ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF
TORONTO – Toronto. The 100th Grey Cup. A chance to host and hoist on home soil for the first time in 50 years.
An electric atmosphere at the Rogers Centre with the culmination of the 100th Grey Cup Festival saw a decidedly home crowd advantage for the Double Blue. A raucous crowd saw the roof of the Doom explode with the introductions of Most Outstanding Player Chad Owens and two-time Grey Cup Champion Ricky Ray.
Following an anthem by Burton Cummings and the presentation of the Grey Cup to the crowd, it was time for the reason Canadians across the country came to Toronto, it was time for football and the playing of the 100th Grey Cup!
After receiving the opening kick, the Argos offence would not start the game how they had hoped. A deep ball from Ricky Ray intended for Andre Durie on the first play of the game would be intercepted by the Stamps. Lucky for the Double Blue, the Argos defence would hold and the Stamps would go two and out. Crisis averted and the Argos with the ball again.
A drive would stall but the Argos would get there first turnover on the Stamps next drive as RB Jon Cornish would fumble the ball and it would be pounced on by Defensive End Ricky Foley.
A face mask penalty would extend the Argos drive and after a Chad Kackert run would bring the Double Blue to the goal line it would be time for the MOP to take over. Ray would find Owens in the flats and after juking a defender would make his way into the end zone.
On the next drive the Stamps would work the ball up field on runs by Cornish and a long catch and run by Slot Back Larry Taylor. The drive would result in a 30-yard field goal for Kicker Rene Parades. 7-3 Argos with three minutes left in quarter number one.
Kevin Glenn would make his first mistake of the afternoon throwing a pick to Argos CB Pacino Horne. Horne would make a diving grab, get up and run the ball back to the house for the pick-six. 14-4 Argos after the defensive score.
The Argos would add another field goal as Swayze Waters would connect on his first kick of the game bringing the Argos lead to 14.
Nik Lewis would make his presence felt on a long catch and run. He would emerge from a sea of Argos defenders and rumble into Argos territory. The Argos defence however, would hold the Stamps again to just a field goal after defensive beast Ejiro Kuale would tackle the Stamps for a loss on second down. Parades would connect on his field goal attempt and bring the score to 17-6.
After another failed Stamps drive, the Argos would take over again and with one play would make it all the way down the field. Rookie WR Dontrelle Inman would make an acrobatic grab at the pylon and come down just short of the touchdown. After review would confirm no TD, Jarious Jackson would find Inman on a roll out play similar to the one Inman scored on in Montreal. 24-6 with one minute left and the Double Blue cruising
After Gordon Lightfoot, Marianas Trench, Carly Rae Jepsen and Canadian icon Justin Beiber would rock the 53,208 in attendance at the Rogers Centre, it was back to football with the Argos just 30 minutes away from hoisting the Grey Cup.
The Stamps would strike first in the second half on a field goal from Parades. The drive would be helped by a pass interference and unnecessary roughness penalty on the Argos. Held to a field goal once again, the Argos would still lead 21-9.
Owens would jump start the following Argos drive with his biggest return of the day, setting the Boatmen up at midfield. Getting stalled in the red zone, the Argos would manage just a Swayze Waters field goal and extend their lead to 15.
On the ensuing kickoff, Larry Taylor would take the ball 100+ yards for the major but the play would be called back due to a Stamps holding penalty. A massive break for the Boatmen.
During the Stamps drive, Defensive Tackle Adriano Belli would get disqualified following an unnecessary roughness penalty. The Stamps would punt and pin the Argos on the 2-yard line and with the Argos getting nothing done on offence they would concede the safety and move the score to 27-11.
The Stamps would again get the benefit of some penalty flags as 40-yard pass interference call would bring the ball all the way to the red zone. Again, Chris Jones’ defence would hold the Stamps to just a field goal.
As the Argos would continue to stall on offence, it would appear that the Stamps were gaining momentum and finding a way back in the game. However, a combination of two 15-yard penalties would set the Argos next drive up already in Stamps territory.
Chad Kackert would run the ball down to the red zone and Ricky Ray would make no mistake finding Andre Durie in the flats for the major. The Canadian receiver would push the Argos lead to 34-14 with just five minutes left to play and all but wrap up the 100th Grey Cup for the Toronto Argonauts.
Prefontaine would add a single on a punt as it was nothing more then a waitinng game for the Double Blue.
Calgary would tack on a touchdown with seconds left to play but it was no matter as the Argos would prevail and would claim the 100th Grey Cup on home turf!