Three-peat thwarted

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This article was published 20/11/2022 (722 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

REGINA — It’s a label that’s nearly unheard of in modern sports. One that requires a team to climb to the top of the mountain and stay there.

It’s a label that no team in the CFL had earned in over 40 years. And it’s one the Winnipeg Blue Bombers had within their reach entering the 109th Grey Cup on Sunday at Mosaic Stadium.

But dynasty status was not meant to be.

The heavily favoured Bombers, trying to win a third consecutive CFL championship, lost a 24-23 heartbreaker to the Toronto Argonauts.

Instead of celebrating history on a field presumably littered with blue-and-gold confetti, the Bombers slumped in their locker room after the game, nearly speechless, many with tears in their eyes.

“They made one more play than us,” said an emotional Brady Oliveira, who ran 15 times for a game-high 82 yards. “It sucks, man. I went out there and battled every single play. I gave my all for this team, for this city. We all went out there and battled and gave it 110 per cent, but they made one more play than us. You gotta give them credit, but it stings.

“We battled out there, I felt it, and I genuinely think we were the better team out there today and should’ve won that game, but it’s football. You can get beat on any given day. They just made one more play than us.”

That one more play was a blocked field goal.

With the Bombers trailing by one point, second-year Canadian kicker Marc Liegghio stepped onto the field with 54 seconds left to attempt a 47-yard field goal. A minute earlier, Bombers backup safety Nick Hallett made the play of his life, blocking a field goal to keep it as a one-point game.

The clutch play gave Liegghio the chance to be the hero and make up for an extra point he missed earlier in the quarter.

Instead of glory, Liegghio’s kick ended in a nightmare. It was blocked.

“Going into the final one, I knew I was going to nail it because I was hitting the ball well all game,” Liegghio said. “Even though the (convert) was a miss, it went through the back of the end zone. It was a good hit. As soon as the ball left my foot (on the field-goal try), it was for sure gonna go in. Obviously, stuff happens.”

It was a storybook ending on the opposite sideline, especially for running back Andrew Harris. After five seasons with his hometown Bombers, he was forced to go looking for a new employer. The 35-year-old signed with the Argos this past offseason and, in what will go down as one of the most memorable stories in CFL history, he stuck it to his former club on the biggest stage in what could be the final game of his incredible career.

Harris had 10 carries for 55 yards and caught one pass for a 14-yard gain.

“It’s a storybook ending to a great season, an emotional season, an emotional year,” Harris said.

“I had my son a few days ago. I left the city that I thought I’d never be leaving again, bonded with a bunch of new teammates, characters, new coaches, new everything. It’s just an amazing journey and what better way to cap it off than like this.”

“I don’t know if I’m going to be allowed in Winnipeg again. I might get stopped at the Ontario border when driving back.”

Toronto’s starting quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson left the game in the fourth quarter with a dislocated thumb. He was replaced by Chad Kelly, who completed four of six pass attempts for 43 yards. He also took off and ran for 20 yards to set up Toronto’s game-winning touchdown — a five-yard rushing score by running back A.J. Ouellette with just under four minutes left in the game.

Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros, the league’s reigning, two-time Most Outstanding Player, struggled mightily. He completed 14 of 23 passes for 183 yards, no touchdowns and one interception.

Collaros threw his pick to linebacker Henoc Muamba, the game’s Most Valuable Player and Most Valuable Canadian, with 3:20 left on the clock. It was the very next play after Ouellette scored to put the Argos up 24-23.

“There’s some plays here and there that you want to have back. But at the same time, we don’t just say things to say things. I really care about the guys in our locker room. For this season to end this way, somebody’s gotta win obviously, but it’s just a really special group of people and I’m grateful to have been a part of this season and this team,” said Collaros.

“Every guy in that locker room, I love those guys. It’s just tough.”

Despite the Bombers’ difficulties on offence, it looked like kick returner Janarion Grant was going to bail them out. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Grant had the longest punt return in Grey Cup history with a 102-yarder to the house to give Winnipeg a 23-14 edge. Liegghio’s missed convert came on that touchdown.

But it’s not fair to lay the blame on the kicker when the offence forces him to punt eight times on the night. Toronto’s pass rush gave Collaros trouble, especially late in the game, and the Bombers never got in a rhythm offensively. They also made a questionable play call on their first drive after Grant’s touchdown as they had short-yardage quarterback Dakota Prukup — who scored both of Winnipeg’s offensive touchdowns on quarterback sneaks — attempt a deep pass to receiver Rasheed Bailey. It was picked off by defensive back Shaq Richardson.

The Argos didn’t fare much better offensively, as 10 of their points came off the leg of kicker Boris Bede, but they outgained the Bombers 333-246 in yardage.

“It definitely sucks. I usually am a positive person, but I’ll definitely feel this one for a while. That’s pretty much how I can sum it up,” said Bailey.

“When you win so much, I guess the loss comes at one point.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31