WINNIPEG @ (-3):
Final:
WINNIPEG - 34
EDMONTON -30 :Yep:
kickserv - I liked your thinking and your expertise. It worked for me, much more so for you, I'm sure. Congratulations and Thank You. :toast:
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EDMONTON SUN (10/26/03):
WINNIPEG - Eight minutes into yesterday's CFL tilt, it looked like the home-town heroes were headed down the Boulevard of Broken Dreams.
Edmonton rookie Robert Grant returned an interception 62 yards for a touchdown, and just over five minutes later, Terry Vaughn reeled a 13-yard touchdown pass which vaulted the Eskimos into a 14-0 lead over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Despite the early two-TD deficit and losing starting quarterback Pat Barnes on the second play from scrimmage, Khari Jones operated on a wonky ankle to rally the Bombers for a 34-30 win before a crowd of 26,601 chilled onlookers at Canad Inns Stadium.
"(Head coach) Dave (Ritchie) asked if I could go in and I think the adrenaline kicked in and I felt like I could," offered Jones, who sat out the Oct. 17 game versus the Esks due to what is being termed a high ankle sprain.
"I didn't think I was going in, I still had my watch on. It was like practice. It was nice that I was able to go out there and help out."
The loss ended Edmonton's season-high six-game win streak but did not affect where the Green and Gold will finish in the CFL West Division standings. Edmonton clinched top spot with a win over the Bombers at Commonwealth Stadium nine days ago and will host the Western Final two weeks from today.
Winnipeg, meanwhile, can finish no lower than third and kept their hopes of hosting next week's Western semifinal alive with the victory.
Better a loss in the final game of the regular season than one in the Western Final, said starter Ricky Ray.
"We haven't lost in a long time," offered Ray, who completed eight of 17 pass attempts for 110 yards and one touchdown before giving way to No. 2-pivot Jason Maas in the second half.
EXTRA MOTIVATION
"It might be good for us to take a loss right now and remember how bad that feels and what it's like to lose. Hopefully, that will give us a little extra motivation.
"You don't need a lot going into the Western Final but maybe it'll give us a little extra."
Heading into yesterday's finale, the now 13-5-0 Esks' last loss came on Labour Day and the Green and Gold were victorious in 10 of their previous 11 starts.
Non-plussed by the Esks' first-quarter outburst, Winnipeg began to pick away at Edmonton's lead.
Troy Westwood hit on three straight field goals and added a punt single before tailback Charles Roberts danced into the end zone from 16 yards out and Winnipeg led 17-15 at the half.
Jones then hooked up with Milt Stegall and zipped a nine-yard pass to the veteran Bomber slotback for the only scoring play of the third quarter.
"We could have scored some more points in the first half but we got some field goals out of it and took a lead going into the second half," said Stegall, whose second TD catch of the day, with 55 seconds on the clock, sealed the deal for Winnipeg.
"We sputtered a little bit in the second half but we scored when we had to. We had a final drive. That's great for our confidence level and we're definitely happy to come away with the win."
Maas, who has been used largely in a mop-up role this season, was good on 13 of 22 pass attempts for 161 and hooked up with Kory Bailey and Jason Tucker for fourth-quarter TD strikes.
Tucker followed his major by snagging a tipped ball delivered by a scrambling Maas on the two-point convert attempt to give the Esks a short-lived 30-27 lead.
"I wasn't quite sure after the way the first half ended up that maybe if they'd give Ricky the third quarter, too," said Maas, who was told by coach Tom Higgins he would play the second half.
"I was glad that he gave me the whole second half and that he didn't pull me in the third quarter when I wasn't moving the offence.
"It was nice to be in there under the gun against a team that wasn't lying down. They had everything in the world to play for in this game."
While the Esks aren't playing the men from Glad this morning, veteran offensive lineman Bruce Beaton knows only too well if the Green and Gold come out flat two weeks from today they will be.
NOT TOTALLY PREPARED
"You've got to prepare with real diligence," Beaton said. "I'm not sure we had the greatest week of practice this week. Our Day 3 wasn't bad. But our Day 1 and 2, it seemed like the concentration wasn't there.
"All the credit to them. They played tough. They played hard. They came out with the win. At the same time, I feel like we could have been a little better today."
