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August 18, 2017

REDBLACKS Run Wild in Steeltown, Down Ticats 37-18

Photo | Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photography/Ottawa REDBLACKS

Carlos Verde | @Carlos77Verde

The Ottawa REDBLACKS closed out the first half of their 2017 CFL campaign with a much-needed road victory on Friday night, beating the winless Hamilton Tiger-Cats 37-18 at Tim Horton’s Field.

Defence was the order of the day for the REDBLACKS (2-6-1), who limited Hamilton (0-8) to just 138 offensive yards in the first three quarters before stifling a fourth-quarter comeback attempt.

Under centre, Trevor Harris completed 36 of 48 passes for 394 yards and two touchdowns for Ottawa, while Greg Ellingson hauled in a game-high 155 receiving yards and one touchdown reception

The REDBLACKS started brightly, with the defence forcing a two-and-out, Diontae Spencer ripping off a 41-yard punt return, and a Greg Ellingson grab then taking the offence down inside the Hamilton 10. Once there, however, they were limited to a 10-yard Brett Maher field goal.

Three plays later, the Ticats found the end zone as Zach Collaros found Luke Tasker for a 44-yard touchdown connection. Sergio Castillo’s convert gave the hosts a 7-3 lead.

Maher and Castillo would trade field goals later in the quarter, and the Ticats led 10-6 after one.

Another Maher field goal from 42 yards cut Ottawa’s deficit to a single point early in the second quarter.

The former Nebraska Cornhusker’s fourth and fifth field goals of the night later in the quarter, from 52 and 48 yards respectively, gave the REDBLACKS a 15-10 lead at the half.

Maher’s sixth kick of the night from 30 yards out made it 18-10 Ottawa.

The REDBLACKS finally broke into the end zone on the final play of the third quarter, when Trevor Harris aired out a 35-yard touchdown pass to Greg Ellingson. The ensuing Maher convert gave Ottawa a 15-point lead.

Avery Ellis then blew the game open early in the fourth quarter with a 31-yard scoop and score off a Collaros fumble; Maher’s convert was blocked and returned for two points by Hamilton’s Courtney Stephen, and Ottawa’s lead stood at 31-12.

A one-yard touchdown run from Hamilton’s Brandon Banks then cut the REDBLACKS lead to 31-18; Ottawa stopped the two-point convert twice, following a pass-interference call on Hamilton’s initial attempt.

Trevor Harris and Jake Harty then rounded out the scoring, as the former hit the latter in the end zone on a three-yard corner route — Maher missed the convert, and the scoreboard read 37-18 at the final buzzer in Steeltown.

The REDBLACKS will be back on home turf next Saturday (Aug. 26) against the BC Lions — tickets for the 3:30 p.m. kick-off are available here.

What They’re Saying

“It’s a huge win, huge for our psyche. Guys are excited, but not overly excited because they know we won a game we needed to win. We didn’t play our best football (and) there’s room for improvement. We finally handled business in a regular-season game. We’ll enjoy this for tonight but then it’s onto the next one.” — HC Rick Campbell

“We’re probably the only 2-6 team to have a positive point (difference) in CFL history. Tonight was a good one for us, it’s the start of a roll for us. We see ourselves as an elite team; as the year goes on, we’ll continue to rise to the top. We’re a hungry team to climb out of this big hole.” — QB Trevor Harris

Game Notes

Receiver Kenny Shaw caught five passes for 45 yards in his first action since Week 1…The REDBLACKS and Ticats will meet two more times, both in the nation’s capital, on September 9 and October 27…Jake Harty’s fourth-quarter touchdown was his first in the CFL… Avery Ellis’ fumble recovery and score was his first-career CFL touchdown.

Scoring Summary

First Quarter
OTT — FG Maher — 11:41
HAM — TD Collaros to Tasker (Castillo conv.) — 10:35
OTT — FG Maher — 5:50
HAM — FG Castillo — 1:40

Second Quarter
OTT — FG Maher — 11:25
OTT — FG Maher — 2:36
OTT — FG Maher — 0:05

Third Quarter
OTT — FG Maher — 7:43
OTT — TD Harris to Ellingson (Maher conv.) — 0:02

Fourth Quarter
OTT — TD Fum Rec Ellis (Maher conv. blocked) — 14:56
HAM — Def. 2-pt conv. Stephen — 14:35
HAM — TD Banks (2-pt conv. miss)— 10:02
OTT — TD Harris to Harty (Maher conv. miss) — 2:44