REDBLACKS GET PAST TICATS 21-15
HAMILTON – Rookie Lewis Ward booted seven field goals to lead the Ottawa Redblacks to a 21-15 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday afternoon.
Ottawa (4-2) remained atop the CFL’s East Division and matched the best six-game start in its five-year history. The Redblacks were 4-2 in 2015.
Hamilton (2-4) made it close with Jeremiah Masoli’s 29-yard TD strike to Jalen Saunders at 13:12 of the fourth, narrowing the deficit to 18-15.
But Ottawa receiver Brad Sinopoli recovered the onside kick at the Ticats’ 51-yard line with 1:46 remaining, setting up Ward’s 44-yard field goal with 46 seconds to play. Ward was good on all seven of his field goal tries.
Hamilton returned the ensuing kickoff to its 36-yard like with 39 seconds left and Masoli hit Saunders with a 50-yard completion to the Ottawa 24. But after an incompletion, Masoli was sacked on the game’s final two plays.
Hamilton suffered its third straight loss but remains second in the woeful East. The game was the Ticats’ first against a division rival before a Tim Hortons Field gathering of 23,381.
The Ticats offence struggled mightily once again. Hamilton has just two offensive touchdowns in its last three games as Masoli dropped to 3-8 at Tim Hortons Field.
Ward accounted for all of Ottawa’s second-half points. He booted field goals from 48 and 37 yards out in the third (2:01 and 13:41, respectively) before putting the Redblacks ahead 15-5 after connecting from 35 yards out at 3:18 of the fourth.
Hamilton cut the gap to 15-8 at 8:58 of the fourth on Lirim Hajrullahu’s 17-yard field goal to cap a solid 11-play, 65-yard drive. But Ward hit from 15 yards out at 12:21 to put Ottawa ahead 18-8.
Hajrullahu finished with two field goals, two singles and a convert.
Hamilton controlled the opening half but still trailed 6-5 after Hajrullahu missed his first two attempted field goals from 15 and 31 yards, respectively. The first try was partially deflected at 6:56 of the first and there was some question whether the second was good, but replays indicated it was indeed a miss.
Hajrullahu did connect from 49 yards out at 11:56 of the second, pulling Hamilton to within one at 6-5.
Ward converted both of his attempts in the first half. He opened the scoring from 42 yards out at 3:20 of the first before making a 26-yard to give Ottawa a 6-1 advantage.
Ottawa narrowly missed increasing its lead on Dominique Davis’s third-down Hail Mary pass. R.J. Harris made the catch at the Hamilton two-yard line as time expired.
(Canadian Press)
