FRIDAY SPORTS PAGE: ELKS FINALLY WIN!

HAMILTON – Playing at Tim Hortons Field agrees with Tre Ford.

Ford threw two touchdown passes as Edmonton defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 24-10 for its first win of the season. And the Elks had to wait for it as the contest was delayed 90 minutes to start the second half due to lightning.

Edmonton (1-9) snapped a club record-tying 13-game winless streak. And Ford, a native of Niagara Falls, Ont., earned his second career victory as a CFL starter at Tim Hortons Field.

Last year, the ’21 Hec Crighton Trophy winner from the University of Waterloo guided Edmonton to a 29-24 road victory over Hamilton in his first CFL start.

“I love coming back here and playing,” said Ford. “Family and friends all come out to support me.

“I didn’t really get to see them all after the game, which is just kind of unfortunate. Maybe next year come back, get another win and another chance for some photos.”

The win comes after a tumultuous seven days for the Elks. Last Thursday, Edmonton surged to a 22-0 lead against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, only to have backup Dru Brown rally the defending West Division champions for a 38-29 road victory.

Then on Tuesday, president/CEO Victor Cui and the community-owned club mutually parted ways. But Ford said despite the turmoil and mounting losses, it hasn’t been tough for Elks players to stay positive.

“I know the guys we have in our room are good dudes and have good character,” Ford said. “Just going out and practising with them every day, it’s good, I have fun.

“I generally enjoy going out there and practising and playing football so there’s definitely a lot of positives to be a quarterback of a professional football team.”

Edmonton head coach/GM Chris Jones wasn’t immediately available following the game.

Taiwan threw a combined perfect game to beat Canada 6-0 on Thursday in its opening game at the Little League World Series.

Jaxon Weir started for Canada and allowed three runs (two earned) over 1 1/3 innings, striking out three and walking one.

Nickson Heilsing gave up three runs, including Fan’s two-run blast, over 1 1/3 innings.

Cresson Malbeuf pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, while Tate Sexsmith allowed one hit and no runs in the sixth and final inning.

Canada, represented by the North Regina Little League team, drops into the elimination half of the international bracket and faces Czechia in a must-win game on Saturday.

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Rick Jeanneret, who will always be regarded as the voice of the Buffalo Sabres after a 51-year broadcasting career, has died at 81. The Sabres released a statement from Jeanneret’s family saying he died with his family by his side following a two-year battle with multi-organ failure. Known as R-J, Jeanneret was a part of Sabres broadcasts on either radio or TV since the 1971-72 season, the franchise’s second, until he retired following the 2021-22 season. He had the longest play-by-play announcing career in NHL history.

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Austin Barnes hit a solo shot in the eighth inning, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers win their 11th in a row with a 1-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. The NL West-leading Dodgers swept the NL Central leaders, outscoring them 14-3 in three games. Barnes hit his first homer since last September and also singled for his first multi-hit game of the season.

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Pete Alonso hit a two-run homer, Jose Quintana won for the first time this season and the New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2. Quintana beat his former team by pitching into the seventh inning. He gave up three hits, including a homer in the seventh to Tyler O’Neill, and two runs.

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NL Cy Young Award contender Zac Gallen beat the San Diego Padres for the second straight start as the Arizona Diamondbacks won 3-1 in the opener of a four-game series between teams trying to keep their wild-card hopes from slipping away. Tommy Pham and former Blue Jays prospect Gabriel Moreno homered for Arizona, which won a third straight game.

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Backup quarterbacks Marcus Mariota of Philadelphia passed for 85 yards and Dorian Thompson-Robinson of Cleveland threw for 164 while starters Jalen Hurts and Deshaun Watson watched from the sidelines as the Eagles and Browns played to an 18-18 tie in an NFL pre-season game that was marred by injuries.

(Canadian Press)