Fraser Caldwell
Ticats.ca
The Tiger-Cats have notched that elusive first win against their most hated rival.
The 36-27 defeat of the nemesis Argonauts was hardly a foregone conclusion, despite the Black and Gold’s 16-point halftime lead. The Toronto outfit mounted a spirited comeback that brought the Boatmen within two points early in the final quarter. But with a deep, time-consuming drive a necessity, Henry Burris took the game firmly by its proverbial horns.
The Tiger-Cats veteran pivot twice escaped a collapsing pocket to secure lengthy first downs and march his team toward the end zone, where Bakari Grant would reel in a much-needed measure of insurance.
Once the result had been sealed, Burris spoke of his relief and satisfaction with the victory, uncertain though it was. He argued that it was his offensive unit’s ability to collectively loosen in the second half that salvaged the effort.
“It’s so good to get that first one under your belt,” said the Ticats quarterback. “It wasn’t the prettiest win tonight, but we were able to do enough to get the job done. On the offensive side, we’ve got to do a much better job in the second and third quarters. It seemed like after we got stopped a few times, we just tensed up and didn’t play and have fun like we’re used to playing.
“It’s like when the first guy in the huddle laughed in the second half, we were able to get a good drive, get the ball down the field and put it in the end zone. We’ve just got to get more consistent, and it’s still a work in progress.”
While Burris’ legs proved invaluable in the late going, it was receiver Chris Williams’ motor that propelled the Tiger-Cats’ offensive showing in the opening half. After recording a touchdown reception in the first quarter, Williams embarked on a legendary second frame.
He hinted at the brilliance ahead when he fielded an early Noel Prefontaine punt and turned a momentary seam into a scorching 89-yard touchdown. But the real show would wait until the very last play of the half.
There, Prefontaine would once again be victimized by the sophomore Ticat receiver. When the Argonaut kicker pulled a 46-yard field goal attempt wide of the uprights, Williams took hold of the ball and wriggled his way out of the end zone. A few crucial cuts later Williams was in the open field, and a final burst of speed took him to the house for yet another visit.
The play extended the Tiger-Cats’ lead at the break to 16 points, and firmly returned momentum to the Black and Gold. In the wake of the team’s eventual victory, both Head Coach George Cortez and Williams’ offensive leader Burris spoke glowingly of his performance.
“Chris Williams had a hell of a game,” said Cortez. “He dropped it into another gear on that field goal return. He’s a quick, fast guy, and when he was near the 35-40 yard line he saw just one guy and kicked it into another gear. It was over.
“This is the first time that I’ve been on a team that had a successful return game like this,” added Burris. “I’m like a kid in a candy store right now to have a guy like him. All it takes is one, and you see the guys giving the effort to let him get that ball on the punt or missed field goal.
“Guys are giving extra effort to spring him and get him into the second level. And when you get a guy like Chris into that second level, watch out. The guy can make a lot of great things happen with his feet, and not one guy is going to make a tackle on him either.”
With Williams building the basis of the Tiger-Cats’ lead, the team’s defensive players did much to protect it in the third and fourth quarter, as the offensive unit struggled to find pay dirt. Their collective hold early in the final frame, which limited the Argonauts to a field goal and preserved the numerical edge, proved vital when Burris conducted his heroic last stand.
Defensive back Carlos Thomas – who made a successful first appearance on Saturday – indicated that his group’s staunch effort stemmed from the Ticats’ continued focus, despite holding a wide lead at the half.
“It felt perfectly right,” said Thomas of the crucial fourth quarter stop. “That’s what we’re supposed to do. When we came in at the half, just because we were up by two touchdowns didn’t mean that we were going to slack off. We came out with the mindset that it was 0-0. We use an expression, “turn up.” That means, go to the next level to play.
“Any time we don’t have the mistakes, its always progress. The main thing was that we were communicating. We talk, we communicate, and we put extra hours in during the week watching film together. It all just came together today.”
With their goose egg broken, the Tiger-Cats were already eager to build upon Saturday’s success. Cortez spoke of his appreciation for a win that validated the work put in by his players. Beyond that, he hoped that a taste of victory would add the fresh ingredient of confidence to the Tiger-Cats’ game.
“I’m happy for the players. We’ve worked hard, and when you work hard you might as well win,” said the Ticats coach. “It makes you feel good about yourself and makes the sun not so bright and so hot. The intangible of confidence is there and hopefully we’ll be able to build on that.”
