EDMONTON – Both teams battled until the final whistle, tied with just eight seconds left at Commonwealth Stadium on Sunday night, but it was Lewis Ward who kicked the winning walk-off field goal for the Ottawa REDBLACKS as they came out victorious, defeating the Edmonton Elks 37-34 in Week 6 action.
Dru Brown threw for 480 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while three REDBLACKS receivers had over 100 yards in the win as Kalil Pimpleton had a standout game of 153 yards and a touchdown, Dominique Rhymes tallied 131 yards, and Justin Hardy recorded 110 yards and a touchdown.
McLeod Bethel-Thompson threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns in the loss, and Geno Lewis led the Elks in receiving with 89 yards.
Ottawa wasted no time getting on the board first as the visiting team, as a 25-yard field goal from Ward put the REDBLACKS ahead after using up seven minutes of clock in the first quarter.
Having to punt on their first drive of the game, the Elks made the most of their second try on offence as Kevin Brown and Javon Leake carried the drive downfield, in combination with Bethel-Thompson taking it on the ground himself, before connecting with Arkell Smith for a 10-yard touchdown, Smith’s first in the CFL, and the lead.
Riding that momentum into the second quarter, the Elks defence forced a two-and-out from the REDBLACKS as Bethel-Thompson found Hergy Mayala, back in the lineup off an injury, for his fourth touchdown of the season to take a 14-3 lead.
Nick Anderson recorded his first CFL sack on Brown, forcing Ward to kick a 31-yard field goal for the REDBLACKS, but on their next offensive drive Ottawa capitalized on a fumble from Leake to get the ball back.
Bob Dyce took a risk challenging a pass interference call on the Edmonton six-yard line, which was overturned in his favour to keep the drive alive, resulting in Dustin Crum running in his third rushing touchdown of the year to make the game 15-13 at the half.
Both defences came out strong in the third quarter, forcing punts from each team before the Elks were first to put point on the board in the second half thanks to a 42-yard kick from Boris Bede.
But just two plays later the REDBLACKS would swing the momentum back their own way as Brown found Pimpleton, in his CFL debut, for 70 yards and a touchdown, with Rhymes securing the two-point conversion to give Ottawa a three-point cushion.
Attempting to even the score at the beginning of the fourth quarter, a 31-yard kick attempt from Bede went wide to the left, and the REDBLACKS wasted no time to further their lead as Brown connected with Hardy for 68 yards and another score.
Forcing a punt from the Elks defensively, Ottawa led by double digits after Ward kicked his third successful field goal attempt of the night, this time from 35 yards out.
But the Elks were not done for the night despite the deficit, as a one-handed catch from Lewis followed by an 18-yard rush from Kurleigh Gittens Jr. put Edmonton on the REDBLACKS seven-yard line.
A roughing the passer call put the REDBLACKS on the three-yard line, and the fifth touchdown of the season from Dakota Prukop followed by a successful two-point conversion catch from Gittens Jr. made the game a four-point affair.
Just as Edmonton felt they were back in the game, Brown found Rhymes for 66 yards to get down to the Edmonton 20-yard line, before connecting with him two plays later for another 18 yards, hanging onto the ball despite a tough hit to put the REDBLACKS at the four-yard line.
The Elks defence held forcing third down on their own three-yard line, but the REDBLACKS opted to take the field goal as Ward put a chip shot through the uprights from 10 yards out to make it a seven-point game with just over two minutes to play.
Lewis caught a massive 22-yard reception for the Elks to put them on Ottawa’s 21-yard line with 1:13 left on the clock, and a pass interference call put Edmonton on the one-yard line. Prukop punched his second of the night in with eight seconds left on the clock, and Bede’s extra point tied the game.
After a kickoff went out of bounds, another massive throw from Brown to Pimpleton for 29 yards set up Ward to kick from 38 yards out, and the successful kick meant a walk-off win for the REDBLACKS.
Edmonton and Ottawa will meet again to open Week 7 action, as the Elks will travel to TD Place Stadium on July 19 to take on the REDBLACKS at 7:00 p.m. EDT.
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.
