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Bombers hang on for thrilling 35-33 road win over Roughriders

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REGINA – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers moved into a share of first place in the CFL’s West Division with a thrilling 35-33 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Sunday in Regina.

In front of a sold-out crowd at Mosaic Stadium, the Bombers earned their fourth consecutive victory to improve to 6-6-0. The Riders, who are 0-5-1 in their last six games, slipped to 5-6-1.

The Bombers and B.C. Lions — who beat Ottawa 38-12 on Saturday in Victoria, B.C. — are tied with 12 points each atop the West. The Roughriders have 11 points.

The Bombers held off a late comeback by the Riders. Sergio Castillo gave the Bombers an eight-point lead with a 56-yard field goal with 1:35 left in the fourth. After the ensuing kickoff, the Riders took over on their own 21-yard line.

Facing third-and-six from the Winnipeg 27-yard line, Riders quarterback Trevor Harris connected with Samuel Emilus on a 26-yard reception. Harris then scored on a one-yard plunge to pull the Riders to within two points.

The two-point convert failed as Harris’s pass to Kian Schaffer-Baker was broken up by Winnipeg linebacker Tony Jones.

The Riders recovered the ensuing onside kick to get one last chance with 12 seconds remaining. Harris was intercepted by Nick Hallett but the Bombers were penalized for pass interference on the Winnipeg 52-yard line.

That gave kicker Brett Lauther a chance to win the game on a 60-yard field goal but his attempt came up a few yards short.

With the Riders holding a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter, the Bombers took the game over with three straight touchdowns. Nic Demski scored on a 44-yard pass from Zach Collaros to tie the game at 14-14 with Sergio Castillo giving the Bombers a one-point lead on the ensuing kickoff with a 99-yard rouge.

Disaster struck for the Riders minutes later when Mario Alford mishandled a punt on the Saskatchewan six-yard line that was recovered in the end zone by Nick Hallett for a touchdown. The quarter then went from bad to worse for Saskatchewan when Chris Streveler scored on a one-yard run with 1:16 left to increase Winnipeg’s lead to 29-14.

The Bombers got a scare late in the half when Collaros absorbed a high hit from Saskatchewan defensive lineman Miles Brown, who was flagged for roughing the passer. The Winnipeg training staff attended to Collaros on the field and the veteran quarterback returned to the sideline under his own power.

After halftime, Collaros returned to the field with the Bombers but was without his helmet, shoulder pads and jersey. The Bombers announced early in the quarter that Collaros, who has a history of head injuries, would not return to the game. Streveler took over as the Bombers quarterback for the second half.

The Bombers also lost veteran linebacker Adam Bighill late in the fourth quarter with an injury to his left knee. He had to be helped off the field by the training staff.

The Riders, who dressed only six offensive linemen for the game, were forced to use defensive lineman Micah Johnson as the right guard midway through the third quarter because of injuries.

Starting centre Peter Godber left the game in the second quarter and Zack Fry, who moved to centre from his left guard position, was injured in the third quarter. Logan Ferland then moved to centre with Johnson, the CFL’s current sack leader, making his second appearance this season on the offensive line.

Streveler had two rushing touchdowns for the Bombers with Castillo adding field goals from 53 and 56 yards.

Collaros had a strong first half, completing 12 of 18 passes for 218 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Shawn Bane, Dohnta Meyers and KeeSean Johnson had touchdown receptions for Saskatchewan. Lauther chipped in field goals from 55 and 25 yards.

Sunday’s game was the first in a home-and-home series for the teams. They’ll meet again on Saturday in Winnipeg for the Banjo Bowl.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 1, 2024.

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French league’s legal board orders PSG to pay Kylian Mbappé 55 million euros of unpaid wages

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The French league’s legal commission has ordered Paris Saint-Germain to pay Kylian Mbappé the 55 million euros ($61 million) in unpaid wages that he claims he’s entitled to, the league said Thursday.

The league confirmed the decision to The Associated Press without more details, a day after the France superstar rejected a mediation offer by the commission in his dispute with his former club.

PSG officials and Mbappé’s representatives met in Paris on Wednesday after Mbappé asked the commission to get involved. Mbappé joined Real Madrid this summer on a free transfer.

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Reggie Bush was at his LA-area home when 3 male suspects attempted to break in

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former football star Reggie Bush was at his Encino home Tuesday night when three male suspects attempted to break in, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

“Everyone is safe,” Bush said in a text message to the newspaper.

The Los Angeles Police Dept. told the Times that a resident of the house reported hearing a window break and broken glass was found outside. Police said nothing was stolen and that three male suspects dressed in black were seen leaving the scene.

Bush starred at Southern California and in the NFL. The former running back was reinstated as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner this year. He forfeited it in 2010 after USC was hit with sanctions partly related to Bush’s dealings with two aspiring sports marketers.

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B.C. Lions lean on versatile offence to continue win streak against Toronto Argonauts

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VANCOUVER – A fresh face has been gracing the B.C. Lions‘ highlight reels in recent weeks.

Midway through his second CFL campaign, wide receiver Ayden Eberhardt has contributed touchdowns in two consecutive games.

The 26-year-old wide receiver from Loveland, Colo., was the lone B.C. player to reel in a passing major in his team’s 37-23 victory over the league-leading Montreal Alouettes last Friday. The week before, he notched his first CFL touchdown in the Lions’ win over the Ottawa Redblacks.

“It’s been awesome. It’s been really good,” Eberhardt said of his recent play. “At the end of the day, the biggest stat to me is if we win. But who doesn’t love scoring?”

He’ll look to add to the tally Friday when the Leos (7-6) host the Toronto Argonauts.

Eberhardt signed with B.C. as a free agent in January 2023 and spent much of last season on the practice squad before cementing a role on the roster this year.

The six-foot-two, 195-pound University of Wyoming product has earned more opportunities in his second season, said Lions’ head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell.

“He’s a super hard worker and very smart. He understands, has high football IQ, as we call it,” Campbell said.

The fact that Eberhardt can play virtually every receiving position helps.

“He could literally go into a game and we could throw him into a spot and he’d know exactly what he’s doing,” the coach said. “That allows him to play fast and earn the quarterback’s trust. And you see him making plays.”

Eberhardt credited his teammates, coaches and the rest of the Lions’ staff with helping him prepare for any situation he might face. They’ve all spent time teaching him the ins and outs of the Canadian game, or go over the playbook and run routes after practice, he said.

“I’ve played every single position on our offence in a game in the last two years, which is kind of crazy. But I love playing football,” he said. “I want to play any position that the team needs me to play.”

While B.C.’s lineup is studded with stars like running back William Stanback — who has a CFL-high 938 rushing yards — and wide receiver Justin McInnis — who leads the league in both receiving yards (1,074) and receiving TDs (seven) — versatility has been a critical part of the team’s back-to-back wins.

“I think we’ve got a lot of talented guys who deserve to get the ball and make big plays when they have the ball in their hands. So it’s really my job to get them the ball as much as possible,” said quarterback Nathan Rourke.

“I think that makes it easy when you can lean on those guys and, really, we’re in a situation where anyone can have a big game. And I think that’s a good place to be.”

Even with a talented lineup, the Lions face a tough test against an eager Argos side.

Toronto lost its second straight game Saturday when it dropped a 41-27 decision to Ottawa.

“We’ll have our hands full,” Rourke said. “We’ll have to adjust on the fly to whatever their game plan is. And no doubt, they’ll be ready to go so we’ll have to be as well.”

The two sides have already met once this season when the Argos handed the Lions a 35-27 loss in Toronto back on June 9.

A win on Friday would vault B.C. to the top of the West Division standings, over the 7-6 Winnipeg Blue Bombers who are on a bye week.

Collecting that victory isn’t assured, though, even with Toronto coming in on a two-game skid, Campbell said.

“They’ve hit a little bit of a rut, but they’re a really good team,” he said. “They’re very athletic. And you can really see (quarterback Chad Kelly’s) got zip on the ball. When you see him in there, he can make all the throws. So we’re expecting their best shot.”

TORONTO ARGONAUTS (6-6) AT B.C. LIONS (7-6)

Friday, B.C. Place

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Lions boast a 4-1 home record this season, including a 38-12 victory over the Redblacks at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C., on Aug. 31. The Argos have struggled outside of BMO Field and hold a 1-5 away record. Trips to the West Coast haven’t been easy for Toronto in recent years — since 2003, the club is 4-14 in road games against B.C.

CENTURION: B.C. defensive back Garry Peters is set to appear in his 100th consecutive game. The 32-year-old from Conyers, Ga., is a two-time CFL all-star who has amassed 381 defensive tackles, 19 special teams tackles and 16 interceptions over seven seasons. “Just being on the field with the guys every day, running around, talking trash back and forth, it keeps me young,” Peters said. “It makes me feel good, and my body doesn’t really feel it. I’ve been blessed to be able to play 100 straight.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.

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