STAMPEDERS 23 TIGER-CATS 20

HAMILTON – Kicker Rene Paredes could only trust in his form as he battled the gusting winds.

Paredes made two field goals in the final minute of the game to lead the Calgary Stampeders 23-20 over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in CFL action Friday night.

With the wind at his back, Paredes hit a 37-yard walk-off field goal after making a 46-yarder to tie the game with 48 seconds left. The game began with winds recorded at 57 kilometres per hour – enough to keep the uprights swaying throughout.

“Every kick is hard and not every kick is going to go in, especially in these conditions,” Paredes said. “I just had to trust my swing and if they give me a chance to win the game, or tie the game, it doesn’t matter”

Calgary improves to 11-3, tops in the CFL West, while Hamilton drops to 8-5 and a share of first place with Ottawa in the East.

The game breaker for Hamilton ultimately came when it couldn’t do anything with the ball once Calgary had tied the score 20-20. Ticat kicker Justin Medlock punted the ball 10 yards into the wind. Combined with a no-yards penalty, Calgary got the ball on the Hamilton 39, ran it to the 30 on the next play and set up Paredes’ game-winner.

Brandon Banks scored on an 83-yard punt return, his fourth of the season, and quarterback Jeff Mathews had a one-yard rushing TD for Hamilton. Calgary receiver Marquay McDaniel nabbed an eight-yard TD pass from Mitchell for the Stamps’ lone touchdown after taking advantage of Banks’ fumble on a punt return at the Hamilton 15 in the second quarter.

Calgary’s Jon Cornish rushed for 90 yards.

Hamilton had four turnovers to Calgary’s one.

Mathews was making his first CFL start and the 24-year-old rookie had a rough time, completing 15 of 23 pass attempts for a 155 yards, one interception and one fumble. He also rushed for the offence’s lone TD. He only had 36 passing yards in the first half. Mathews was replacing Zach Collaros, who went down two weeks ago with a knee injury against Edmonton.

“The turnovers obviously killed us,” said Hamilton head coach Kent Austin. “The difference in the ball game was the third quarter. We were down in the scoring area twice. We fumbled on one and missed a field goal on another. That was a minimum of six points and that’s the ball game.”

(The Canadian Press)