Alouettes end eight-year playoff curse with win over Ticats in East Division semifinals

tomtidgewellNovember 6, 2022

Montreal took a 22-6 lead at halftime, beating postseason nemesis Hamilton 28-17.

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November 6, 2022 • 26 minutes ago • Read in 3 minutes • join the conversation

Alouette quarterback Trevor Harris (7) will face the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the first half of the CFL Eastern Conference Semifinals on Sunday, November 6, 2022 at Molson Stadium in Montreal. Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette

The Alouettes drought is finally over.

It took eight years, but Montreal finally won a playoff game. And after his seven-game losing streak to Hamilton in the postseason, the Als finally beat the Tiger-Cats at Molson Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Montreal jumped to a 22-6 halftime lead and defeated the Tikats 28-17 in the East Division semifinals in front of 20,693 spectators.

Jake Wieneke, Dominic Davis, and Walter Fletcher scored touchdowns for Alouette, and David Cote kicked two field goals. However, the results were questionable until Hamilton quarterback Matthew Shilts was sacked by Tyris Beverett and fumbled.The ball was recovered by Chris Ackie.

Stephen Dunbar Jr. scored Hamilton’s only touchdown and Seth Small added three field goals.

Montreal will advance to the division finals in Toronto next Sunday.

Alouettes scored on the first possession and found the end zone on three of his first four drives.

The game opened with a 49-yard kickoff return by Chandler Worthy. Two plays later, Harris passed to Eugene Lewis for 23 yards, then two plays later, found Wieneke for a 13-yard touchdown in 3:11.

A small cut to that lead with a 47-yard field goal at 5:45.

After Montreal failed to produce a first down, they scored again for 81 yards on eight plays. The drive included a 33-yard reception by Lewis. Following his 12-yard pass to Wieneke, backup his quarterback Davis scored on his 1-yard run at 12:59.

Small kicked a 23-yard field goal early in the second period to cut Hamilton’s deficit to 14-6, but Montreal then engineered a five-play, 70-yard drive to take a 21-6 lead. I took it away.

Alouette defensive lineman Mike Moore (44) and teammate defensive back Wesley Sutton (37) beat Hamilton in the first half of the CFL Eastern Conference at Percival Molson Stadium in Montreal on Sunday, November 6, 2022. Tiger-Cats fired quarterback Dane Evans, 9. Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette
Alouette wide receiver Eugene Lewis (87) beats Hamilton Tiger-Cats defensive back Jumal Rol (25) during the CFL Eastern Conference first half semifinals at Percival Molson Stadium in Montreal on Sunday, November 6, 2022. was knocked down by Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette
Hamilton Tiger-Cats linebacker Simoni Lawrence, 21, backs Walter Fletcher, 25, during the CFL Eastern Conference first half semifinals at Percival Molson Stadium in Montreal on Sunday, November 6, 2022. I will try to defeat the running Alouette. Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette
After scoring a touchdown in the first half of the CFL Eastern Conference semifinals at Percival Molson Stadium in Montreal on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022, Alouette quarterback Trevor Harris, 7, will be replaced by his teammate’s running back. Congratulations to Walter Fletcher (25). Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette
Hamilton Tiger-Cats defensive back Richard Leonard (4) faces Alouette running back Walter Fletcher (25 ) from scoring a touchdown. Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette
Players compete in the Eastern Semifinals between Alouette and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday, November 6, 2022 at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium in Montreal. jpg
Montreal Alouette quarterback Trevor Harris (7) beats teammate Montreal Alouette running back William Stanbuck (31) during the first half of the CFL Eastern Conference at Percival Molson Stadium in Montreal on Sunday, November 6, 2022. ). Dave Sidaway/Montreal Gazette Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette

Following a 20-yard reception by rookie Canadian receiver Tyson Philpott, Fletcher scored on a 33-yard sweep in 5:17. Fletcher broke two of his tackles on this play.

Cornerback Mike Jones intercepted Evans’ pass on the next play, but Alouette couldn’t capitalize on the turnover. Instead, Joseph Zema hit his 69-yard punt on his single to make him 22–6.

Later in the quarter, a pass was deflected from Wieneke and intercepted by Tikatz safety Tunde Adeleke.

No additional goals in the first half. At the break, Trevor Harris completed his 21 of his 27 passes for 219 yards. Alouettes recorded his 15 first downs and his 278-yard net his offense in the first half. At the same time, the Montreal defense limited Tikatz’s first down to his fifth.

Evans was replaced early in the second half by former Alouette Silz after suffering a five-yard loss by defensive tackle Almond Sewell.

Silz completed 5 of 6 passes on the first possession, culminating in a 12-yard touchdown reception by Stephen Dunbar Jr. at 7:05. Silz then passed Anthony Johnson for a two-point conversion, suddenly making it a one-possession game.

Montreal’s offense failed to produce an attack in the quarter. Even after Worthy punted his return to Hamilton 18 for 47 yards, Alouette was unable to produce a first down and settled for his goal on his 33-yard field for Côté on the final play. Montreal got lucky as the kick bounced off the uprights.

A 36-yard field goal by Small at 3:25 in the fourth quarter reduced the difference to 25-18.

The Als didn’t produce a second-half first down until early in the fourth quarter.

The Alouettes bet on Hamilton 50 third and first after the Ticats were guilty of contacting a kicker penalty, but Davis was stopped short. Fortunately for Montreal, Silz was intercepted by Jones three plays later.

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