DeHaze kicks Argos past Ticats with late FG

June 13, 2010
THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO — Robbie Dehaze’s 13-yard field goal with 51 seconds remaining rallied the Toronto Argonauts to a 13-10 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the first CFL exhibition game for both teams Sunday.

Ken Dorsey’s 44-yard completion to Derek Stanley put Toronto on the Hamilton 10-yard line with just over a minute remaining, giving the sparse Rogers Centre gathering of 12,514 something to cheer about. After a Bryan Crawford four-yard run and incompletion, Dehaze came on to boot the winning field goal for the Argos, who trailed by nine points at halftime.

Dorsey, the former Miami Hurricanes star, engineered the 73-yard, eight-play winning drive after Grant Shaw’s 39-yard field goal at 8:34 tied the score 10-10. Dorsey finished 8-of-17 passing for 96 yards with an interception.

But Toronto gave Hamilton a last chance for the comeback, hitting a knee on its final three possessions and giving the Ticats possession at their 41-yard line with seven seconds remaining. However, Adam Tafralis’s final pass was incomplete.

Despite the finish, the contest didn’t have much in the way of an offensive flow, but that’s to be expected when the two teams substitute liberally, especially at quarterback — where seven different players lined up under centre.

Even the officials had a chance to work out the kinks as Hamilton coach Marcel Bellefeuille threw a challenge flag in the first half to dispute an incomplete pass call.

Quinton Porter started at quarterback for Hamilton and looked solid, completing 5-of-7 passes for 50 yards while adding 14 yards rushing on two carries. Tafralis worked the second and fourth quarters and was 11-of-23 passing for 106 yards and an interception.

Newcomer Jason Boltus split time with Tafralis in the second half. Boltus started the third and returned late in the fourth, finishing 4-of-7 passing for 28 yards before leaving the game with an apparent ankle injury.

Dalton Bell was also effective for Toronto. The former Saskatchewan Roughrider was 7-of-10 passing for 94 yards and guided the offence on marches of 55 and 58 yards that culminated with field goals in the third, pulling Toronto to within 10-7.

Cleo Lemon opened under centre for Toronto and was just 3-of-10 passing for 41 yards but Jeffrey Webb did Lemon no favours by dropping three catchable tosses. Former Queen’s star Danny Brannagan took over in the second and completed 3-of-11 passes for 31 yards and an interception.

Brian Calhoun scored Hamilton’s touchdown. Sandro DeAngelis booted the convert and a field goal.

Brian Shaw had two field goals for Toronto while Dehaze added a field goal and single.

A sparkling special-teams effort set up the only touchdown of the opening half and staked Hamilton to a 10-1 half-time advantage.

Demetris Summers’ 77-yard punt return put Hamilton on the Toronto 17-yard line. Tafralis’s 15-yard toss to Damon McDaniel and an incompletion, Calhoun bulled his way in from two yards out at 8:44 of the second quarter.

Toronto had a glorious chance to get back into the game later in the quarter when Keith Gooding got behind the Ticats’ secondary and was wide open. However, Brannagan overthrew the receiver.

Hamilton held a decided edge in play, out-gaining Toronto in total yards 173-91 and registering four sacks to one for the home side. The Ticats did have three turnovers, two coming on failed third-down gambles.

NOTES — Quarterback Kevin Glenn, receivers Arland Bruce III and Dave Stala, tailback DeAndra’ Cobb, offensive linemen Alexandre Gauthier and Marwan Hage, linebackers Jamall Johnson, Markeith Knowlton and Otis Floyd and defensive back Jason Shivers were among the players not playing for Hamilton. Offensive tackle Rob Murphy and cornerback Willie Middlebrooks were the only Argos starters not suited up.