Rasheed Bailey was planning to do more than just take home the football from his first CFL touchdown in Winnipeg’s 20-7 victory over the Toronto Argonauts on Friday.
“I’m gonna sleep with that football tonight, I promise,” said Bailey, a second-year player whose 35-yard catch started the scoring at 10:14 of the first quarter.
“The last time I got in the end zone and it counted was 2015 from Tim Tebow in the back of the end zone of the [New York] Jets stadium. It was special for me, it was special for my family.”
The Blue Bombers didn’t let a change in Toronto quarterbacks throw them off on the way to their victory that kept them undefeated (2-0) in front of 22,143 fans at IG Field.
WATCH | Blue Bombers take control late to defeat Argos for 2nd straight win:
Blue Bombers control Argonauts for 2nd straight victory to start the season
17 hours ago
Winnipeg QB Zach Collaros throws his second touchdown pass in the Blue Bombers 20-7 win over the Toronto Argonauts. 0:37
Argos quarterback decision looming
Toronto (1-1) quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson started the game, but was replaced by Nick Arbuckle with 4:17 left in the third quarter and the score 10-0 for Winnipeg.
Arbuckle, who didn’t play in the Argos’ first game because of a hamstring injury, promptly led Toronto on a seven-play, 75-yard drive that ended with John White’s 30-yard touchdown run with 1:11 left in the third.
Winnipeg replied with a Nic Demski touchdown, and then Arbuckle was intercepted by defensive back Deatrick Nichols with four minutes left in the game. That led to a Tyler Crapigna 22-yard field goal with 2:07 remaining.
“It was exciting,” Arbuckle said. “It was a situation in which our offence had multiple chances in the second half to make a comeback happen. It was just really fun to be out there with the guys and trying to lead that and make that happen.
“Obviously, we’re not happy at all. It wasn’t fun how it turned out, but there’s a lot of things that we did wrong and we were still in the game at the end of it and that gives us something to work towards for next week. And we’re all excited that we get to try for our revenge real quick.”
Arbuckle finished the game completing 10-of-19 pass attempts for 96 yards and one interception. Bethel-Thompson was 10-of-20 for 70 yards.
Toronto hosts Winnipeg next Saturday in its home opener. Argos head coach Ryan Dinwiddie said a decision will be made soon on which quarterback will start in the rematch.
“I want to look at the film before I make any rash decisions, but I thought Nick did some good things out there,” Dinwiddie said. “The one pick was unfortunate, but we’ll cross that bridge here in a few days.”
‘We did enough to win the game’
Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros was 32-of-40 for 292 yards with two TDs and one pick.
“We did enough to win the game,” Collaros said. “But if you brought anybody in here from the offence, I think they would say we need to just continue to focus on every single play and treat it one play at a time. I know it’s cliche, but plays that we left out there this season have been preventable. And that starts with me.”
Crapigna was also good on another 22-yard field goal and two converts.
Toronto kicker Boris Bede hit an upright on a 51-yard field-goal attempt, but made his convert of White’s TD.
Collaros connected with Bailey in the end zone, who was in tight coverage and came down with the ball.
The Argos hurt themselves with some penalties early in the second quarter, including three in a row that forced a punt. At halftime, Toronto had nine penalties for 67 yards, compared to Winnipeg’s three for 35 yards.
Toronto got a spark after forcing Demski to fumble. The ball was recovered by Shaq Richardson and the Argos took over at their own 39-yard line, but the series ended with Bede’s dead ball on his field-goal attempt.
Winnipeg responded with Crapigna’s field goal with no time left of the clock.
Bethel-Thompson was 8-of-15 passing for 54 yards at halftime. In last week’s 23-20 win over Calgary, he threw for 354 yards.
Collaros was 19-of-23 for 185 yards at the break.
Argos defensive back Jamal Peters intercepted Collaros in the end zone midway through the third quarter, jumping up in front of intended receiver Kenny Lawler. The gift ended with a punt after White ran for two yards and Bethel-Thompson threw an incomplete pass to DaVaris Daniels.
Arbuckle came in and marched the Argos down the field for White’s TD at 13:49.
White’s good fortune soon turned when he was forced to fumble and Nichols recovered the ball at Toronto’s 36-yard line.
The turnover ended with Demski’s 15-yard TD catch in the corner of the end zone to up Winnipeg’s lead to 17-7 at 3:07 of the fourth quarter. The win was sealed with Crapigna’s field goal at 12:53.
Arbuckle fumbled with 46 seconds left in the game after he got the Argos down to Winnipeg’s 25-yard line.
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.
