Sweet revenge for the Als for their 8th win of the season
By Richard Obrand,
MontrealAlouettes.com
Montreal – It couldn’t have been scripted any better.
How fitting that Avon Cobourne, who just one week ago was at the nucleus of the most controversial story to hit the CFL this season, be the difference-maker in the much-anticipated rematch.
Playing in front of a 91st consecutive sell-out crowd at Percival Molson Stadium, the Alouettes (8-2-0) overcame a BC comeback by orchestrating one of their own, beating the Lions (4-6-0) in Sunday afternoon’s Labour Day Weekend rematch, 28-24.
Following the controversial ending to last week’s meeting, the Als showed no signs of being concerned with “what could have been” and put together a solid and deserved victory.
With expectations of a flat-out grudge match between the two clubs given the circumstances surrounding it, the Als and Lions battled to a scoreless tie in the first quarter, with the game’s first points arriving just midway into the second frame.
A determined Anthony Calvillo found the electrifying Jamel Richardson in the end zone for one of his patented circus catches, giving the Als a 7-0 lead and putting the 20,202 on hand into a frenzy. Over the past two weeks, it seems as though the Calvillo-to-Richardson spark that fans were treated to in 2008 has been re-ignited, as the two superstars have connected for 248 yards and a touchdown on 16 passes.
Richardson’s touchdown was his third of the season.
The Als headed into the locker room leading 13-3, after kickers Damon Duval and Sean Whyte exchanged field goals to end the first half. Duval finished the afternoon a perfect two-for-two, and added a 49-yard single late in the fourth quarter to bring the Als within three of the Lions.
Then, trailing 24-21 with just over a minute remaining, Calvillo put together a perfect drive, concluding with Cobourne’s score with 49.2 seconds left on the clock, thrusting the Als into a 28-24 lead – one they would not surrender.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Als received some help from a few youngsters in Shea Emry and De’Audra Dix.
Starting in his first CFL game thanks to a Mark Estelle injury, Dix intercepted a Jarious Jackson offering and nearly returned it downfield for a touchdown, while Emry recorded the first sack of his sophomore season.
Notes
Anwar Stewart registered his 51st career sack on the last play of the game to draw within one of Elfrid Payton’s team record… Anthony Calvillo broke the 300 yards-passing mark for the fourth time this season… He also added 43 yards and a touchdown on the ground… Jamel Richardson had over 100 yards receiving for a second-straight game… The Alouettes played in front of a 91st-consecutive sellout crowd at Percival Molson Stadium in their 100th game since returning downtown in 1998.
The Als will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in next Sunday, Sept. 20 at 1 p.m. (RDSHD, TSNHD, CKAC SPORTS, CJAD 800 AM, 98.5 FM)
