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Player of the Game
By general consensus, the folks in Section W will choose one Alouette player as the PLAYER OF THE GAME based on his performance, impact and effort on that game day.
October 2, 2004 -- Montreal 19 @ Saskatchewan 35 |
Who would have thought it? The 6-8 Green Riders in the trenches against the unstoppable Alouettes. Well for those of you who have been keeping score, these same Riders have battled tooth and nail against Montreal over the years, giving the Als as tough a time as any winning ball games. This time the tables were turned.
The Section W Toot-Toot Salute goes out to wide receiver Kwame Cavil. In the early going he seemed to be the hot hand; the go-to guy that would put up the big points in this game. He caught 6 passes for 45 yards and scored Montreal's only touchdowns. Even in this losing cause, Cavil showed us why he is an integral part of the C&C Air Force. Thumbs-Up Kwame! |
September 25, 2004 -- Winnipeg 25 @ Montreal 47 |
The C&C Air Force went to work on this Saturday evening, piling up more points the first half alone than what they normally score in an entire game. Anthony Calvillo demonstrated why he still is the premier quarterback in the CFL.
The Section W Toot Toot Salute goes out to wide receiver Thyron Anderson. His seven catches for 147 yards with one touchdown, seemed at times effortless. But Anderson worked hard to silently slip by defensive back coverage and make great well-timed catches with Calvillo. With Ben Cahoon on the sidelines, Anderson came up with big plays when we needed them. Atta-boy Anderson! Ahutla Hutla Hutla: The Winnipeg offense was completely shut down by the Als. The only points scored by Winnipeg at all were the two gift-wrapped interceptions thrown by Calvillo, a special team punt return by Stokes, a Ryan punt single and a Weasel Westwood field goal. Talk about domination. It was very unsettling to see Will Loftus, Ben Cahoon and Marc Megna sidelined and to think that Chiu, Heppel,Brown,Flory and Kevin Johnson might be joining them, says that there's going to be long lineups for the whirlpool and physio room. |
September 12, 2004 -- Hamilton 18 @ Montreal 47 |
What we all secretly wished for came true on this wonderful Sunday afternoon. The Montreal Alouettes arrived atop of Mont Royal with all cylinders clicking. Time to play gridiron bully and do a little beating. The victim: The hapless Tiger Cats from Hamilton.
The Section W Toot Toot Salute goes out to the commander of the C&C Air Force - Quarterback Anthony Calvillo. Anthony showed patience and polish in establishing great gains on the ground with Denson and Lapointe and gaining over 300 yards in the air using nine different targets! Given the huge number of weapons at his disposal, this is the kind of on-field generalship we expect from the CFL's premier quarterback and the kind of leadership that will take us to that big silver mug in Ottawa Ahutla Hutla Hutla: It was Calvillo's 38th time passing for over 300 yards in a single game, moving him ahead of Sam Etcheverry on the all-time list. High five to the University of Cornell's great half-time show. Always nice to see a big classic American marching band. We are 12-1 right now, with no signs of RUST. |
September 3, 2004 -- Montreal 23 @ Ottawa 16 |
It wasn't supposed to be this close. The Renegade's current losing streak shouldn't have been a concern to this Alouette team. Yet as in the past, the Renegades prove again to be a thorn in Montreal's side. In the first half, the score resembled something from the Northeast Division of the NHL, with Montreal leading Ottawa 3 goals to 2. Where the Alouette offense continues to stall in the red zone, it was a defensive battle with both teams limiting the offenses to minimum gains. It wasn't until the third quarter when Ottawa bowling ball Josh Ranek rumbled into the Montreal end zone for a touchdown on a four-yard plunge. The Alouettes countered with a neat swing pass to Sylvain Girard and with the help from blocks by C&C Air Force members Cahoon and Copeland, darted downfield for a touchdown. The Alouettes were matched evenly against the Renegades defensively. Where Kevin Johnson and Duane Butler made some great sacks, so did former Al Tim Fleiszer who had a monster game for Ottawa.
The Section W Toot Toot Salute goes out to the kicking tandem of Matt "Kick-It" Kellet and Dave Stalla. With Matt taking the field with a taped patch over his right eye, he was still able to give the Als a very much-needed three field goals. He easily could have begged off duty, but hung in despite the nightmare it must have been to kick blindly down the field and split the uprights. On the other side, Dave Stalla who has not seen much action this year, stepped onto the field much like he did last year when he was pressed into duty on this very same field, and made some very precise punts and kickoffs. By being able to pool their skills for the evening, the Alouette kicking game proved to be a solid performer. High-Five Matt & Dave! |
August 26, 2004 -- Montreal 29 @ Winnipeg 13 |
The table was set for an evening of toe-to- toe sparring. These two teams take to the fighting both on and off the field. The hate-on goes back years. The Als and Blue Bombers used to scrap it out when they were both together in the Eastern Division. Their former head coach was our former head coach. This week saw a bit of that revisited with the pre-game trash talking between Troy Westwood and Ed Philion.
The Section W Toot -Toot Salute goes out to Sweet Sixteen. Ezra "The Dread" Landry must have been pacing the sidelines when he saw his positional predecessor carving up big gains and a TD for the Blue Bombers. This was Ezra's first game back in almost a month and say what you will about the man-boy, no one puts more pressure on themselves than Ezra. His whole life has been spent converting those who say he can't with those who say he can. In the fourth quarter Ezra delivered his own kind of magic as he scooped up a missed Troy Westwood field goal from his own end zone and with the aid of precision blocking, jetted downfield to deliver the ball to the other end zone. His spectacular 120-yard not only erased the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from the game it erased the footsteps once traced by Keith Stokes. Ezra has firmly planted his own big feet as the Alouettes kick return specialist. Bravo Dread! Ahutla Hutla Hutla: Ouch! That's what we all said when we saw Marc Megna go down with a wracked knee. Don't write him out yet. He is the best-conditioned athlete on the team and with his competitive fire; he'll be back before you blink. I'm sure Ed Phillion enjoyed a frosted beverage after the game especially since it was a wide field goal by Troy 'Gasp" Westwood that led to the Dread's breakaway touchdown. Next game is in Ottawa with the buses leaving Montreal at mid afternoon. |
Thursday August 12,2004 -- Toronto 10 @ Montreal 22 |
The Boatmen were coming to town. Normally this is a grand opportunity to see a pair of the CFL's finest gunslingers blast away at helpless defensive backs. With both Damon Allen and Anthony Calvillo at the helm of some potent offenses, it would be a chance to see the scoreboard light up with fireworks. But this was not the case in this game. Just as each team is loaded with quality receivers and gunner quarterbacks, each team boasts to have the best defense in the land. And as anyone will tell you, defense (screamed at the top of your lungs) will usually prevail. The first quarter action was pretty much a stalemate. The Argos and the Alouettes were trading off missed opportunities, until the second quarter when Damon Allen ran in a one yard for a TD. The first half actually showed the Argos ahead by six points, but this was hardly going to be enough for the hometown favorites who thrive on second quarter action.
The Section W Toot-Toot Salute goes out to Double Four . Kevin Johnson. These scrawled and scribbled pages haven't nearly given the credit that is due KJ. His passion and leadership on the field is the rallying call for his defense. Kevin swatting at a Damon Allen pass made the Davis Sanchez interception possible. Johnson himself made an interception in the second half and rumbled downfield. (Though not so gracefully as he dropped the ball out of bounds). His six tackles confirmed his ferocity on this night. Thumbs-Up Kevin! Ahutla Hutla Hutla: The Alouettes take a mid season break this week and and then return with two games on the road. We won't see them on the Hill until Sunday Sept 12. Will this mean that all those chores are finally going to get done? |
August 5,2004 -- Saskatchewan 20 @ Montreal 24 |
It was an unenviable situation for coach Danny Barrett. The Green Riders visiting Percival Molson stadium after just four days off. Also, having to go up against a pissed-off Alouette team that was coming off its only season loss. What some thought was going to be a pasting for the Als, ended up as a shining example of Rider Pride. The C&C Air force were in full flight tonight, with Calvillo connecting with Copeland six times, Cahoon six times and Cavil five times. As a team they threw for more that 400 yards. The ground game showed a whole different look with six different players running with the ball. Both Denson and Lapointe carved up some good runs against the Riders. But the Riders stayed with Montreal throughout the game, succeeding the air for over 400 yards as well. Tonight's success was made possible by the battles in the trenches, on both sides of the ball.
Scott knew he had to come with his A game tonight, to first handle the CFL Sack Kings and to then have to make an emergency position change to right tackle, when Luke Fritz was ejected from the game for .. uhm. . laying on his back, helmet off and surrendering in a game of toe twist with Nate Davis. Flory came up big (along with the rest of his O-line mates) opening big holes for Eric Lapointe and Autry Denson, and providing the necessary protection for Anthony to allow him to strike through the air. High Five Flory! .. and pass it along the rest of the line! Ahutla Hutla Hutla. Trench warfare was fought on both sides of the ball. In true warrior fashion, Anwar Stewart rose from the battlefield in the fourth quarter with sword and Rider helmet in hand. With unbelievable strength he slammed Rider QB Hank Burris to the ground with one hand. Later in the same quarter with the Riders in last gasp offense, Anwar broke into the backfield to wipe out the shell shocked Burris. Men with strength and determination, with grit and guts won the war of the trenches. We'll need it all again when Damon Allen and John Avery visit our stadium for another Thrill on the Hill. |
July 29, 2004 -- Montreal 9 @ British Columbia 32 |
It might be the number of days off. It might be the overly humid weather. It might even be jet lag. Whatever you may have heard, don't believe it for a minute. It's a voodoo spell. Ed Phillion had this calendar date circled because he knew. The Don knew. Larry Smith knew. We all knew. But who believes in voodoo spells anyway?
The Section W Toot-Toot Salute goes out this week to Ben Cahoon. The tireless work of this gifted ball catcher has earned him a place in Alouette history. His career receptions now puts him ahead of Peter Dalla Riva on the all-time team list. Keep'em coming Ben! Ahutla Hutla Hutla: Defensive End Marc Megna earns a big high five. At least from the view on this couch, Megna seemed to be pursuing and tackling all over the field. His speed on special teams is great too. Time now to get ready for the Green Riders this Thursday. |
July 23, 2004 -- Montreal 34 @ Hamilton 13 |
Ivor Wynne seemed like a no-win. The jig was up. All media foolhardily aside, the cloak and dagger, behind the scenes espionage had been uncovered. All we could do now was to fly into a stadium that was filled with binoculars, their every gaze focused on the Don and his Alouette Attack. The Tiger Cats are back this year with the snarl of yesteryear. You have to like the way Steeltown has responded both on and off the field. The Cats have always been a worthy opponent; many times they have stopped us suddenly in our quest for the Grail. There will be no spy network to assist the Als on this night. Nope. The only way to win this one would be to march into that Tiger's den and battle him tooth and nail.
The Alouettes demonstrated an intense competitive will to win in this game in Hamilton, and even when we shouldn't be counting ( eh? Ed Phillion), the team is a very solid Six and Oh. That spells Oh-Oh for the rest of the league. The Section W Toot Toot Salute goes out to Jeremaine Copeland. He established a swagger and confidence that infected his teammates. Scoring two great touchdowns in the first half was enough to put the Tabbies secondary on their heels. He finished the game with seven catches for over 100 yards and generated an excitement for his mates to feed from. All this without de-coder rings and infrared glasses. Thumbs Up Jeremaine. Next game. The big test. We remain on the couch but the team goes from the Tigers Den to the Lions Liar. BC Place has been a very unlucky venue for the Alouettes over the years. Stay tuned this Thursday night to see how well the Alouette Attac measures up. Top Secret is revealed by copying and pasting the symbols above into WORD and changing the font from Wingdings to Arial. :) |
July 15, 2004 -- Calgary 23 @ Montreal 42 |
The rain clouds parted as they usually do before game time and the Thrill on the Hill continues on. All cylinders running, our hometown heroes sent home the hapless Stampeders in convincing manner. We're now 5-0 and if the broad shoulders of Ed Philion wants to square up with the hopeful boast of an undefeated season, who are we to second guess?
Again as we have become accustomed, the Alouette defense shone bright. The early stages were dictated by aggressive penetration by Tim Strickland. Tim was in the Calgary backfield so often, you had to think he was huddling up with the Stampeders. Our defensive backs, who last year suffered at various stages of the season now seem to be so wonderfully balanced that his new edition of Aerial Gladiators seem to joust each other for every enemy ball thrown. The return of Davis Sanchez has steadied and solidified this group. He grabbed two interceptions as did rookie Almondo Curry. Lets not forget Baron Miles who brings not only a thinking man's cap to his new position at safety, but is quick and agile enough to make big plays himself. These three along with Kelly Malveaux seem to have found a harmony in their defensive coverage. Some may believe that the Stampeders shot themselves in the foot, by giving up a fumble and four interceptions, but those interceptions were caused by a panic stricken Marcus Crandall. In the earlier stages of the game, Crandall looked like he had control of himself and the play when he rolled out of the pocket. It wasn't long before this same quarterback looked like he was running for his life. This blitzkrieg defense is setting new speed records of destruction. The Section W Toot Toot Salute goes to the C & C Air Force. Headed up by ball launcher Anthony Calvillo, his prime 'C' targets of Cahoon, Cavil, and Copeland combined for 270 of the total 349 yards gained in the air. This C&C Air Force struck with resonating precision to totally beat-up the Calgary defenders and sends a message to the league that not only does our defense provide a blitzkrieg package, the offense is now beginning to execute its own flight missions. Hail to the Air Force! |
July 9, 2004 -- Ottawa 22 @ Montreal 46 |
These words gave Kerry plenty of time to fuss over on his two-hour bus ride to Molson Percival Stadium. The Renegades rode into Montreal undefeated with a huge head of steam and a potent offense that was poised to dismantle the also undefeated Alouettes. My office water cooler was filled with nay Sayers who said the Als had not met a scrambling quarterback like Joseph. Predictions of Alouettes losing this game seemed upheld by everyone but core Als fans. True, the Calvillo Calvary had not found their stirrups yet. But Joseph has never seen a defense like this Alouette crew. And he is still trying to figure out where they came from. The Ottawa Renegades were routed and reeled back to the bus they came in on. Joseph tasted turf seven different times. His uncomfortable view from grass level dulled his throwing accuracy as Alouette defenders picked him off twice. Being faced down in the ground must have numbed his legs as well, as Kerry ran for only eight yards all night. So complete was this physical beating, that Ottawa registered just less than 300 yards in total offense. Calvillo came to play today, as we knew he someday would. He passed for over 300 yards and displayed the poise we expect from a senior executive from the Quarterback Club. Cahoon and Anderson were simply wonderful with the catches and after play-catches they made tonight. The offensive line flawlessly protected Anthony all game and special teams showed no breakdowns at all. The Section W Toot Toot Salute goes to rookie running back Autry Denson. Scoring four touchdowns in week four and scorching the ground with 104 yards on 21 carries not only rustles ups memories of Ol' Number 27, but his running style might be very similar to another Denson from another Alouette era. This past week, interviews with this young man from Notre Dame revealed a hunger to play and perform. He is confident of his ability and ready to show us all. Autry's performance tonight proves to us that our running game is sharp and effective. Denson will compliment with Lapointe as a running tandem that must be taken seriously by the rest of the league. High Five Autry! and welcome to the CFL. Ahutla Hutla Hutla: The Don is one of a kind. Coaching this group of young men to live and play on the edge is making this a tremendously exciting team to watch. His salvo into the media establishes a swagger that only Matthews can back up. His confidence is infectious with this team as they begin to find that necessary harmony to perform to perfection. Watch the papers closely this week. I wonder what The Don has in store for rookie coach Matt Dunigan as the Stampeders visit The Nest this Thursday. Flashback aint' it ? |
July 3, 2004 -- Montreal 19 @ Toronto 9 |
The beginning of the game looked favorable for the Alouettes as they seemed to establish a running game with both Lapointe and Denson making good yardage in the first quarter. But when Calvillo decided to start throwing, that's when he kissed the turf six times as well as throwing two interceptions (albeit Autry Denson threw his on a running back option). Calvillo looked frustrated and out of sync with his receiver all night long. He was a woeful 19-35 with only 215 yards in the air. Give credit to the Toronto defense for some great coverage, but excellent coverage is what Anthony better expect to see each game and its his job and the coaching staff to be able to create and execute corrections to the game plan. The first half ended at 9-3 for Montreal. Hardly the kind of gunslinger offense you'd expect from two of the games premier passers in Calvillo and Allen. The game got its adrenaline boost when recent acquisition Ezra Landry grabbed a wayward field goal attempt by Noel Prefontaine and motored top speed downfield for a 110 yard touchdown return. To watch the replay from the end zone camera would be like watching a video game as pint-sized Landry darted, dodged, and shifted gears all the way down the field. Formally on the Edmonton Eskimo practice squad; the 5'4" dynamo had little time to greet his new teammates before suiting up for his first CFL game. The Section W Toot Toot Salute goes to Ezra Landry. He may be small but he came through for the Alouettes on this day in a big way. Go-Go Ezra! Ahutla Hutla Hutla: What else can we say about the superhuman efforts of Alouettes Number 86.? He can still defy gravity leaping in twisted ways to suck footballs into his hands like no other. His highlight feature catches are becoming more and more spectacular. Ben Cahoon caught 10 passes for 187 yards and was easily the most lethal weapon in the Alouettes arsenal. |
June 27, 2004 -- Montreal 32 @ Calgary 14 |
Once again the Alouette offense failed to get find any rhythm in the first half. . Calvillo's numbers may look good at the end of the day, but key throwing errors and interceptions suggest that we are still some time away from making an offensive impact. Thankfully, the Alouette defense continues to strangle their opposition. Their speed and quick reflexes frustrated Stampeder QB Crandall, making him ineffective for the entire first half. In fact the defense allowed only one touchdown this day, on a touchdown pass from Jones (replacing Crandall) to Connell. The other touchdown was given up by the Alouette offense when a Calvillo pass was intercepted by ex-Renegade/Alouette John Grace and ran for 80 yards into the end zone. The Alouettes experimented with two failed third down fake punts and were stuffed on a field goal attempt, which gave the Stampeders plenty of opportunity to steal this game away from the Als. Ben Cahoon came through more than a few times to rescue the Als from very poor field position with some great catches. The saving grace was a calm and experienced defense supported by Davis Sanchez, Anwar Stewart and DJ Johnson who made huge plays to counter the Stamper air attack, Stewart himself picking off his second interception for a touchdown this year. The Section W Toot Toot Salute goes out to defensive linebacker Duane Butler. Butler continues to impress us with his speed and ability to knock down quarterbacks. He may not have made the flashy interceptions or touchdowns, but his heads-up play in the Stampeder backfield hurried the Stampeder quarterbacks into bad plays or simply drove them into the turf. Since joining the Als from the TigerCats, Duane's play seem ideally suited for this team and his performance on this day deserves our thumbs-up! Bravo Butler! . Ahutla Hutla Hutla: Goes out to WR Thyron Anderson who worked hard in getting open and hanging onto the ball, making 10 catches for 112 yards. Calvillo now has so many talented receivers to choose from, his job is to make accurate decisions and put the ball into their hands. Into their hands. |
June 19, 2004 -- Edmonton 9 @ Montreal 33 |
The Als played some old-fashioned smack-mouth defense With speed and agility they stormed the walls to pound on Esks QB Sean Maas and deliver the message that any Edmonton offense will not be tolerated. The game's flow was plagued by a gusty wind of penalty flags. Both team offenses had difficulty establishing momentum in the first half and while the Alouettes finally found a groove in the air, the second half gave us a good look at the new running game. Both Lapointe and Denson were quick to find holes and dart into gaps left them by the Als all-star linemen. It was refreshing to see a running game establish itself. With a ground attack, the aerial assault will be that much more potent. Introducing the game C's are Wild. Calvillo passing to Cavil or Cahoon or Copeland. Kwame Cavil showed us that he is more that ready to play and proved to be a reliable pair of hands. Lets not overlook what rookie O'Neil Wilson brings to the field. Wilson caught his first career touchdown pass and we're sure there will be many more to follow. But the success of this convincing win against the Eskimos started and finished with the defense. Playing a blitzkrieg attack grounded by Kevin Johnson, the defense swarmed the Eskimo backfield forcing Maas into mistakes and errant throws. The Section W Toot Toot Salute goes to a tandem of defenders. In textbook execution, newcomer Kelly Malveaux and Anwar Stewart layed licks on Maas that made you giddy with glee. In the first quarter, Malveaux swept the corner to drill Maas in the back, dislodging the ball for Kevin Johnson to scoop up and take to the end zone. Next series, it Stewart leaping up to block a pass and intercepting it for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, it's Malveaux again sweeping around on a blitz to put his facemask into Sean Maas' back. Stewart replies a few plays later by charging around a rookie O-lineman and pulling the ball out of Maas' hand for a fumble. A Tenacious Tandem indeed. Good job Kelly and Anwar.! Next game is in front of the television when the Als visit McMahon stadium June 27. |
The first quarter began with Montreal taking the ball into the end zone off the arm of Montreal QB Anthony Calvillo. Connecting with Kwame Cavil for a nine-yard pass and Mariscal's field goal and single gave the Als and 11 to nutin' lead. Early in the second quarter its Calvillo to Cavil again for a 13-yard touchdown pass and with an 18-point lead it began to look like Montreal was going to run away with another game. Not so. This was pretty much the last time the Alouettes would make points. The Roughriders regrouped and went at the Alouettes with everything they had. Combination huge ground blasts by Chris Szarka and Kenton Keith made gaping holes in the Alouette attack defense. Their touchdowns in the second quarter created a swell of Rider Pride both on the field and on the bench. Saskatchewan never looked back. Rider QB Hank Burris was astonishingly accurate throwing successfully twenty times out of thirty-five attempts. He kept the brain cramps to a minimum and allowed the Rider team to ride the energy created by the fans. Take nothing away from the Alouettes. They are still an excellent team. But on this day, the Roughriders rose to the occasion and played with an emotional intensity that could not be matched. They were deserving victors.
It was as if every play in the first half was executed in textbook precision. The Alouettes smacked the Winnipeg Blue Bombers with every drive. The defense was more than skillful. It was aggressive and intimidating. This entire Montreal team has more confidence in its ability than we've ever seen. How do you dare line-up against a third down punt and not send anyone back to receive the kick? And do it more than once. What kind of attitude goes for a third down and four yards to goal and results in a pass completion to Copeland for a great touchdown. Its all part of this very hungry and very fast Alouette team. The Blue Bombers looked confused in long ball coverage, and seem out hustled on each play. Calvillo launched over 400 yards in the air to eight different people. The defense did not relinquish a touchdown all game. They played with swagger and sock. They played to beat up and bruise. Highlight reel plays by The Dread Landry, Kwame Cavil, Eric Lapointe, Duane Butler's blocked punt, O-line blocking, Copeland's back flip, Malveaux/Sanchez gang tackling and The Don granting a half-time interview to CBC's Scott Russell (and not even being glib!). This team is taking shape with momentum that seems almost unstoppable.
The game opened with a well-executed drive downfield ending in an Autry Denson 1 yard plunge into the end zone. The Cats replied with their own running back Troy Davis scoring a touchdown. But Alouette quarterback Anthony Calvillo returned the volley by hitting Thyron Anderson for a splendid 20-yard touchdown catch The Alouettes never looked back This time around the offense didn't stall out in the red zone. Instead it finished strong drives with Autry Denson scoring another two touchdowns on the ground in the second quarter. The Alouette defense, designed for speed, raced the normally quick releasing TiCat quarterback Danny McManus all day. Danny Mac completed only 14 of 28 attempts in the air for a paltry 157 yards and had one pitch picked off by rookie Almondo Curry. The defense was again superb on this game limiting Hamilton's total offense and for a change, the Alouettes were penalized fewer times than their opponents.
It wasn't until the fourth quarter with both the offensive and defensive teams on both sides of the ball deadlocked that the special teams came to the rescue. With Renegades punting on third down, it was Barron Miles who raced through blockers to deflect the punt backwards and allow fellow special teams player Stephane Fortin to scoop up the ball and take it into the end zone. A tremendous play for the special teams and a play that cemented the Alouette win.
Troy was quick to revisit old haunts by accusing Philion of being a cheap shot artist and an asshole. Ed simply revisited some old facts that Westwood was a choker when the chips were on the table. The heat that was building up for a heavyweight bout got a heavy outbreak of water doused on it. The skies opened up and poured on the heads of both teams, cooling things down somewhat. What was left was some good entertainment by Charles Roberts and Keith Stokes; Jeremaine Copeland and Ezra Landry. The first quarter was played out like a chess match with teams experimenting with the rain and wind for field position. Before halftime, Calvillo and Copeland connected for a brilliant 18-yard timing pass into the Bombers end zone. As well, former Alouette return specialist reminded Montreal fans how exciting is was to watch "Stokies" dart downfield for a touchdown. This time though, he scored it against us. Sylvain Girard was welcomed to the huddle for the first time this year. Anthony made a point of getting the former Stinger wide receiver into the ball game, catching two balls for over 60 yards. The Alouette defense came as advertised on this game. Led again by Kevin Johnson, the defense proved Blue Bomber Khari Jones ineffectual (for the umpteenth time this year) and left replacement Kevin Glenn cross-eyed by how many of those eight quarterback sacks were on him. Duane Butler returned to the lineup and showed us what we are missing when he was out. Butler continued with his success against Winnipeg nailing down two sacks himself. So good were the Alouette's defense was that they limited Winnipeg to a total net yard gain of one yard in the first half. Only Spock's Vulcan death grip could match that kind of overpowering. The Alouettes left Winnipeg with another notch in the belt and a keener eye on the grail.
The Alouette defense again was put in a position to bail out a struggling offense. The C&C Air force failed to exploit some great opportunities in this game, falling short often in the red zone. The win tonight lies squarely on the success of the defense. With the Alouettes capitalizing for ten points on defensive turnovers, the momentum swung back to the Als who were able to hang on. A big part of this success was a second half play by Tito Simpson who charged in on Damon Allen like a raging bull, taking Allen out of the game and perhaps the season. The Argo offense stalled out with back-up QB Michael Bishop and the Alouettes were able to tack on a couple of field goals by Matt Kellet in the fourth quarter.
The Section W Toot-Toot Salute goes out to offensive right guard Scott Flory. It's no secret about the off season drama about Flory's agonizing choice about whose pads he wanted to strap on this year. Some thought he would return to his home in Saskatchewan, though many believed that his present and future success was with Montreal. This off-season drama ended up as a sitcom when after he finally decided to sign with the Riders, he learned that Barrett wanted him to play on the left side of center. With the ink still wet on the contract, Flory wanted out as fast as he got in and signed a contract with Jim Popp and the Alouettes. After a referee scrum of sorts, it is rumored that Scott left the Prairies hidden inside a grain hopper.
The week earlier we rattled the cage of the Tiger Cats. But we know who the real king of the cat jungle is. The Lion's lair has been a dark, mysterious experience for years. This years' flight to Vancouver carried maybe our best Alouette team. Our season thus far has been remarkable. But the BC game is a hurdle we'll have to wait another year to jump. Not since 2000 have we won in BC. Each loss trips ups an undefeated run for perfection. Each loss is always peculiarly ugly. Every year gives another messed up, uncoordinated performance. It's awkward to look at the mistakes, missed kicks, missed passes, missed routes and missed opportunities. Give credit to the BC Lions for engineering a masterful game plan. Coach Buono has had six game films to study on the Alouettes and he and his staff threw the Alouettes game plan right back into their face. Lions' QB Casey Printers kept the Als blitz on the edge, avoiding tacklers to run for 20 yards himself on 4 carries, and hit successfully Lion receivers for over 200 yards. On the other side of the ball, Anthony Calvillo struggled. His execution and decisions seemed jarred. Having a spotless passing record all season, Anthony had two interceptions. He fumbled and got sacked five times. His receivers dropped balls and his offense only generated 47 yards on the ground. Kevin Johnson's defense had their problems too. They got their first taste of a running back who could punish at high speeds. BC's Antonio Warren rumbled for over 100 yards. Arm tackles weren't going to stop him. Torpedo tackles weren't going to jolt his armor. Warren established a ground game against the Als and gave Printers greater leverage to run'n'throw.
The Lions derailed us. It'll be for this time only. We still have the best QB and team in the league. What this loss represents is a sober grounding. Perhaps the odds were too overwhelming To begin with you had to fight off the flag-happy zebras but perhaps it's something much greater than that. Maybe, just maybe, there will always be a dark, mysterious voodoo spell that lays in wait each time The Montreal Alouettes visit the Lions' Lair.
Hamilton QB Danny McManus surprised the Alouette defenders in the opening quarter. Instead of trying to outgun the Als' defense, Mac made tracks on the ground with RB Troy Davis. Davis ran hard to set up the first points of the night and offer a glimmer of hope for the Black and Gold. But this glimmer was short-lived. The Als offensive commander Anthony Calvillo again displayed a masterful touch, moving the ball between seven different receivers. The defense as usual sparkled with efficiency. Over the course of the game they pounded through to Danny Mac. Alouette defenders grabbed an astonishing six interceptions. Bravo to Marc Megna and Reggie Durden for their first, (Durdy later grabbed another) and somewhat acrobatic interceptions of the year. Bravo to Curry, Malveaux, Strickland for their picks. What makes this accomplishment all the more stunning is that it was done without the usual Alouette reconnaissance equipment. Fearing further league investigation, sources close to Section W revealed that any plan to activate their spy tactics was put on the shelf. Incredible.
There is a prophet amongst us. A visionary. He is The Don. With precise rhetoric, Alouette head coach Don Matthew's role in this match was simple. Attacking Ottawa from behind the notebooks of local scribes, Matthews simply spoke with a frankness that proved to be the gospel. He pointed out Renegade QB Kerry Joseph's difficulty to read defenses. He spoke glowingly of his athleticism, but still has many hours of class to attend at the Quarterback Club.
Yikes! A defensive battle on this night at Skydome. The Argo and Alouette offenses failed to execute with any precision against determined defensive schemes. What was uncomfortable to watch was the futility of Calvillo's reads against an Argo defense that sacked him six times. Again it was the Alouette defense that came to play this night. They swarmed Toronto QB Damon Allen and kept him in check all evening. As well, Argo running back John Avery gathered only 11 yards on 9 carries. That's called excellent defense. The Als defense did not relinquish a touchdown against the Argos making them the stingiest defending units in the CFL.
It was a good day on the field for the Montreal Alouette defense. As is becoming expected, the defense played aggressively and attacked the Stampeder offence all game finally breaking open the stalemate at halftime.
It has been a long cold winter to have replayed the nightmare in Regina in ones mind. Coaches, players and fans alike struggled with the what-if scenarios that could have avoided that second half Grey Cup crash. The Eskimos won that day because we couldn't get the job done. The cold winter months allowed this veteran bunch to focus on getting it on again with the Green and Gold. Ironic that the Montreal Alouettes's home opener was against Edmonton. A perfect fit to finish some unfinished business.