Argos, Redblacks score pre-season wins

Toronto defence steps up in victory over Montreal

TORONTO — Awkasi Owusu-Ansah and the Toronto Argonauts defence set the tone early.

Owusu-Ansah and Aaron Berry returned first-half interceptions for touchdowns to lead Toronto past the Montreal Alouettes 24-20 on Thursday night in the first CFL exhibition game for both teams. Neither squad was especially sharp offensively before a BMO Field gathering of 5,532 spectators. Then again, both teams didn’t dress a number of their starters.

“It sets the tone for what we want to become this season,” Owusu-Ansah said.

“When a defence gets two scores, the analytics say you’re going to have a pretty good chance to win,” added Marc Trestman, who was in his first game as Toronto’s head coach after spending the last four years in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens. “I think the biggest thing we got out of it is collectively, as a team, we went through the process of playing a full game and understanding a little bit more about the CFL.”

Trestman’s CFL return came against the team he led to two Grey Cup titles before heading to the NFL. Trestman spent five years on Montreal’s sideline (2008-12), winning league titles in 2009-10 prior to becoming Chicago’s head coach in 2013.

Trestman was fired last season as Baltimore’s offensive co-ordinator.

Montreal will host the Grey Cupchampion Ottawa Redblacks next Thursday in the final exhibition game for both teams. Toronto visits the Hamilton Tiger-Cats next Friday.

The Alouettes open the 2017 campaign hosting the Saskatchewan Roughriders on June 22. Toronto’s season opener is June 25 at BMO Field versus Hamilton.

Redblacks 30, Tiger-Cats 29

OTTAWA — Ray Early kicked a 37-yard field goal with 68 seconds left to play to give the Ottawa Redblacks a 30-29 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Thursday.

Both teams combined to use seven quarterbacks as they opened the preseason portion of their CFL schedule.

Trevor Harris started for Ottawa and didn’t disappoint, completing 12-of-15 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown.

The Canadian Press Montreal Alouettes receiver Devon Bailey jumps to catch a pass in front of several Toronto Argonauts defenders during first-halfCFLpre-seasonactioninTorontoonThursdaynight.TheArgonautswon24-20.