The latest highlight in Brett Lauther’s career was a surreal moment for the Saskatchewan Roughriders kicker.
Lauther’s 34-yard field goal in the second overtime mini game lifted the Riders to a 33-30 victory over the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL’s West semifinal Sunday in Regina.
Both teams kicked field goals in their initial overtime possessions to make the score 30-30.
Calgary had the ball first in the second overtime and kicker Rene Paredes missed a 44-yard field goal, giving the Riders the opportunity to win the game on their possession.
After two runs by William Powell, Lauther kicked the game-winning field goal which sent the Riders (9-5 in the regular season) to the West final in Winnipeg on Dec. 5 against the first-place Blue Bombers (11-3 in the regular season).
After Lauther’s kick went through the uprights, focus shifted to a penalty flag in the Winnipeg backfield. Had the penalty gone against the Riders, Lauther would’ve been forced into a second attempt after sprinting down the field following his initial attempt.
WATCH l Riders sink Stamps in OT to advance to West final:
Roughriders edge Stampeders in overtime, advance to Western Final
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Brett Lauther of Truro, N.S. converted on a 34-yard field goal attempt in overtime to ice the game. The 33-30 win punched Saskatchewan’s ticket to the CFL Western Final against Winnipeg next weekend. 1:00
The field goal stood as Calgary was penalized for rough play.
“I did a double take to make sure it actually did go in and then after that I saw the flag, I was just like, there’s no way it’s on us,” said Lauther, who connected on four-of-five field goal attempts. “I was just hoping that we didn’t really have to redo it but I was also just trying to stop my heart rate for a second in case I had to go back up there.”
Riders quarterback Cody Fajardo knew that Lauther wasn’t about to miss the potential game-winning kick.
“I’ve got all the trust in the world that ‘Money’ Lauther is going make a play for us,” said Fajardo. “He’s one of those guys that felt like he got snubbed as an all-star as well and went out there and performed a clutch kick for us.
“I told the guys in the huddle, we’re going run the ball twice, Brett’s going to come in and kick the game-winning field goal and we’re all going to be excited about it. That’s exactly what happened.”
Lauther, in his third season with the Riders, admitted this was a milestone game in his career but his main concern was helping the Riders get to the next level after recent playoff setbacks.
‘This province deserves so much’
“I feel like it definitely is up there. I mean, it’s playoffs,” said Lauther. “We’ve been winning in the regular season but we haven’t got the job done in playoffs and especially at home. I don’t think anyone’s had more home playoff games in the last couple years and had more regular season wins. I wanted to right some wrongs and get a win.
“I don’t even care about that I take the game-winner or whatever. I just wanted to win this game so bad for the fans and the coaches and the whole organization from top to bottom, like this province deserves so much.”
Paredes forced overtime when he connected on a 47-yard field goal with 59 seconds left in regulation time. He hit 44-of-48 field-goal attempts in the regular season but struggled Sunday, converting five of his eight field-goal attempts.
Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson wasn’t about the let the loss fall at Paredes’ feet alone.
“He made a couple of clutch ones late, some deep bombs… I’ll go to bat with him every game,” said Dickenson. “You know, they weren’t gimmes.”
While the game had an exciting ending, it was a sloppy effort at times with the teams combining for eight turnovers, six of which came in the first half.
Fajardo was intercepted four times while Bo Levi Mitchell was picked off twice. The Stampeders also turned the ball over once on downs and lost one fumble.
Fajardo was incredulous about the Riders being able to win despite his four interceptions.
“If you had told me going in this game that I’d four picks and we would have won, I would have told you you’re psychotic,” said Fajardo.
Jonathan Moxey had three interceptions for the Stampeders with Jameer Thurman collecting one pick. Ed Gainey had two interceptions for the Riders.
Fajardo went 22 of 33 for 189 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions. His biggest contribution was with his legs, as he gained 89 yards on 10 carries.
Mitchell was 26 of 36 for 285 yards and two interceptions. Tailback Ka’Deem Carey had a strong game, gaining 117 yards on 22 carries while scoring two touchdowns for Calgary.
Jamal Morrow had an impressive game returning kicks for the Riders. In the first half Morrow returned a missed field goal for a touchdown that was nullified by a penalty. Paredes was wide left with the attempt, which Morrow fielded deep in the end zone. After juking past a defender at the goal line, Morrow found a seam up the sideline and scored untouched on a 124-yard run.
Morrow did get on the scoresheet in the second quarter on an electrifying punt return. Fielding the ball on the Saskatchewan 41-yard line, Morrow cut to the wide side of the field and went untouched down the sideline for a 69-yard touchdown.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Restricted free agent forward Isaac Okoro has agreed to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Okoro’s new deal is worth $38 million, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed or announced by the team.
ESPN.com first reported the agreement, citing Okoro’s representation.
The fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, Okoro is Cleveland’s best perimeter defender, often drawing the assignment of guarding the opponent’s top scorer. Okoro also has worked to improve his offensive game.
The 23-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 69 games — 42 starts — last season for the Cavs, who beat Orlando in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to eventual champion Boston.
Okoro shot a career-best 39% on 3-pointers, forcing teams to come out and guard him.
His agreement caps an extraordinarily busy summer for the Cavs that began with coach J.B. Bickerstaff being fired and replaced by Kenny Atkinson. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year, $150 million extension in July, ending months of speculation that he wanted out of Cleveland.
Also, power forward Evan Mobley signed a five-year, $224 deal and center Jarrett Allen signed a three-year, $91 million extension.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.
Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.
In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.
Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.
Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.
He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.
The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.
Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.
He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.
George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.
Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.
In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.
St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
ON DECK
Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.
The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
