By Richard Obrand,
MontrealAlouettes.com
Montreal Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman describes every CFL season as a journey, proclaiming that with every journey comes its highs and lows, its valleys and its mountains.
For the 2009 version of the Alouettes, the early stages of their 20-game journey began on an extremely high, yet difficult slope.
After an opening day revenge-filled win over the then defending champion Stampeders at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium, Anthony Calvillo and the Alouettes continued along their path, finding themselves at home in front of their own fans for the first time since their Grey Cup defeat the previous November.
Playing against one of their most familiar and difficult opponents in Ricky Ray, the Als put together a dominant effort in front of a sold out crowd of 20,202 winning their homecoming 50-16.
Calvillo continued his strong start to the season, completing 75 per cent of his passes and throwing for 343 yards and two touchdowns, while adding a four-yard rushing major in the second quarter. SJ Green took advantage of Jamel Richardson’s illness by catching five passes for 113 yards and a touchdown.
With a second dominating victory over a Western opponent – a feat that proved to be daunting just a season before – the perspective on the Alouettes began to shift from perhaps not only being Beasts of the East, but the same of the CFL as a whole.
The Als improved to 3-0-0 with another impressive victory over a Western opponent a game later, beating the Roughriders 43-10 in Regina. It was a milestone day for Calvillo as the future Hall of Famer tied legendary pivot Ron Lancaster for second on the all-time touchdown passes list with 333.
Calvillo would eventually eclipse Lancaster’s record the next week on a 48-yard pass to the now-healthy Richardson who was making his debut in the 21-8 win over the visiting Tiger-Cats.
Now sitting at 4-0-0, the Als had the country abuzz over their authority of their first four opponents.
While it may have been just four games at the start of a long wearisome season, Trestman had his group filled with quiet confidence, the type usually contained by champions.
However, they still had a long way to go before they reached their target at the peak of the mountain.
