Calgary –
After scoring a landing to place an exclamation level on a 28-11 win for his Montreal Alouettes over the Calgary Stampeders, William Stanback breathed a sigh of reduction.
The 29-year-old working again from Hempstead, N.Y., had motive to really feel nervous earlier than stepping onto the sphere at McMahon Stadium in entrance of twenty-two,321 followers on Saturday afternoon.
In spite of everything, it was right here the place he broke his ankle in a season-opening 30-27 loss to the Stampeders on June 9, 2022, earlier than subsequently lacking the subsequent 13 video games.
“It feels nice,” stated Stanback, who caught a five-yard landing cross from beginning Montreal quarterback Cody Fajardo to cap off an eight-play, 60-yard drive late within the fourth quarter. “It’s unbelievable. Individually, for me, it’s one thing that I’ve no phrases to essentially clarify.
“Having the damage final yr, having the ability to come again on this area with all of the butterflies I had earlier than the kickoff, I had a variety of issues working by means of my thoughts — a bit of nervous, to be sincere with you.”
Along with catching 4 passes for 19 yards, Stanback was a power on the bottom as he carried the ball 14 instances for 81 yards.
“On the finish, having the ability to discover Stanback, he labored so onerous all evening and so to have it dialed up and for it to work out to get him a landing was huge,” stated Fajardo, who accomplished 22 of 29 passes for 252 yards.
Backup quarterback Caleb Evans ran for a pair of touchdowns for the Alouettes (7-7), who snapped a four-game dropping streak.
“For all of the red-zone inefficiency that we’ve had this yr, we don’t care who scores down there so long as we are able to rating touchdowns,” stated Fajardo, who referred to Evans as a landing vulture. “I imagine that was the most important half in that recreation was that we had been capable of end.”
David Cote kicked a pair of area targets, whereas Joseph Zema booted a single for the Alouettes, who led 11-8 after two quarters of play.
“I’m completely satisfied and happy with the fellows as a result of going 30 days with no win, it will get onerous,” stated Montreal coach Jason Maas. “What I like about our group is we simply keep centered on the current, we love coming to work on daily basis, however it’s sweeter to come back to work after a win, no query about that.
“If you come into somebody’s constructing on the highway and have the ability to carry out at a excessive degree and win these video games, they’re further particular.”
Reggie Begelton had a receiving landing for the Stampeders (4-10), who misplaced their second straight recreation to fall additional out of the playoff image within the CFL’s West Division.
“This one bought away from us, for positive,” stated Calgary coach Dave Dickenson. “Our guys fought, simply not ok at this level. We couldn’t get any performs. We bought down within the tight areas a number of instances and couldn’t come away with any factors and we couldn’t cease them on the finish.
“They’re combating. I’m not saying that anybody is giving up, however we’ve bought to create that power, create momentum and we’re not doing it.”
Rene Paredes kicked a area purpose for the Stamps, whereas Cody Grace had a single.
It was Calgary’s fifth loss in seven begins at McMahon Stadium
An important early drive by Calgary ended abruptly when former Stampeder Shawn Lemon picked off an errant cross by quarterback Jake Maier.
“Shawn Lemon made a fantastic play,” stated Maier of his former teammate. “Proper place, proper time. That was a little bit of a momentum killer there, however nice play by him.”
Neither crew was capable of get something going till Fajardo led the Alouettes on an 11-play, 99-yard drive that ended at 3:45 of the second quarter when Evans scampered into the top zone for a three-yard rating.
The Stamps tied issues up with 2:21 remaining within the first half when Begelton hauled in a brief cross from Maier and ran 4 yards into the top zone to cap off a nine-play, 74-yard scoring drive.
After Zema booted a 67-yard single at 13:08 of the second quarter, Grace replied with a 60-yard rouge of his personal 47 seconds later.
Cote then rounded out the first-half scoring at 14:33 when he kicked a 45-yard area purpose to present Montreal an 11-8 lead.
Paredes had an opportunity to tug Calgary again right into a tie simply earlier than the intermission, however his 48-yard area purpose try into the wind sailed huge to the fitting.
Early within the third quarter, Calgary defensive again Nick Statz made a pleasant diving catch to choose off a Fajardo cross after which ran it again to the Montreal 51-yard line.
Regardless of driving the ball all the way down to the four-yard line, the Stamps weren’t capable of capitalize as Montreal security Marc-Antoine Dequoy picked off one other errant cross by Maier in the long run zone.
The Alouettes then capitalized on the turnover by occurring a six-play 80-yard drive that culminated with a one-yard TD run by Evans to present Montreal an 18-8 lead.
After Paredes kicked a 27-yard area purpose at 1:04 of the fourth quarter, Cote responded with one from 35 yards out at 6:16.
The errors and missed alternatives continued for the Stamps within the fourth quarter. After catching an 18-yard cross from Maier, Begelton fumbled the ball and it was recovered by Montreal linebacker Tyrice Beverette to finish one other Calgary drive.
As soon as once more, the Alouettes capitalized on the pricey turnover as Stanback rounded out the scoring along with his TD.
“It was nice and it was loopy that the landing was on the identical finish zone (the place he suffered his damage final season), so it’s only a fantastic feeling,” Stanback stated. “Particularly to have a win after 4 dropping video games, it means loads for us as a complete.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Sept. 23, 2023.
