The Ottawa REDBLACKS took down the Toronto Argonauts in front of a wet – but boisterous – hometown crowd, cashing two points with the 41-27 win.
The REDBLACKS enjoyed plenty of first-quarter success, which was kicked off just over three minutes into the contest, with Damon Webb picking off a Chad Kelly screen pass, and taking it back for a major, opening the scoring in a big way.
Ottawa’s defence flexed their muscles once again on the very next play from scrimmage, with Brandin Dandridge getting an interception of his own, which the REDBLACKS capitalized on, with a 37-yeard field goal to push their lead to 10. Then, both teams traded field goals back and forth, before another big splash play from Ottawa’s defence.
Webb took advantage of an off-target throw, corralling his second interception of the game, and running it back 96 yards for a major, the first time in REDBLACKS team history they’ve scored a pair of pick-sixes in a single game.
Less than five minutes later, the offence got in on the party, as Dru Brown found Andre Miller over the middle for a 50-yard catch-and-run, scoring his first CFL touchdown in a big way.
Before the end of the half, the REDBLACKS added a single point on a long punt, and with time winding down, they converted on a first-and-20 to give Lewis Ward a chance at a 51-yard kick, which he hit, putting his side up 31-3 at the break.
As good of a football team as Toronto is this season, a fightback was to be expected, and they got it going early in the second half, with Tommy Nield hitting paydirt. The REDBLACKS answered back shortly after, however, with Khalan Laborn scampering up the middle for a 33-yard score, his first in the CFL, making it three Ottawa players hitting the milestone.
The Argos scored next with another field goal, and tacked on a major and a two-point conversion soon thereafter, but still faced a large deficit as the game clock wound down in the fourth quarter. Ward pushed Ottawa’s lead back up to 20 points with seven minutes left to play.
Still fighting, Toronto marched the length of the field to score a touchdown with less than a minute to go, but it was for not, with Dominique Rhymes securing the ensuing onside kick, practically ending the game.
With the win, the REDBLACKS have extended their lead for second place in the East Division to five points with six games to go, and sit three points back of the Montreal Alouettes for the top spot.
The REDBLACKS are back on the field next Saturday, when they travel to Hamilton for a 3 p.m. meeting with the Tiger-Cats.
