GREY CUP THE CULMINATION OF MEMORABLE STAMPS SEASON
From the catch of the year to must-win triumphs, team had lots of magic moments
The Calgary Stampeders are Grey Cup champions.
They beat the Ottawa Redblacks 27-16 in Sunday’s big game in Edmonton, and are likely going to be big running bar tabs around Calgary all week.
But there was a lot more that went into winning the Grey Cup then just the performance on the field, and there were memorable performances throughout the entire season.
Here are 10 of the most unforgettable moments from the Stampeders’ magical 2018 year — in chronological order:
BRESCACIN CATCH
It was late in the second quarter of the first game of the season and nobody really knew what to expect from the 2018 Calgary Stampeders when Juwan Brescacin made the catch of the year.
Bo Levi Mitchell rolled out of the pocket and threw a deep ball towards his big Canadian target, who was being closely covered by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ Richard Leonard.
Somehow, Brescacin elevated above Leonard and extended his right arm to make a magical, onehanded catch for 42 yards. The highlight was broadcast internationally, and the Stamps were on their way to their first win of the year.
KAMAR’S CHASEDOWN
The spectre of last year’s goal-line fumble in the Grey Cup against the Toronto Argonauts hung over Kamar Jorden when the season started.
In the Stamps’ second game of the season, it was Mitchell who fumbled the ball deep in Argos territory, and when Ronnie Yell scooped it up and took off downfield, it didn’t look like any of the Stamps would be able to catch him.
Then Jorden came out of nowhere, running 75 yards to bring down Yell and save a touchdown.
The Stamps sideline went absolutely bonkers, and head coach Dave Dickenson admitted that seeing Jorden do what he did felt a little extra special after the criticism he took at the end of last season.
It might not have been the prettiest highlight of the year, but it was deeply meaningful.
EVANS STOP
It’s the third game of the season and the Stamps are up 10-7 and in an absolute dogfight.
The Ottawa Redblacks have the ball on the Stamps’ four-yard line, with three chances to punch the ball in and take the lead.
On second-and-four, Trevor Harris looks to his right and hits Diontae Spencer on the two yard line.
Watching the play back now, it still seems impossible that Ciante Evans stopped Spencer from crossing the goal-line. When the ball gets in Spencer’s hands, he’s on the two-yard line and Evans is five yards into the end zone.
Somehow — and with a little help from Patrick Levels — Evans managed to pick Spencer up and save the touchdown, and the Stamps again stopped the Redblacks on the next play.
It was a genuine game-changing tackle and kept the Stamps’ hot-start to the season alive.
JORDEN’S AUGUST
This isn’t one specific play, but rather a month to remember.
Heading into August, Jorden was consistently putting up good numbers, but didn’t have a 100-yard game to his name yet in 2018.
Suddenly, something clicked and he looked very much like the best receiver in the CFL.
Against the B.C. Lions on Aug. 4, Jorden had 185 receiving yards and a touchdown. A couple weeks later against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, he had 10 catches for 249 yards, an all-time singlegame Stampeders record.
Jorden’s season sadly ended in the Labour Day Classic, but for one month, it felt like every time Mitchell through him the ball, something breathtaking might happen.
JA’GARED’S BIG DAY
Ja’Gared Davis does a lot of things so well but nobody really knew he had the hands of a receiver until Week 11 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The Stamps defensive end finished with two interceptions against the Bombers, one of which he ran into the end zone.
That touchdown capped off a dominant performance from a defence that carried the Stamps all year, and his hilarious jump into the end zone had his teammates laughing while they celebrated.
LABOUR DAY WALKOFF
The Labour Day Classic lived up to its name this year, delivering a hard-fought battle between the Stamps and the Edmonton Eskimos. Neither team was willing to give an inch, but in the end it was the home crowd at McMahon Stadium that was left madly celebrating.
With no time left on the clock, the Stamps lined up for a Rene Paredes field goal attempt, and the always reliable kicker booted the ball through the uprights from 43 yards.
Knocking off your biggest rival in the biggest regular season game of the year? That’s hard to beat.
MORRIS FOUR TOUCHDOWNS
It’s easy to forget that running back was a major question mark heading into the season after Jerome Messam had left the Stampeders in free agency.
Don Jackson stepped into the starting running back role and put in great work, but he was injured for the Labour Day Rematch and there were concerns about how backup Romar Morris would do.
Well, Morris finished the game in Edmonton with four touchdowns — two receiving, two rushing — and 157 combined yards.
The Stamps wouldn’t win, but Morris’ performance showed that the team had seriously dangerous depth at running back.
GETTING IT DONE
Three times the Stampeders had the chance to clinch first place in the West Division and three times they fell short.
That made their final game of the regular season against the B.C. Lions a must-win, and they responded with a performance that not only clinched them a home game in the West Division Final, but also hinted at the idea that they might be able to get over their October struggles if they could take advantage of the bye week they’d earned.
ROGERS MAGIC
Eric Rogers was in-and-out of the lineup this year because of a lingering knee injury, but he stepped up in a big way when the Stampeders needed him most.
Rogers was Mitchell’s go-to target in the end zone in the West Final against the Bombers, and his third touchdown came in the fourth quarter after he’d torn his meniscus.
His knee was in considerable pain, but Rogers still got out on the field and into the end zone to make the pivotal grab that sealed the Stamps’ spot in the Grey Cup.
WILLIAMS RUN-BACK TD
When you win the Grey Cup, everything feels like a highlight that fans will remember forever.
It’s Terry Williams’ late firsthalf punt-return touchdown that will likely be played in CFL montages for the rest of time, though.
The Redblacks seemed to be gaining momentum near the end of the second quarter but punted the ball downfield in the dying seconds.
Williams caught the punt and slipped for a split second before finding his footing and taking off downfield. The rest was history, as he ran into the end zone and set a Grey Cup record for the longest punt return ever — 97 yards — in the CFL’s championship game. The Stamps, meanwhile, regained momentum heading into halftime and never looked back.