Friday Sports: 3rd String QB Stymies Riders

Third-string quarterback Davis Alexander threw two touchdowns in relief Thursday as Montreal rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to defeat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 20-16 at Percival Molson Stadium. 

“You never know when it’s gonna be your time,” he said. “Your mind’s racing a little bit. It’s a moment you’ve been waiting for your whole life, but you just gotta trust your preparation.”

The third-year pivot out of Portland State finished 15-of-18 passing for 178 yards and those two scores — his first in the CFL — to help Montreal improve to a league-best 6-1 on the season. 

Saskatchewan starter Shea Patterson was 21-of-33 passing for 222 yards as the Roughriders dropped to 5-2 following a clash of division leaders. Frankie Hickson rushed 16 times for 117 yards and a TD. 

With veteran starter Cody Fajardo on the six-game injured list and backup Caleb Evans struggling with just 91 yards on 9-of-17 passing through 30 minutes, Alexander took over coming out of the break with Montreal trailing 16-3. 

Roughriders kicker Brett Lauther hit the upright on a 53-yard field goal attempt that would have given Saskatchewan the lead with 11:44 left in the fourth. 

Jose Maltos converted a field goal from 21 yards out to push the Alouettes’ lead to 20-16 with 4:21 left to play before Montreal’s defence held firm late. 

MORE CFL

• McLeod Bethel-Thompson is on the CFL’s naughty list. The Edmonton Elks quarterback has been fined an undisclosed amount after criticizing the schedule for a second time this season. Bethel-Thompson let loose after Edmonton and Ottawa each played on five days’ rest last week. It marked the second time this season Bethel-Thompson has ripped the league over Elks having to play games five days apart, and been fined. Also Winnipeg linebacker Adam Bighill was fined for a late hit on Saskatchewan quarterback Shea Patterson in Week 7.
• The Ottawa Redblacks look to stay perfect at home tonight when they host the Calgary Stampeders as Week 8 of the CFL season continues. Ottawa is 3-and-0 at T-D Place in 2024, and sits 4-and-2 overall following consecutive 4-and-14 campaigns. The Stampeders are 3-and-3, but have yet to win on the road.

OLYMPICS

• Canada will have to defend its Olympic gold medal in women’s soccer minus the team’s head coach. The Canadian Olympic Committee removed Bev Priestman from the role for the remainder of the Paris Games following a Canada Soccer suspension amid a drone spying scandal. Two Canadian staffers were sent home earlier this week after New Zealand complained two of its practices had drones hovering overhead. Canada opened the tournament with a 2-1 victory over New Zealand. 
• Canadian sprint star Andre De Grasse and weightlifter Maude Charron are set to lead the country’s flotilla down the River Seine as flag-bearers during a unique opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics. Athletes will be on boats during the Games’ marquee curtain-raising spectacle instead of the usual march into a stadium.

MLB

Add another ugly loss to the Blue Jays’ ledger. Taj Bradley pitched six shutout innings and allowed just two hits in the Tampa Bay Rays’ 13-0 dismantling of Toronto. Last in the American League East at 46-and-56, the Jays open a three-game weekend series with the Texas Rangers Friday night.

WCBL

Lethbridge 7 Moose Jaw 6
Weyburn 4 Medicine Hat 3
Brooks 15 Edmonton 1
Okotokos 19 Regina 8
Saskatoon 9 Swift Current 3

CEBL

Despite trailing by as many as eight points in Target Score Time, the Ottawa BlackJacks (8-10) came back to pick up a 98-92 win over the Saskatchewan Rattlers (6-13) on Thursday night. The win, combined with a Brampton Honey Badgers loss just 30 minutes later, clinched a playoff berth for the BlackJacks. They are now locked in to face the Shooting Stars in Scarborough in the Eastern Conference Play-In on August 2.

Elsewhere Vancouver topped Brampton 108-83 and Calgary got past Winnipeg 87-83.

NHL

The Philadelphia Flyers signed All-Star Travis Konecny to an eight-year extension worth $70 million, committing to him being a long-term part of their core as they seek to shift from rebuilding mode to contending. The deal announced Thursday keeps Konecny under contract through 2033. He will count $8.75 million against the salary cap starting when it kicks in for the 2025-26 NHL season, which would make him Philadelphia’s highest-paid player. On a video call with reporters, Konecny described his decision as a no-brainer given what he sees as the organization’s trajectory.

NFL

• OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys started training camp in Oxnard, Calif., on Thursday with contractual uncertainty around quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and linebacker Micah Parsons, but owner and general manager Jerry Jones is more worried about getting over the hump in the playoffs than resolving those financials questions. The Cowboys have reached the postseason in three straight seasons, but lost 48-32 to the Green Bay Packers in an NFC wild-card game at home in January. They have not reached the NFC title game since winning the Super Bowl after the 1995 season.
• LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens has arranged to take leave from training camp and is heading to Paris Monday night to watch his wife Simone Biles compete for the U.S. gymnastics team. Owens, who signed with Chicago in free agency after a year in Green Bay, didn’t get the chance to see Biles compete at the last Olympics due to the pandemic. He has the support of Bears coaches, players and management.

(CP, CEBL)