OTTAWA CLINCHES FIRST, DOWNS HAMILTON 30-13
HAMILTON – Trevor Harris threw three TD passes as the Ottawa Redblacks clinched first in the East Division with a 30-13 road win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on a cold, wet and windy Saturday night.
Harris cemented the win with a 79-yard bomb to Diontae Spencer at 10:44 of the third quarter, putting Ottawa ahead 27-13. It came before an the announced Tim Hortons Field gathering of 23,329 but no more than 3,000 took in the contest, which was played in steady rain and a brisk 34-kilometre-an-hour wind.
Harris was 23-of-30 passing for 267 yards before giving way to Dominique Davis in the fourth.
Ottawa (10-7) earned its fifth straight win at Tim Hortons Field and swept the three-game season series with Hamilton. More importantly, the Redblacks captured first in the East for the third time in four years, rendering next weekend’s regular-season finale with Toronto meaningless to the overall standings.
The Redblacks host the East final Nov. 18.
Ottawa slotback Brad Sinopoli had two reasons to celebrate. The 30-year-old Peterborough, Ont., native had seven receptions for 56 yards to break Ben Cahoon’s record for most catches in a season by a Canadian (112 in ’03).
(The Canadian Press)
