REGINA — For the second straight season, a seven-game losing streak has eliminated the Saskatchewan Roughriders from the CFL playoff picture.
The Riders had their playoff hopes dashed Saturday with a 29-26 loss to the Toronto Argonauts. The 6-12-0 Riders needed a victory to keep pace with the Calgary Stampeders for the third and final playoff spot in the West Division. Although the Riders and the 6-11-0 Stampeders are tied for third place, Calgary gets the playoff berth because it won the season series 2-1.
The Riders led at the end of each of the first three quarters (10-7, 17-16 and 23-19) on Saturday but were outscored 10-3 in the fourth quarter by the Argos. The game, and the season, was a case of déjà vu for Riders head coach Craig Dickenson.
“It just felt like we were that close the whole season and then just couldn’t, for some reason, get over the hump,” said Dickenson.
“And today I thought was similar to a lot of games where we played well for probably 50 minutes of it but had spurts here or there where we turned the ball over a couple of times and gave up a couple big plays and next thing you know, we’re trailing … We just didn’t do enough this year. Didn’t coach well enough, didn’t play well enough at times, and it just didn’t turn out like we’d hoped.”
With backup quarterback Cameron Dukes taking over for starter Chad Kelly in the third quarter, the Argos earned the victory on a five-yard touchdown run by Dan Adeboboye with 1:02 left in the fourth quarter.
The Riders had two possessions in the final minute but couldn’t move into range for a potential game-winning field goal.
For Dolegala, Saturday’s loss and the losing streak were painfully agonizing.
“I mean, it’s brutal, to be honest. We ran it for a while there and it just felt like nothing would really go our way,” said Dolegala. “It was a combination of a lot of things. Each game was different but, in some aspects, felt the same. It just was not good enough football.”
Veteran linebacker Larry Dean, who posted back-to-back seasons of 100 or more tackles for the Riders, tried to express the disappointment of he and his teammates.
“We don’t have a seat at the table. That’s the end goal, just to have a chip in a chair but we don’t have either so that’s always disappointing, especially in back-to-back seasons,” said Dean.
“We worked so hard, diligently, every day, true professionals showing up and just don’t get the end result and that’s always upsetting.”
The Argos improved to 15-2-0 with the victory and now have an opportunity to leave a legacy by posting the best regular-season record in franchise history. The Argos posted 15-3-0 records in both 1996 and 1997. If they beat the Ottawa Redblacks in the regular season finale on Oct. 28, the Argos will finish with a 16-2-0 record.
Trailing for the majority of the game, Argos head coach Ryan Dinwiddie praised his players for finding a way to win in the fourth quarter.
“We allowed them a lot of yards early on with some big windows that they were throwing into. They hit the one screen for, I think, for 50 yards. Those things we can’t have but, in the end, they made the plays they needed to. They really stepped up in the second half,” said Dinwiddie.
Dickenson’s contract expires at the end of the season and is facing an uncertain future with the Riders. In his post-game media conference, he accepted the responsibility for Saskatchewan’s struggles over the past two seasons.
“At the end of the day, it’s all on me. Like I said a month ago, it was a different team than last season, but we didn’t win any more games. We felt like the formula was to get a little better, character wise, and I felt we did,” said the coach.
“We tried to put a little more emphasis on the offensive line, which I felt like we did, but it didn’t translate into wins. So, at the end of the day, this season was a failure. We didn’t get to where we wanted to which was get in the playoffs and compete for a championship. We weren’t able to do that.”
Three Argos also hit personal milestones Saturday. Running back OJ Ouellette gained 50 yards on 11 carries, giving him 1,009 rushing yards on the season. DaVaris Daniels had six receptions for 84 yards to push him over the 1,000-yard mark. He now has 1,009 yards receiving.
Quarterback Chad Kelly played the first three quarters, completed 15 of 20 passes for 243 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Kelly eclipsed the 4,000-yards passing plateau and now sits at 4,092 yards for the season.
Ouellette and Damonte Coxie also scored touchdowns for the Argos. Kicker Alfredo Gauchuz Lozada kicked three field goals.
The Riders got big games from Dolegala, Shawn Bane Jr. and Samuel Emilus. Dolegala was 29 of 44 passing for 436 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Bane Jr., who signed with the Riders during the off-season as a free agent, completed an outstanding season with eight receptions for 136 yards. He finished the season with 1,104 yards. Emilus caught seven passes for 137 yards and also eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark on the season, finishing with 1,097 yards.
Bane Jr., Emilus and Antonio Pipkin had touchdowns for Saskatchewan with kicker Brett Lauther chipping in two field goals.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2023.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
