Saturday Sports: CFL, CEBL, Olympics & More

CFL

Caleb Evans threw a touchdown pass and ran for another as the Montreal Alouettes defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-16 on Friday night.

Evans cemented the win with a 39-yard TD pass to David Dallaire in the fourth quarter that put Montreal (7-1) ahead 27-8. Evans’s strike came on his first play in place of starter Davis Alexander after he was hit hard by Hamilton defensive lineman Casey Sayles, who received a 25-yard penalty on the play.

Alexander returned on Montreal’s next possession and won in his first CFL start. He finished 19-of-27 passing for 262 yards with a TD and interception as Montreal earned a club record-tying seventh straight road victory.

But Evans left the game with a knee injury following a seven-yard run to the Hamilton five-yard line with 2:06 remaining.

With the victory Friday, the Alouettes also won their eighth consecutive contest over the Ticats (six regular season, two playoff games).

Alexander got a helping hand from a Montreal defence that forced three turnovers, including two interceptions.

Hamilton (2-6) suffered its first loss in three games. It was attempting to win three straight for the first time since 2022.

Hamilton quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell was 29-of-42 passing for 240 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions before 20,426 spectators at Tim Hortons Field. Mitchell connected with Tim White on a 26-yard TD pass late in the fourth quarter, then found Shemar Bridges for the two-point convert to cut Montreal’s lead to 27-16.

Montreal’s Walter Fletcher rounded out the scoring with a five-yard touchdown run in the game’s final minutes. Jose Maltos’ 31-yard field goal at the beginning of the fourth quarter had moved the Alouettes ahead 20-8.

The two teams will complete their home-and-home series in Montreal next week on Aug. 10.

Alouettes receiver Charleston Rambo also tallied Friday for Montreal, and Maltos booted three converts and two field goals.

Ticats defensive back Kenneth George Jr. registered Hamilton’s other touchdown, picking off Alexander and running it back 18 yards early in the second quarter. Marc Liegghio added the converts while punter Nik Constantinou had a single.

Edmonton Elks quarterback Tre Ford will look to repeat his performance last season at Mosaic Stadium in Regina when he makes his first start of the season Saturday against the Roughriders. Ford led the Elks over Saskatchewan on September 15th, 2023, by a score of 36-27 and had one passing and one rushing touchdown each. The Elks are winless this season while the Roughriders, at 5-and-2, can move into sole possession of first place in the CFL’s West Division with a win.

OLYMPICS

Canada scored a bronze hat trick on Day 7 of the Paris Olympics. Sophiane Méthot of Varennes, Quebec started the multi-medal day with a third-place showing in women’s trampoline. The bronze haul grew with Felix Auger-Aliassime and Gabriela Dabrowski medalling in mixed doubles tennis, and swimmer Kylie Masse hitting the wall third in the women’s 200-metre backstroke.
A number of Canadian swimmers will be looking to reach the podium today in multiple events. Summer McIntosh and Sydney Pickrem will both be competing in the women’s 200-metre individual medley final, with McIntosh looking for her fourth medal at the Paris Olympics. Meanwhile, Ilya Kharun will be looking for his second medal when he and fellow Canadian Joshua Liendo compete in the men’s 100-metre butterfly final.
The Canada women’s soccer team will begin knockout-stage play today when they face Germany in the quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics today. Canada overcame a six-point penalty from FIFA due to a drone-spying scandal, as the team went undefeated in Group A play. France and Colombia from Group A also made it into the quarterfinals.

MLB

The Toronto Blue Jays defeated the New York Yankees 8-5 on Friday in a game where Aaron Judge hit his MLB-leading 40th home run of the season. It wasn’t enough, though, as Toronto’s Ernie Clement had three early RBIs against former Jay Marcus Stroman, ending the Yankees’ five-game winning streak. New York second baseman Gleyber Torres was benched for not hustling, while Toronto’s George Springer left the game after he bruised his shin on a foul ball.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider says he wasn’t bothered Friday when a segment of fans in Yankee Stadium’s bleachers section started chanting “U-S-A! U-S-A!” during the playing of “O Canada.” Schneider says the late start of the game due to rain may have given fans “a 90-minute head start with the beer” and contributed to the chants. The Jays emerged victorious 8-5.

WCBL

Saskatoon 6 Swift Current 0
Moose Jaw 8 Weyburn 3
Regina 7 Medicine Hat 2
Lethbridge 15 Fort McMurray 7
Okotoks 13 Brooks 5
Sylvan Lake 18 Edmonton 8

CEBL

Despite seeing a first half 18-point lead evaporate down the stretch, the Calgary Surge held on for an 84-82 win over the Winnipeg Sea Bears in the Western Conference Play-In game on Friday.
The Ottawa BlackJacks have arrived in the 2024 CEBL playoffs. Led by Isaih Moore’s 22-point, 10-rebound double-double, the BlackJacks played smothering defence and used a second-half surge to defeat the Scarborough Shooting Stars, 90-73, Friday night at Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinal.

(Canadian Press)