5-12 in that span. But he would leave with another injury in the first quarter.
The Tiger-Cats jumped out to an early lead on their first drive of the game after a dropped touchdown pass by Tony Godwin in the endzone would lead to a 13-yard Marc Liegghio field goal.
On Hamilton’s next drive, Matthew Shiltz ran for a first down but then took a time count violation penalty and then was sacked on the next play by Bryce Carter.
The Tabbies would add to their lead in the second quarter with another Liegghio field goal from 50 yards.
On the next Ottawa drive, Masoli’s pass to Justin Hardy was tipped into the hands of Hamilton’s Chris Edwards which would lead to another field goal from 20 yards out to give the Ticats a 9-0 lead with ten minutes to go in the half.
Bad luck would strike the REDBLACKS on their subsequent drive when after Masoli moved out of the pocket, he went down with another leg injury on a non-contact play. He was carried off the field and would not return to the game.
However, Ottawa was in field goal range and would get themselves on the board with a 36-yard Lewis Ward field goal to cut Hamilton’s lead to six late in the half.
The Ticats failed to convert a third down on their next possession, turning the ball back over to Ottawa.
Dustin Crum took over at quarterback for the REDBLACKS but would be sacked by Jameer Thurman on his first drive at pivot.
But on Ottawa’s next drive, Crum would run the ball in for a touchdown. Ward would knock the extra point in to give the REDBLACKS their first lead of the game, which they would take into the half.
The REDBLACKS extended their lead to 13-9 in the third quarter on a 20-yard Ward field goal.
Hamilton would promptly turn the ball back over on their next possession when Shiltz threw the ball right into the hands of Ty Cranston.
But the REDBLACKS gave it right back to the Ticats on an interception from Simoni Lawrence and the Tabbies would capitalize on the next play, after Shiltz threw a short pass to Tyreik McAllister who would take it 64 yards to the house.
The Hamilton defence got to Crum on Ottawa’s next drive, knocking the ball out of his hands. After it bounced around for a bit, Ted Laurent would scoop up the loose rock.
The back and forth continued when Kiondre Smith fumbled a pass from Shiltz. The ball would bounce off Brandin Dandridge and out of bounds, giving possession back to Ottawa.
Hamilton extended their lead to 18-13 with ten minutes to go in the fourth quarter on a 34-yard field goal from Liegghio.
Ottawa gave the ball right back on the next drive after Crum threw an interception to Richard Leonard with nine minutes left in the game.
The Ticats added to their lead one more time just before the three-minute warning after a Liegghio field goal made it 21-13.
Thurman got to Crum with two minutes left for his second sack of the night.
This is the first time in Ottawa football history that three different starting quarterbacks have been used in the first four games and the first time in the league since Hamilton in 2014 (Collaros, Masoli and Lefevour).
The REDBLACKS came into this game leading the league in sacks on a per-game basis with an average of 4.0 per game.
Despite the home opener loss, the Ticats are now 7-2 in their last nine home games and have not lost at home to the REDBLACKS since 2018.
The Ticats are 10-2 coming off a bye week since 2018.
The Ticats open Week 6 with a trip to Edmonton to face the Elks on Thursday. The REDBLACKS will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday, July 15 at TD Place.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Restricted free agent forward Isaac Okoro has agreed to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Okoro’s new deal is worth $38 million, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed or announced by the team.
ESPN.com first reported the agreement, citing Okoro’s representation.
The fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, Okoro is Cleveland’s best perimeter defender, often drawing the assignment of guarding the opponent’s top scorer. Okoro also has worked to improve his offensive game.
The 23-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 69 games — 42 starts — last season for the Cavs, who beat Orlando in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to eventual champion Boston.
Okoro shot a career-best 39% on 3-pointers, forcing teams to come out and guard him.
His agreement caps an extraordinarily busy summer for the Cavs that began with coach J.B. Bickerstaff being fired and replaced by Kenny Atkinson. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year, $150 million extension in July, ending months of speculation that he wanted out of Cleveland.
Also, power forward Evan Mobley signed a five-year, $224 deal and center Jarrett Allen signed a three-year, $91 million extension.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.
Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.
In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.
Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.
Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.
He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.
The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.
Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.
He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.
George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.
Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.
In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.
St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
ON DECK
Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.
The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
