CALGARY — A game-time decision to start for the B.C. Lions on Thursday, quarterback Mike Reilly led his team to a 15-9 win over the Calgary Stampeders.
Reilly completed 26-of-33 passes for 342 yards and ran for a one-yard touchdown as the Lions (1-1) bounced back from a Week 1 road loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
“To be able to come in there and get a win is huge,” said Reilly, who’s nursing a sore elbow. “It felt great early in the game.”
Takeru Yamasaki kicked a pair of field goals and a single for B.C., while James Butler ran for a two-point convert.
Looking to rebound from an opening week loss at home to the Toronto Argonauts, the Stampeders (0-2) had trouble all game generating any offence against the Lions and had to settle for three field goals by Rene Paredes. Calgary hadn’t lost two straight games to start a season since 2009.
“We can’t fault our effort,” said Calgary coach Dave Dickenson. “It’s not enough in pro sports. I get it. They’re still playing hard. It’s just not a good quality product at this time. All I can say is we’ve got to put our heads down and start getting better as a team. Tonight wasn’t a great performance from any group. We hung in there, but that’s just not good enough.”
Nursing a calf injury, quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell went 21-for-38 for 290 yards. He also threw four interceptions – for the first time in his CFL career – and the Stamps turned the ball over on downs once.
“I think they had a good front,” said Mitchell in regards to B.C.’s defence. “They did a good job getting pressure at times. I kind of ruined some drives there that we had.
“We’ll go look at it together and just learn from our mistakes and learn from the things that are causing the bad plays and just continue to find a way to right this ship.”
After going two-and-out on their first drive, the Lions had much better success marching down the field the second time around as Reilly completed four straight passes to four different receivers to get deep into Calgary territory.
Unfortunately for the Lions, they had to settle for a single as Yamasaki missed a 22-yard field goal wide to the left.
The Stamps then threatened to score on their next drive as Hergy Mayala hauled in a 14-yard catch from Mitchell, before the Calgary QB tossed a 35-yard strike to Richie Sindani for a big gain. After running back Ka’Deem Carey was brought down just short of a first down, the B.C. defence stood tall and forced the Stamps to turn the ball over on downs.
“A lot of offences should be looking out for us,” said Lions defensive back Marcus Sayles, who had five tackles and an interception.
Yamasaki booted a 20-yard field goal as time expired in the first quarter to put B.C. up 4-0 before Paredes responded with a 48-yard kick through the uprights at 2:02 of the second quarter to get the Stamps on the scoreboard.
Reilly then capped off a six-play, 75-yard drive at the five-minute mark of the second by plunging into the end zone for a one-yard run. Butler scampered three yards across the goal line for a two-point convert to give the visitors a 12-3 lead.
Calgary had a great chance to get back in the game in the third quarter when Royce Metchie forced a fumble by B.C. receiver and former Stampeder Lemar Durant. Jonathan Moxey recovered the ball on the B.C. 40-yard line, but two plays later Lions linebacker Bo Lokombo picked off an errant pass by Mitchell to end the threat.
The Stamps managed to put together an eight-play, 51-yard drive late in the third quarter and into the fourth, but had to settle for another 48-yard field goal by Paredes.
After Yamasaki kicked a 29-yard field goal to give the Lions a 15-6 lead, the Stamps marched into the B.C. red zone once again, but the drive ended when KiAnte Hardin leapt in the air to pick off a pass by Mitchell in the end zone that was intended for Mayala.
“That was amazing,” said Reilly of Hardin’s athletic abilities. “Our defence played phenomenal.”
Paredes kicked his third field goal of the game, from 20 yards out, with 2:47 remaining on the clock to pull the Stamps within six points.
The Stamps had one last chance to win the game on the final play of the game, but Mitchell couldn’t find an open receiver in the end zone on his desperation toss from midfield.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 12, 2021.
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.
