Stampeders surprise Bombers 13-12 with comeback late in fourth quarter – Winnipeg | The Canadian News

The Calgary Stampeders saved the best for the fourth quarter when they posted a 13-12 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday.

Rene Paredes kicked a 27-yard field goal, his second of the game, as time expired to give the Stampeders (8-6) their third straight win to end the regular season.

“I’ll take the win,” said Calgary coach Dave Dickenson, who wasn’t “very happy” with the way his team played the first three-and-a-half quarters of the game.

“Listen, do we play well? Probably not, not well enough to win, but in the CFL if you keep believing, keep working, keep giving yourself a chance and make plays in the fourth quarter, sometimes you can get those games out. “

Quarterback Jack Maier threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to Luther Hakunavanhu at 1:17 p.m. in the fourth quarter to set up the heroic Paredes, who also kicked a 32-yard field goal with 4:53 left to start. the rally.

“For whatever reason, toward the end of the game we started to execute the plan,” said Maier, who completed 10 of 20 passes for 177 yards with his only TD pass and an interception.

“That’s why you never give up on football. Keep playing. We feel pretty good coming out of our last regular season game here with a W. “

Bo Levi Mitchell started at quarterback for the Stamps and completed 7-of-11 for just 39 yards before being relieved by Maier in the second half.

Sergio Castillo kicked four field goals to give the Blue Bombers (11-3) a 12-0 lead at 8:24 in the fourth quarter before the Stamps rallied for victory.

“Our record doesn’t matter now,” said Winnipeg coach Mike O’Shea, whose team had clinched top spot in the West before losing its last two games of the regular season. “Nothing matters right now. We will see the movie, we will make the necessary corrections.

“There are reasons why we win or lose, as I always say. And after we make those corrections, it doesn’t matter what our track record is. We have a game to play and two weeks to prepare. None of that matters now. “

Zach Collaros started the game as a quarterback for the Bombers and completed 7 of 10 passes for 73 yards in the first half before rookie Dru Brown entered the game to replace him. Brown was 7-of-14 for 49 yards, while also carrying the ball seven times for 44 yards.

“Every time you play a game you want to win the game,” Collaros said after the loss. “It’s not a good feeling, but you have to keep going, learn from it, and prepare for our next opponent here. We have to learn from this, improve as teammates, all those things throughout this free week. “

The Stamps will now head to Regina for the Western semifinal on November 28 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-5). The victor will then travel to Winnipeg to play the Bombers a week later for the right to play in the Gray Cup on December 12 in Hamilton.

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