A pair of Blue Bombers quarterbacks led the team to victory on Saturday.
Starting QB Zach Collaros completed 18-of-23 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns while Sean McGuire, his backup, scored three touchdowns as the Bombers trounced the Saskatchewan Roughriders 33-9 in a CFL slugfest.
The game was played before a sold-out Banjo Bowl crowd of 33,134 fully vaccinated fans at IG Field.
Collaros completed touchdown passes of 39 yards to wide receiver Darvin Adams and 52 yards to slotback Kenny Lawler in the fourth quarter.
“I felt pretty good while we were out there,” said Collaros. “We didn’t have a ton of snaps in the first half. Put together a couple of drives, I think we scored touchdowns there.
“But it was either we scored quick or we were two-and-out or four-and-out, something like that. But I felt like we were executing decently. Obviously, at the end did some good things, and hope to build on it moving forward.”
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Winnipeg defeated Saskatchewan 33-9 at home on Saturday. 3:40
Saskatchewan starting quarterback Cody Fajardo was removed from the game midway through the third quarter due to concussion protocol after he was sacked by Winnipeg defensive end Willie Jefferson. Fajardo, who had completed 11-of-17 passes for 169 yards at the time, was replaced by Isaac Harker.
Fajardo did suffer a mild concussion, Roughriders head coach Craig Dickenson said.
‘Means a little bit more to win both of these’
The game was also marred by a second-quarter brawl that resulted in two Roughriders getting ejected.
With back-to-back wins over the Riders, Winnipeg improved to 5-1 on the season and remained in sole possession of top spot in the West Division. Saskatchewan dropped to 3-2 and remained in second.
“I’m just really happy for the organization and for our fans,” Collaros said. “I know Labour Day and the Banjo Bowl are very important to the CFL, to this organization and to our fans, ultimately, and we feel that as players. We know that. We take it one game at a time, obviously, but it means a little bit more to win both of these.”
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Tens of thousands of football fans packed the stands to watch the Winnipeg Blue Bombers take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 17th Banjo Bowl, which feels extra special for many after missing out on an entire CFL season last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 1:36
Collaros also joked about MGuire’s three TDs — all on one-yard sneaks.
“I thought Canada was a hockey country,” he said. “Like, how did everybody not throw their hats on the field. The hat trick, you know?
“But I’m really happy for Sean. Sean’s a great guy, great football player. He works his butt off. I think he’s going to be a great player in this league.”
Saskatchewan’s Harker completed 10-of-13 passes for 89 yards and ran for 14 on three carries after Fajardo was pulled out of the action.
2nd-quarter brawl
The Bombers grabbed a 12-9 lead on McGuire’s second touchdown late in the first half. That’s when a brawl broke out with punches thrown, at least one facemask grabbed, players piling on top of each other and flags flying all over the end zone.
As a result, Saskatchewan defensive lineman Garrett Marino and defensive back A.J. Hendy were ejected from the game. No Bombers were ejected.
“The guys were a little bit fired up,” said Roughriders linebacker Micah Teitz. “It’s always testy down there and we felt like they were doing a little too much extra and you’ve got to stick up for your teammates when that happens. Unfortunately, we got some boys being ejected, which always hurts the team, so we can’t be doing that. That’s just football.”
Teitz was surprised no Bomber suffered a similar fate.
“That’s crazy,” he said. “Obviously, I didn’t get to see everything. I was in it. I don’t even know what to say about that. When there’s a huge thing like that, you obviously expect people on both sides to get gone and when it’s only us, it’s a tough one.”
Dickenson was also taken aback.
“It wasn’t good news when they [officials] told me that two of our guys got tossed and I asked how many of theirs and they said none,” he said. “We must have done something. They said punches were thrown, so I assume that our guys did it.”
That left Saskatchewan two starters short on defence.
“It’s super tough,” Teitz added. “I know we have to stick up for the boys but sometimes, throwing punches isn’t the answer. So, you’ve got to get them back on the field, so we’ve got to stop that.”
Saskatchewan placekicker Brett Lauther kicked field goals of 25, 24 and 30 yards, all in the first half as the Bombers did not allow a single point in the second half for the second straight game.
“Winnipeg is the class of the league right now,” Dickenson said. “I think they are better than the rest of us and I think it’s by quite a bit.”
Saskatchewan next plays host to the Toronto Argonauts on Friday while the Bombers travel to Edmonton to play the Elks on Saturday.
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.
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