Bombers come up big

Gain playoff spot with solid win over Ticats

By: Paul Wiecek Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011

HAMILTON -- The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will compete in the CFL playoffs next month for the first time since 2008 -- and it is looking increasingly like it will be at home.

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HAMILTON -- The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will compete in the CFL playoffs next month for the first time since 2008 -- and it is looking increasingly like it will be at home.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/10/2011 (5098 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HAMILTON — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will compete in the CFL playoffs next month for the first time since 2008 — and it is looking increasingly like it will be at home.

The Bombers clinched their first playoff berth in three seasons at Ivor Wynne Stadium Friday night and in the process put a lot of distance — in the standings, but also psychologically — between themselves and East Division rival Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

With a 33-17 victory over the Ticats, the Bombers improved to 9-5, completed a humiliating three-game season sweep of Hamilton and their befuddled quarterback, Kevin Glenn, and put themselves four points up on the Tiger-Cats with just four games to play.

Nathan Denette / The Canadian Press
Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Kevin Glenn, left, gets tackled by Winnipeg Blue Bombers linebacker Odell Willis during first-half CFL football action in Hamilton Friday. — Nathan Denette / The Canadian Press Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Kevin Glenn, left, gets tackled by Winnipeg Blue Bombers linebacker Odell Willis during first-half CFL football action in Hamilton Friday.

The Bombers also vaulted themselves — albeit probably just temporarily — back into sole possession of first place in the East.

The Montreal Alouettes (8-5) will be expecting to rejoin the Bombers atop the East when they play the 3-10 Toronto Argonauts in Montreal on Monday.

Hamilton — who also had a chance to clinch a playoff berth this weekend with a win over Winnipeg and a Saskatchewan loss — now fall to 7-7 and remain alone in third place.

“We’d lost four of the last five,” quarterback Buck Pierce summarized Friday night, “and we were going on the road against a good football team. We knew what we were facing and I think this kind of showed the moxie of our team, the leadership of our team and the character.”

“I got into that locker-room,” said head coach Paul LaPolice, “and said, ‘Hey, listen up — Gentlemen, congratulations, you’re in the playoffs.’ It’s great for them and great for this organization — it obviously hasn’t happened in a few years. But I told them we’re not finished yet.”

Hamilton defensive end Stevie Baggs, who spent Thursday boasting about how he was the best defensive end in the league, had a mea culpa Friday night. “I put my foot in my mouth, they came here and they won,” Baggs said. “But I guarantee you that we will rise again.”

The Bombers had lost two in a row coming into Hamilton — just as they had lost two in a row heading into Montreal last month — and they came away with unexpected victories both times, a point of pride in the Bombers locker-room Friday night.

“This team has certainly sprouted a backbone,” echoed veteran Bombers defensive tackle Doug Brown, “and it’s been reinforced… It’s becoming the MO of this team — just when you think we’re down and out, that’s when we’re at our best.”

Already leading 12-3 after the first half, the Bombers — as they have so often done this season — got a couple of big plays in the third quarter to put this one away.

A short screen pass from Pierce to wide receiver Greg Carr at 4:23 of the third quarter turned into a 59-yard touchdown as the lanky Carr split a seam and then simply outran the Hamilton secondary to the end zone to put Winnipeg up 19-3.

“People underestimate my speed,” said Carr. “Even some of my teammates said after, ‘We didn’t know you could run like that.'”

Nathan Denette / The Canadian Press
Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Kevin Glenn, right, gets sacked by Winnipeg Blue Bombers linebacker Clint Kent during CFL action in Hamilton on Friday. The Bombers won 33-17. — Nathan Denette / The Canadian Press Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Kevin Glenn, right, gets sacked by Winnipeg Blue Bombers linebacker Clint Kent during CFL action in Hamilton on Friday. The Bombers won 33-17.

And then an 83-yard interception return for a touchdown by Bombers defensive back Brandon Stewart with under a minute left in the third quarter put Winnipeg up 26-3.

“All I seen,” said Stewart, “was a whole lot of green.”

Stewart’s return marked the third time in three games that the Bombers have intercepted Glenn and returned the ball for a touchdown and the second time Glenn was lifted in favour of backup Quinton Porter.

Winnipeg also got touchdowns from Pierce on a four-yard fourth-quarter run and backup QB Alex Brink on a one-yard plunge in the first quarter.

Hamilton’s two touchdowns both came after the game was out of hand in the fourth quarter on a 28-yard catch by Chris Williams and a one-yard touchdown run by Porter.

The Bombers next play Oct. 15 in Edmonton against the Eskimos.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca