It’s not how you start, but how you finish that counts, and the Ottawa REDBLACKS embodied that to a T in their 2025 preseason opener.
On a rainy day at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, the Ottawa defence stifled Davis Alexander and the Montreal offence, preserving an early 6-1 lead that ended in a 23-7 decision in the road side’s favour. Dru Brown started the game, finding star acquisition Geno Lewis for three catches, while Matt Shiltz also moved the ball well in setting up a Jaylen Samuels rushing score, followed by a Dustin Crum pass to Sam Schnee, and Tyrie Adams helping to salt the game away late.
After the Alouettes scored an early rouge, DeVonte Dedmon’s first touch of 2025 resulted in him running a Joseph Zema punt 70 yards to the Montreal endzone. The PAT was blocked, but Ottawa found themselves in the driver’s seat with a 6-1 lead.
That would be all the scoring in the first half, as the REDBLACKS defence stood tall. Cleyon Laing heard his name called, dropping Alexander for a seven-yard loss on a strip sack, while newcomer Shakur Brown was all over the defensive backfield, posting a trio of pass knockdowns on the game.
Ottawa rode their lead into the third quarter, and the defence kept things rolling by getting the ball back for their offence. On Montreal’s second offensive snap of the half, Amari Henderson picked off a McLeod Bethel-Thompson pass, and Shiltz led a drive culminating in a 38-yard field goal by Lewis Ward.
The Als responded with a field goal of their own, but Shiltz engineered a drive that began on the Ottawa 40, and ended with a 23-yard touchdown run by Samuels. On a play where Shiltz sold a play-action pass perfectly, the REDBLACKS offensive line created a hole that the team’s bus could have fit through, and Samuels was untouched to pay dirt. An extra point kick by Ward later, and Ottawa found themselves with a 15-4 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, a thunderous hit by Tyron Vrede knocked the ball free, and Jake Heimlicher pounced on it to put the REDBLACKS offence back on the field.
This time with Crum at the helm, the drive was extended by a Montreal unnecessary roughness penalty on a field goal attempt, and the third-year pivot found Schnee all alone in the endzone for a 14-yard score, and a 23-4 advantage for the REDBLACKS when all was said and done.
Montreal tallied a late field goal, but Adams on the field in a clean-up situation, he and the REDBLACKS offence took care of the football, and sealed a victory in the first of two games on the preseason.
Ottawa will look to sweep the Als in six days time, as their exhibition schedule draws to a close on Friday, May 30, in a 7:00pm kickoff at TD Place.
