BRIDGE SHINES IN ARGOS PRESEASON DEBUT

TORONTO – Brandon Bridge made the most of his first opportunity with the Toronto Argonauts.

The native of Mississauga, Ont., completed 9-of-12 passes for a game-high 142 yards and two TDs to help Toronto dispatch the Montreal Alouettes 45-20 Thursday afternoon in the CFL exhibition opener for both teams. The six-foot-five, 235-pound Bridge signed as a free agent with the Argos after two seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Bridge highlighted an impressive offensive showing for Toronto, which accumulated 510 net yards and finished with five TD passes. Veteran CFL coach Jacques Chapdelaine is in his first season as the club’s offensive co-ordinator.

“In this offence there’s a lot more freedom, there’s a lot more if you see a guy open you can take it,” Bridge said. “I feel like we have a lot of weapons at the receiver position, all we have to do is get them the ball and let them play.

“I’m just very very comfortable in this offence.”

Bridge wasn’t the only Argos quarterback to excel in Chapdelaine’s offence. The six Toronto passers were a combined 27-of-38 passing for 455 yards with six TDs and only one interception.

Veteran McLeod Bethel-Thompson was a solid 6-of-7 passing for 131 yards and two TDs while starter James Franklin completed 3-of-4 attempts for 70 yards and a touchdown. Rookie Michael O’Connor, an Ottawa native, was also an efficient 4-of-5 passing for 29 yards and a scoring strike.

“The nice part about the offence is you don’t necessarily have to call shots for there to be shots,” Franklin said. “It just depends on what the defence gives us and the guys took advantage of that.”

Bridge said it was no accident multiple Argos quarterbacks succeeded Thursday.

“Coach Chapdelaine takes opinions, he asks us what kind of plays we’re comfortable with and that’s how he calls the game,” Bridge said. “I feel that’s why every quarterback was successful because he at least had a list of plays that quarterbacks liked and he called it according to that.”

Bethel-Thompson helped stake Toronto to a commanding 20-0 first-quarter lead. The contest, which began at 11 a.m. ET, was held at Varsity Stadium before 4,314 spectators, most being GTA school children who wildly waved the promotional blue towels they’d received.

The Argos called Varsity Stadium home from 1916 to 1958 and the venue has hosted 30 Grey Cup games.

“It was awesome,” Toronto head coach Corey Chamblin said of the stadium atmosphere. “It really felt like a game, especially when they started waving the towels.

“There was a lot of energy.”

Chamblin was predictably encouraged with his offence.

“We’ve got the athletic talent, we have the ability,” he said. “We just have to turn potential into production like we did today.”

With three Canadian quarterbacks in camp, the possibility exists for Toronto to go with two on their roster. Chamblin said time will dictate exactly what direction the Argos go at the position.

“I just saw Noah (Picton) scramble one time … I saw O’Connor do some good things and Brandon Bridge had a touchdown,” Chamblin said. “So I was able to see something from each one of them.

“I think they have the talent to make a roster so whether it’s having two on our roster or one being on another roster, I know they’ll be playing.”

Toronto and Montreal conclude their pre-season schedules next Thursday. The Argos visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats while the Als will host Ottawa.

Montreal opens its regular season in Edmonton on June 14 while Toronto kicks off its ’19 campaign hosting Hamilton on June 22.

(Canadian Press/Dan Ralph)
(Photo: The Angel Foundation)
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Anonymous
Anonymous
5 years ago

4300 fans, wow, that’s got. To be disapointing

BradyY
BradyY
5 years ago

Here we go, let’s sit back and just wait for all the uninformed idiots to say we should have kept Bridge here. And here they go in 3-2-1

Anonymous
Anonymous
5 years ago

It only seats 4300. Tickets were given away to kids

Anonymous
Anonymous
5 years ago

A few things: …well maybe 1 or 2. 1) I have always prided myself on never needing anyone to tell me what was cool or what was not cool. I was at Rider games when the average was 23,000 and there were ticket-thons. 2007 rolls around and now everyone bleeds green. All aboard and the more the merrier. 2) I was country when country wasn’t cool. I’ve already seen Garth Brooks in concert. Similar to Andre The Giant once you see the spectacle you don’t have to see it again. I’ll be in a lawn chair at Regina Folk Fest… Read more »

Anonymous
Anonymous
5 years ago

Hey boys and girls of Riderville. Can you say Brandon Bridge is a capable CFL starting quarterback? I knew you could.

Mr Rogers

Anonymous
Anonymous
5 years ago

Anon Jerry, the Argos have the most Grey Cups in the history of the CFL…not 15 but 19 so you are a little more informed for next time. Maybe worrying to much on who was cool when and where lol.

Anonymous
Anonymous
5 years ago

Thank for correcting that know it all idiot Jerry. I can assure you pseudonym Y’er Welcome Jerry was never ever kool once in his life. Never!

Anonymous
Anonymous
5 years ago

I don’t know about that I have some pretty good stories heck I even did some stuff that got me banned from my High School Reunion lol . Somehow similar to George Jones (who is kool too by the way) I lived to tell it all. Having said that the new outlook is to be humble and kind. I take no pride that at one time I was even the greatest internet troll who ever walked and it was easy to do that. Anyway I just woke and and setting a trend I’ve decided Garth Brooks is no longer cool.… Read more »

Anonymous
Anonymous
5 years ago

Hi O’duma. Its V8, I also jus awoke. Heard you were around again poking dried sh*t that can’t be stirred. Though I do agree with you today, I find Garth Brooks irrelevant. Anyone who would smash a guitar on stage doesn’t deserve any respect. How dare he destroy a instrument that helped him get to where he’s at now living a comfortable life. Many a poor musician would have happily have taken any one of those guitars and cherished it while making very good use of them.

Sincerly V8

Anonymous
Anonymous
5 years ago

V8, Times change they evolve. Blessed are the peace makers. Having said that regarding Garth Brooks at the end of the day he’s just one of those acts that are massive and I suppose we need to make the pilgrimage to see it to say we seen it. When I seen it I was like….okay…ummm yeah…can I go home now – I watched his recent concert at Notre Dame and I’m sure I had watched that same concert on TV back in the 90s. There is no slagging the guy he does what he does. The one issue I take… Read more »