HAMILTON — With first place in the East on the line, it was the Ottawa REDBLACKS who held on for the win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
With the 30-29 victory, the REDBLACKS held on to the top spot in the East Division, giving themselves a three point cushion over the Tiger-Cats.
Henry Burris scored two majors for the REDBLACKS, while connecting on 26-of-38 passes for 365 yards and one touchdown pass. Ernest Jackson led all receivers, catching 106 yards on five receptions and one touchdown in the Ottawa victory.
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The Tiger-Cats’ first major of the ball game came just over three minutes into the opening quarter. Jeremiah Masoli tossed a 34-yard touchdown pass to Terrence Toliver who jumped and caught it inside the end zone for the score.
The contest’s first points capped a 68-yard, six-play drive in which Masoli rushed once himself while passing off to CJ Gable – who rushed twice for 10 and five yards respectively – and Brandon Banks, who also ran 12 yards out of the backfield.
The REDBLACKS answered Hamilton’s touchdown with a field goal, as Chris Milo booted a 31-yarder, capping a 59-yard, 10-play drive. The score cut the Ticats’ lead to 7-3 at 7:02 of the first quarter.
On Hamilton’s next possession, Masoli and co. started to roll down the field. But it was Jerrell Gavins who stopped them in their tracks, forcing Andy Fantuz to fumble the ball. Taylor Reed recovered the ball for Ottawa to bring Burris and his offence right back onto the field.
The REDBLACKS couldn’t take advantage of the turnover as the Tiger-Cats defence forced Ottawa to punt the ball away.
Following a Tiger-Cats’ two-and-out, Burris plunged into the end zone at 1:49 of the second quarter to score the REDBLACKS’ first major of the evening. With Milo’s point after, the REDBLACKS took a 10-7 lead.
Burris made use of Brad Sinopoli, Ernest Jackson, Greg Ellingson and Mossis Madu to roll his team down the field 53 yards before rushing one-yard himself into the end zone.
Ottawa’s defence forced Masoli and the Tiger-Cats to another two-and-out on their next possession bringing the REDBLACKS’ offence back to the field.
And it was Ottawa’s veteran pivot who scored the REDBLACKS’ second major of the ball game.
The REDBLACKS moved the chains 64 yards in eight plays to set up Burris to dive into the end zone for a five-yard run, his second rushing touchdown of the game. Ottawa held a 17-7 lead after Milo’s point after with 7:44 left in the first half.
The Ticats tried to get something going with five minutes left in the first half, but Andrew Marshall intercepted Masoli, who escaped the pocket and tried to pass on the run, as the Tiger-Cats turned the ball over for the second time.
When the REDBLACKS returned to the field, Burris found Ellingson for a 26-yard gain, and then passed off to Madu to bring Ottawa to the Ticats’ 20-yard line.
Adrian Tracy took down Madu on his next rushing attempt for a loss off five on the play, bringing the REDBLACKS to a second and 13.
John Chick then took down Burris and Larry Dean recovered the ball, bringing the Tabbies offence back to the field.
Masoli first handed off to Gable and then tossed a 26-yard pass to Toliver and an eight yard pass to Junior Collins to start moving the Tabbies down the field. The Hamilton pivot then tried to find Banks in the end zone, but Forrest Hightower intercepted his pass, Masoli’s second pick of the evening.
The REDBLACKS scored a 27-yard field goal on the turnover, with 20 seconds left in the first half, just after Burris passed to Criner, who had the ball slip through his hands in the end zone. Ottawa took a 20-7 lead to the locker room at half time.
Banks returned Medeiros’ punt 27-yards, giving the Tiger-Cats’ offence good field position to start the second half.
After Masoli moved his offence to the Ottawa 10-yard line, Jeff Mathews gained five yards on a quarterback sneak, bringing the Tabbies into scoring position. It was John Chiles, who was wide open near the back of the end zone, that caught a five-yard pass to score the major. Brett Maher’s convert kick was good, cutting the REDBLACKS’ lead to 20-14.
On their next possession, again aided by a 42-yard Banks punt return, the Tiger-Cats kept rolling, scoring their second touchdown of the third quarter.
This time it was Gable, in his first game back since being sidelined with a knee injury, who rushed into the end zone for the major. Following Maher’s convert, the Tiger-Cats regained the lead, 21-20, with four and a half minutes left in the third quarter.
Just when things looked to be going in the Tiger-Cats way, the REDBLACKS responded to Gable’s major with one of their own. Burris tossed a 62-yard pass to Jackson – that was tipped off the top of Mike Daly’s fingers – who bobbled the ball but was able to keep it under control to run into the end zone for the touchdown.
The score, just over a minute after the Tiger-Cats went ahead, gave the REDBLACKS back the lead (27-21).
The Tiger-Cats had plenty of fight left in them, as Masoli found Junior Collins diving in the end zone for another Hamilton major. Masoli completed three passes to Toliver, Collins and Fantuz and Gable rushed for 17 yards to bring the Tabbies into scoring position.
The touchdown pass was Masoli’s third of the evening, and Collins’ first of the season as Hamilton regained a one point lead, after Maher’s convert kick, with nine minutes left in the contest (28-27).
After Burris’ pass to Ellingson, that appeared to be fumbled and recovered by Larry Dean, was challenged and the ruling on the field was changed to an incomplete pass, Milo was forced to kick a 35-yard field goal. The REDBLACKS regained the lead (30-28) with just under six minutes left in the contest.
On the REDBLACKS’ next possession, Tracy had another sack for the Tiger-Cats, taking down Burris with 3:32 left in the game forcing Milo to punt the ball away.
The next Hamilton drive, Maher attempted a 47-yard field goal, but it was missed and conceded a single, to bring the Ticats within a single point with two and a half minutes left in the game (30-29).
The REDBLACKS rolled down the field on their next drive, taking a knee by the end zone for the win.
These two teams meet next week in Ottawa, in the second half of a home-and-home with the division foes. Hamilton will be looking to bounce back while Ottawa hopes to widen the gap.
