Jun
Als beat Bombers 31-27
Courtesy Montreal Gazette:
The Alouettes veterans did their part – especially on offence. Now the rookies and newcomers must hurry up and wait to see whether they’ve earned a spot with the team for the upcoming season.
The Als dressed about 70 players Tuesday night and head coach Marc Trestman, true to his word, did his best to get each and every one of them into the game. Some excelled while others undoubtedly played their way onto the unemployment line.
It wasn’t always pretty when all was said and done, but the Als held on for a 31-27 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before 20,202 Molson Stadium spectators in the teams’ final exhibition game. Montreal went undefeated in two preseason games, while the Bombers split their games.
Veteran Anthony Calvillo, the Canadian Football League’s reigning outstanding player, started at quarterback for the Als, staking Montreal to a 17-3 lead before being replaced by Brad Banks early in the second quarter.
Calvillo led the Als on a four-play, 61-yard drive, capped by a 16-yard touchdown pass over the middle to Brian Bratton on the opening play of the second quarter. The score was set up by a 34-yard pass to Jamel Richardson, who only made his training camp debut last Friday, having recovered from pneumonia.
Linebacker Diamond Ferri also intercepted a Stefan LeFors pass that was thrown directly to him, returning it 80 yards for a touchdown midway through the first quarter.
Damon Duval opened the scoring for the Als with a 43-yard field goal at 4:15.
The Bombers’ only touchdown while LeFors was in the game came 10 minutes into the second quarter, following a pair of Alexis Serna field goals. Lavarus Giles scored on a 77-yard run up the middle, thanks to a missed tackle by safety Etienne Boulay. That narrowed Montreal’s deficit to 17-13.
The Als struggled under Banks but came to life, albeit briefly, early in the second half behind Adrian McPherson, expected to be Calvillo’s backup. McPherson played only one series but it was enough to solidify his position.
Montreal took the opening kickoff and went 78 yards on seven plays, thanks to some impressive running by Brandon Whitaker, who eventually went off-tackle for a six-yard touchdown run at 3:37.
Defensively, the Als had difficulty stopping the run the entire game, but especially when the second-string defenders were on the field.
Winnipeg’s other touchdown came on a one-yard run by Yvenson Bernard at 13:09 of the third quarter, capping a six-play, 55-yard drive.
Duval added two more field goals, from 50 and 36 yards, along with an 84-yard kickoff single.
Serna’s field goals came from 38, 41 and 23 yards. He added a single off a wide 45-yard attempt. Mike Renaud added a 51-yard punt single for the Bombers while Duval conceded a safety for Winnipeg’s remaining points.
The Als open the regular season July 1, at Calgary, in a rematch of last year’s Grey Cup game, won by the Stampeders at Olympic Stadium.
