Canadian Football League

Sunday, August 07, 2005

Bombers remain last in Canadian Football League West

Anthony Malbrough had a feeling he was going pick off at least one pass on Saturday.
"I told some guys before the game, I said 'I'm going to get a pick today'," said the Calgary defensive back, who had a pair of interceptions in the Stampeders' 30-21 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in front of 30,128 fans at McMahon Stadium. "I said, 'I don't know how many, but I will get one'."
Malbrough picked off starting Winnipeg quarterback Kevin Glenn in the first quarter and then intercepted backup Blue Bombers quarterback Tee Martin in the third. The Stampeder offence turned both turnovers into touchdowns on their way to victory.
On his first big play, Malbrough intercepted the ball at the Winnipeg 24-yard line and immediately had his sights set on the end zone.
"I was looking at it the whole way," Malbrough said. "I wasn't even really looking at (any) of the guys who were chasing me, I was looking straight at the end zone. I wanted to try to dive, but I thought I was going to fall short so I didn't even try."
He commended running back Joffrey Reynolds for rambling the remaining four yards across the goal line to give the Stamps an early 7-1 lead.
"Anything for the team helps," Malbrough said.
Calgary defensive back Lawrence Deck, who replaced injured half back Joey Boese, also had an interception in the third quarter which the Stamps turned into another touchdown.
"Deck came in and did a very nice job," said Stampeder head coach Tom Higgins. "In order for us to be a good football team, we've got to start creating turnovers and this is a good start for us."
Stamps quarterback Henry Burris completed 15 of 25 passes and tossed touchdown strikes to Nik Lewis and Jeremaine Copeland.
"Tonight was just the night of big plays," Burris said. "It wasn't the prettiest game."
With the victory Calgary improved to 3-3, while Winnipeg dropped to 1-6.
"Calgary handled us offensively and defensively," said Winnipeg coach Jim Daley. "It was a very disappointing performance. We never sustained any drives."
Kickers accounted for all of Winnipeg's scoring through three quarters as Troy Westwood had two field goals and a single, while Jon Ryan booted a single. With the game out of reach in the fourth quarter, third-string quarterback Russ Michna tossed TD passes to Milt Stegall and Keith Stokes.
On their first possession of the game, the Bombers drove deep into Stamps territory but managed just a single point after Westwood missed a 31-yard field goal.
After Reynolds crossed the goal line, Sandro DeAngelis kicked a 45-yard field goal to give Calgary a 10-1 lead.
Westwood and DeAngelis traded field goals in the second quarter, which featured a number of miscues by both teams.
Burris fumbled the ball and threw an interception, but Winnipeg was unable to capitalize on either turnover with Martin in at quarterback to replace Glenn, who was injured as a result of a hit he took in the first quarter.
Just before halftime, Malbrough picked off Martin at mid-field and ran it back 24 yards to the Winnipeg 42-yard line. Two plays later, Burris threw a 17-yard strike to Lewis for the receiver's second TD of the season to give Calgary a 20-5 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, John Grace tackled Winnipeg running back Charles Roberts in the end zone for a safety before Westwood kicked his second field goal of the game.
Late in the quarter, Deck picked off Martin and two plays later Burris fired a perfect pass downfield to Copeland who ran across the goal line for a 61-yard score.
"Big plays are what we're all about and we finally made some," Copeland said. "I really think we had that killer instinct right from the get-go."
DeAngelis rounded out Calgary's scoring with a single late in the game after he missed a 24-yard field goal.
In the fourth quarter, Michna replaced Martin at QB and threw a four-yard TD strike to Stegall and a 33-yarder to Stokes.
Jason Gesser replaced Burris in the fourth, but couldn't build upon Calgary's lead.
Stampeder offensive lineman Jamie Crysdale's consecutive regular season games played streak come to an end at 210. Crysdale was forced to the sidelines with a knee injury. He recently passed Saskatchewan's Donald Narcisse (208) and moved into 11th place all-time in CFL history in consecutive games played.
Godfrey Ellis replaced Crysdale in the lineup and drew rave reviews from Higgins.
"There was a brand new centre in there that hasn't played a lot and I thought he held his own," Higgins said.
Notes: Former Stamps Joe Fleming, Scott Regimbald and Wes Lysack returned to play at McMahon Stadium for the first time since being traded to Winnipeg last October for quarterback Khari Jones and fullback Randy Bowles, neither of whom are with the Stamps anymore.

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