Saturday Sports: Stamps Win Bo Levi’s Return

CFL

Chip or no chip in the football, Calgary Stampeders kicker Rene Paredes didn’t care.

The longest-serving player in the lineup at age 39 was a perfect 6-for-6 in field goals with his longest from 52 yards in Calgary’s 32-24 win Friday over the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the CFL season-opener for both teams.  Paredes contributed 20 points to Calgary’s first win of 2024 with his foot, including kicks from 43, 42, 37, 36, and 25 yards, plus two converts.

The CFL announced earlier Friday that teams can decide before each game whether punters and kickers will boot a football with a microchip in it to generate real-time stats.

“I’m not talking about it. I’m over it,” Paredes said. “It’s been settled.”

Calgary’s quarterback Jake Maier had more receiver support via some acrobatic catches than Hamilton counterpart Bo Levi Mitchell, who was hampered by couple drops by targets, in Mitchell’s first game at McMahon Stadium since Calgary traded him in November 2022.

Mitchell was 27-for-38 in passing for 300 yards, a touchdown throw and one interception. The two-time winner of the league’s most outstanding player award during his decade in Calgary was pulled on the final drive of the first half for concussion protocol, but returned to start the second half.

“There were some good plays and there were some timing things that we’ve got to clean up, but they’re things that are easy to fix,” Mitchell said.

NHL

The Stanley Cup final begins tonight! The Edmonton Oilers open the title series against the Florida Panthers. The Oilers are looking to win their sixth Cup — and first since 1990 — after last making the championship showdown in 2006 when they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.

MLB

J-J Bleday hit the first pitch of the ninth inning from Chad Green over the right-field wall to give the Oakland Athletics a 2-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. Toronto starter Chris Bassitt’s wild pitch against his former club allowed Oakland’s Max Schuemann to score the first run of the game in the sixth. Bo Bichette tied it with an RBI single in the seventh.

WCBL

Sylvan Lake 6 Edmonton 4
Saskatoon 4 Weyburn 2
Swift Current 5 Moose Jaw 1
Regina 15 Fort McMurray 9
Medicine Hat 7 Brooks 6
Lethbridge 10 Okotoks 4

CEBL

It was clear from the first possessions of the game that both the Brampton Honey Badgers and Saskatchewan Rattlers were desperate for a win.
 
In the end, though, it was the Rattlers who came out victorious.
 
Jalen Harris surpassed 500 career regular-season CEBL points with 26 on the night as the Rattlers topped the Honey Badgers 76-69 on Friday at the CAA Centre in Brampton, Ont.

Elsewhere the Vancouver Bandits topped the Surge in Calgary 70-65.

(CP, CEBL Comms)