CFL FRIDAY: TICATS, LIONS VICTORIOUS
HAMILTON – Seth Small’s 30-yard field goal on the final play of the game earned the Hamilton Tiger-Cats an exciting 30-27 victory over the Ottawa Redblacks on a windy Friday night.
Small’s boot, his fifth of the CFL contest, capped a 45-yard, six-play drive into a brisk 30-kilometre wind that blew consistently throughout the night. It was engineered by backup Matt Shiltz, who had a key 25-yard run on the drive.
Hamilton (7-10) moved ahead of Saskatchewan (6-10) in the battle for the third and final East Division playoff spot. The Roughriders take on the Calgary Stampeders (10-6) on Saturday night.
Regardless of what the Riders do, though, Hamilton can clinch the third playoff seed with a win next week in Ottawa. The Redblacks, who were eliminated from post-season contention with the loss, are 0-8 this season at TD Place.
Ottawa’s Caleb Evans set a single-season CFL record for most rushing TDs by a quarterback. He ran for two scores, giving him 15 before a Tim Hortons Field sellout of 24,062 spectators.
Evans broke the CFL record of 14 set in 1991 by B.C.’s Doug Flutie and later tied in 2018 by Toronto’s James Franklin.
EDMONTON – Keon Hatcher, James Butler and Antonio Pipkin all recorded touchdowns as the B.C. Lions secured a home playoff date with a 31-14 victory over the Edmonton Elks on Friday.
The Lions, now 12-5, will finish second in the CFL’s West Division, earning the right to host their first playoff game since 2016 and just their second since 2012.
The horrific home disadvantage streak of losses for the Elks (4-14) will carry into the off-season. Edmonton has now lost a CFL record 17 consecutive games at home going back to 2019.
The Elks couldn’t have asked for a better start to the game as Mike Dubuisson recovered a Lions’ fumble on the opening kickoff. Rookie Canadian quarterback Tre Ford was then able to connect on a seven-yard touchdown pass to Dillon Mitchell with the game just over two minutes old.
The Lions matched that midway through the first on a subsequent long drive, capped off by a seven-yard TD toss from Vernon Adams Jr. to Hatcher.
B.C. started the second quarter with a 35-yard Sean Whyte field goal.
(Canadian Press)
