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Tiger-Cats edge Alouettes on final play of game

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HAMILTON, ONT.

After 57 minutes of decent football came three minutes of perfection for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Brett Maher struck a 10-yard field goal with no time on the clock to give the Ticats (6-6) a 20-17 win over the Montreal Alouettes at Tim Hortons Field on Friday.

Maher kicked five field goals and the Ticats defence limited Alouettes quarterback Rakeem Cato to 168 yards passing.

“Our defence was really, really good tonight,” Ticats head coach Kent Austin said. “We didn’t give up a touchdown.”

The start of the final drive came just before the three-minute warning. Hamilton quarterback Zach Collaros completed a 12-yard pass to Spencer Watt at the three-minute mark. Then after John Bowman was called for offside, moving Hamilton into Montreal territory, Collaros then hit Andy Fantuz for 31 yards to bring the ball to the Montreal 20, with Fantuz stretching out to make a one-handed grab.

“The biggest play was the throw to (Fantuz),” Austin said. “Zach made a great throw but I don’t know how he got to that.”

But the key was Ross Scheuerman, starting at running back for the Ticats in place of the injured C.J. Gable. He ran twice to bring the ball to the Alouettes nine. Scheuerman then took the ball to the three but was stopped at the two, leading to the Maher field goal.

“Unbelievable job,” Collaros said of the young running back. “He worked tonight. He’s a great rusher, great catcher, great blocker.”

The game started though with the visitors getting the early jump. After an early single by Anthony Fera, the Alouettes stopped the Ticats on the Montreal 44. Receiver Duron Carter, lining up on special teams and rushing from the end of the line, got a hand out to block Maher’s kick. Carter then tracked down the loose ball and scampered 46 yards down the sideline to the end zone to give the Als an 8-0 lead after one quarter.

The teams traded singles to open the second. Then the Ticats got their offensive wind.

On third and one from the Montreal 50, Collaros lined up in the shotgun and lobbed a pass to Chad Owens for 42 yards. From there, Collaros found Luke Tasker just inside the goal line to complete a drive where he went four-for-four for 59 yards.

The Ticats would take their first lead on the opening drive. After the drive was prolonged by a contacting the kicker call, Scheuerman gained 31 yards and Collaros found Watt for a first down on second and 25. But they only got a Maher field goal.

On the ensuing drive, Nik Lewis was stripped by Larry Dean after a reception and the ball was recovered by Emanuel Davis, setting Hamilton up at the Als 38. Collaros hit Brandon Banks for 11 yards but again settled for a Maher field goal to increase the lead to 14-9. Davis had an interception earlier.

Davis would recover his second fumble towards the end of the quarter after a long Alouette drive, giving Hamilton the ball at their own 32. But the Ticats would go two-and-out as the quarter expired.

The Alouettes opened the fourth quarter by cutting the deficit. Cato hit Carter for 18 yards leading to a 49-yard field goal by Fera.

Collaros hit Watt for 13 on the Ticats' next possession leading to Maher’s third field goal of the night from 51 yards.

Midway through the period, Maher conceded a safety when in punt formation deep in his end zone. The Alouettes would then get a 45-yard return by Samuel Giguere to set the Als in field position they would turn into a 40-yard field goal by Fera to tie the game at 17-17 before Hamilton’s late-game heroics

In the game, Owens suffered a foot injury in the first half and did not return.

NEW INDUCTEES: Four new members were welcomed into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame at halftime. Former Toronto Argonauts receiver Derrell Mitchell and former Argo defensive lineman Rodney Harding were joined by Doug Brown, who enjoyed an 11-year career as a defensive lineman for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and fellow Bomber alumni James West, a linebacker known for an eccentric personality.

Don McDonald, a former president of the junior Saskatoon Hilltops and Football Canada president, was inducted as a builder.

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