Gades fail to make Canadian Football league playoffs
The Montreal Alouettes were only trying to tune-up for the post-season. But in the process, they shattered the Ottawa Renegades' playoff dream.
Anthony Calvillo threw four touchdown passes Saturday as the Alouettes bounced the Renegades from post-season contention with a 43-23 victory.
Montreal (10-7) will now play host to the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Olympic Stadium on Nov. 13.
''We didn't even think about that, all we thought about was getting back on track after the disappointing play we had last week,'' said Calvillo, who completed 28 of 36 passes for 315 yards with one interception in helping the Alouettes rebound from a 49-23 drubbing against Toronto. ''That was our main objective.''
Related Info
Highlights: MTL-OTT
Renegades Report
Alouettes slotback Terry Vaughn enjoyed a standout day, capped by TD catches of six and 11 yards, before a Frank Clair Stadium crowd of 20,833 on a crisp, sunny afternoon in the nation's capital.
He and the Alouettes sent the Renegades home unhappy as Ottawa (6-11) officially finished out of the playoffs for the fourth year in a row.
The Renegades needed to win Saturday, then beat the Argonauts in next Saturday's regular-season finale at home. They also needed the B.C. Lions beat the Roughriders later next Saturday to prevent the West Division team from crossing over to grab the spot in the Eastern semifinal.
None of that matters now.
''There is no football beyond next week for this club,'' said Renegades head coach Joe Paopao who, according to local papers has all but been replaced for next season.
Paopao wouldn't comment on the reports, choosing instead to focus on the loss.
''They're all tough, particularly when they're this final,'' he said after the Renegades jumped out to an early 14-7 lead but stumbled from the second quarter on. ''It's a great disappointment at all levels.
''At times we had great field position and when we did a we just couldn't convert.''
It was a meaningless game for Montreal since the Argonauts' victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Thursday gave Toronto first place and a first-round bye in the East. But the Alouettes took this one seriously, with Calvillo playing most of the way and leading the charge.
Sylvain Girard, Dave Stala and Ben Cahoon also had TDs and Damon Duval added a pair of field goals and a pair of singles. Ottawa's Kerry Joseph threw TD passes to Gerald Harris and Yo Murphy and Dave Kellett kicked three field goals, but none of it was enough on a milestone day for Vaughn.
''We were more concerned about ourselves (than Ottawa),'' Vaughn said. ''We've got to start preparing ourselves for the playoffs, that's where our whole focus is.''
Vaughn, who entered the game needing 82 yards to become just the fourth receiver in CFL history to reach the 13,000-yard mark for a career, finished with 10 catches for 112 yards, joining Allen Pitts, Darren Flutie and Ray Elgaard in some elite receiving company.
In the first quarter, Vaughn went over the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the 11th straight season. He already held the CFL mark at 10. ''This one's a little special just because I'm with a new team,'' Vaughn said.
His milestones topped a list of accomplishments reached Saturday.
Cahoon caught five balls for 74 yards to surpass the 1,000-yard mark for the fourth straight year, becoming the first in Alouettes' history to do so.
Stala, with four catches for 44 yards, also surpassed the 1,000-yard plateau and, with Kerry Watkins already over 1,000, it gave Montreal four 1,000-yard receivers for the second season in a row.
And Calvillo moved past Matt Dunigan's total of 3,057 career completions to move into fourth place all-time in the CFL. He now has 3,082 for his career.
Ottawa's Jason Armstead, meanwhile, caught his 83rd ball of the season in the first quarter to break the Renegades' franchise record for most receptions in a season. Jimmy Oliver had 82 in 2002.
Armstead caught six passes for 94 yards.
Renegades running back Josh Ranek surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the third year in a row.
Ottawa began the afternoon looking like they could kiss their hopes goodbye when, on the game's opening drive, Matthieu Proulx blocked Pat Fleming's punt attempt and it was scooped up by Girard and returned 29 yards for the touchdown.
However, the Renegades' offence responded with scoring drives on their next two possessions. First, Joseph connected with Harris for a 26-yard TD, then he found Murphy from two yards out.
The Alouettes responded with Vaughn's first TD late in the quarter.
In the second quarter, Kellett sandwiched a pair of field goals, from 13 and 42 yards out, respectively, around Vaughn's second TD reception.
The Alouettes had to settle for a single point when Damon Duval missed went wide right with a 32-yard field-goal try late in the half and led 22-20 at the break.
Montreal increased the lead through Stala's seven-yard TD catch to start the second half, and, after Kellett and Duval traded field goals, Cahoon put the game out of reach by hauling in Calvillo's 20-yard toss in the fourth quarter.
''It is frustrating,'' said Joseph, who finished 24 of 35 passing for 360 yards with no interceptions. ''We trained all last season and all training camp to get to the playoffs.''
Notes: When the last teams met in Ottawa on July 1, the Renegades overcame a 23-point fourth-quarter deficit to win in overtime. a While the Renegades search for their first playoff appearance, the Alouettes will make the 40th in franchise history, including 10 straight since their CFL return in 1996. a Montreal wraps up the regular season Friday night at Hamilton.
Anthony Calvillo threw four touchdown passes Saturday as the Alouettes bounced the Renegades from post-season contention with a 43-23 victory.
Montreal (10-7) will now play host to the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Olympic Stadium on Nov. 13.
''We didn't even think about that, all we thought about was getting back on track after the disappointing play we had last week,'' said Calvillo, who completed 28 of 36 passes for 315 yards with one interception in helping the Alouettes rebound from a 49-23 drubbing against Toronto. ''That was our main objective.''
Related Info
Highlights: MTL-OTT
Renegades Report
Alouettes slotback Terry Vaughn enjoyed a standout day, capped by TD catches of six and 11 yards, before a Frank Clair Stadium crowd of 20,833 on a crisp, sunny afternoon in the nation's capital.
He and the Alouettes sent the Renegades home unhappy as Ottawa (6-11) officially finished out of the playoffs for the fourth year in a row.
The Renegades needed to win Saturday, then beat the Argonauts in next Saturday's regular-season finale at home. They also needed the B.C. Lions beat the Roughriders later next Saturday to prevent the West Division team from crossing over to grab the spot in the Eastern semifinal.
None of that matters now.
''There is no football beyond next week for this club,'' said Renegades head coach Joe Paopao who, according to local papers has all but been replaced for next season.
Paopao wouldn't comment on the reports, choosing instead to focus on the loss.
''They're all tough, particularly when they're this final,'' he said after the Renegades jumped out to an early 14-7 lead but stumbled from the second quarter on. ''It's a great disappointment at all levels.
''At times we had great field position and when we did a we just couldn't convert.''
It was a meaningless game for Montreal since the Argonauts' victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Thursday gave Toronto first place and a first-round bye in the East. But the Alouettes took this one seriously, with Calvillo playing most of the way and leading the charge.
Sylvain Girard, Dave Stala and Ben Cahoon also had TDs and Damon Duval added a pair of field goals and a pair of singles. Ottawa's Kerry Joseph threw TD passes to Gerald Harris and Yo Murphy and Dave Kellett kicked three field goals, but none of it was enough on a milestone day for Vaughn.
''We were more concerned about ourselves (than Ottawa),'' Vaughn said. ''We've got to start preparing ourselves for the playoffs, that's where our whole focus is.''
Vaughn, who entered the game needing 82 yards to become just the fourth receiver in CFL history to reach the 13,000-yard mark for a career, finished with 10 catches for 112 yards, joining Allen Pitts, Darren Flutie and Ray Elgaard in some elite receiving company.
In the first quarter, Vaughn went over the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the 11th straight season. He already held the CFL mark at 10. ''This one's a little special just because I'm with a new team,'' Vaughn said.
His milestones topped a list of accomplishments reached Saturday.
Cahoon caught five balls for 74 yards to surpass the 1,000-yard mark for the fourth straight year, becoming the first in Alouettes' history to do so.
Stala, with four catches for 44 yards, also surpassed the 1,000-yard plateau and, with Kerry Watkins already over 1,000, it gave Montreal four 1,000-yard receivers for the second season in a row.
And Calvillo moved past Matt Dunigan's total of 3,057 career completions to move into fourth place all-time in the CFL. He now has 3,082 for his career.
Ottawa's Jason Armstead, meanwhile, caught his 83rd ball of the season in the first quarter to break the Renegades' franchise record for most receptions in a season. Jimmy Oliver had 82 in 2002.
Armstead caught six passes for 94 yards.
Renegades running back Josh Ranek surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the third year in a row.
Ottawa began the afternoon looking like they could kiss their hopes goodbye when, on the game's opening drive, Matthieu Proulx blocked Pat Fleming's punt attempt and it was scooped up by Girard and returned 29 yards for the touchdown.
However, the Renegades' offence responded with scoring drives on their next two possessions. First, Joseph connected with Harris for a 26-yard TD, then he found Murphy from two yards out.
The Alouettes responded with Vaughn's first TD late in the quarter.
In the second quarter, Kellett sandwiched a pair of field goals, from 13 and 42 yards out, respectively, around Vaughn's second TD reception.
The Alouettes had to settle for a single point when Damon Duval missed went wide right with a 32-yard field-goal try late in the half and led 22-20 at the break.
Montreal increased the lead through Stala's seven-yard TD catch to start the second half, and, after Kellett and Duval traded field goals, Cahoon put the game out of reach by hauling in Calvillo's 20-yard toss in the fourth quarter.
''It is frustrating,'' said Joseph, who finished 24 of 35 passing for 360 yards with no interceptions. ''We trained all last season and all training camp to get to the playoffs.''
Notes: When the last teams met in Ottawa on July 1, the Renegades overcame a 23-point fourth-quarter deficit to win in overtime. a While the Renegades search for their first playoff appearance, the Alouettes will make the 40th in franchise history, including 10 straight since their CFL return in 1996. a Montreal wraps up the regular season Friday night at Hamilton.
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