Even more than in other team sports given the limited number of games there are in a season, the importance of peaking at the right time is immense in football. And maybe that’s what’s on its way to happening with the 2021 Alouettes.
Their fourth victory in a row, Friday night at Percival-Molson Stadium, certainly proved one thing: in the East Division, the Alouettes no longer have any complexes in front of anyone.
PHOTO PASCAL RATTHÉ, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Spencer moore
After winning a narrow 30-27 victory over the Als on September 24 in Toronto, the Argonauts were beaten in every aspect of the game on the mountain. Thanks to their 37-16 victory, the Alouettes joined the same Argos at the top of the East, the two teams having 12 points in the standings (6-4 record).
David Ménard and Jake Wieneke were two of the players of the week following their performance against Ottawa last Saturday. It would be quite surprising if the Birds were not well represented on the honor roll for a second consecutive week.
The first star? William Stanback. Returning to the game after a two-game absence, Stanback was in great shape. He took advantage of breaches in the Toronto defense, including successful runs of 65 and 41 yards. He returned to the locker room after 60 minutes of play with 203 more yards to his credit, giving him a total of 880 since the start of the season. He also registered a touchdown.
That’s an average of 110 yards per game played. In a typical 18-game schedule, Stanback would end the season with 1980 rushing yards keeping that average. Nearly 2,000 rushing yards in a CFL season, you have to do it!
“I felt I had to be forgiven after missing the last two games. I trusted my game readings and took advantage of the openings our linemen gave me, ”said Stanback.
Eugene Lewis, too, stood out in front of the modest but festive crowd of 12,142 spectators. The receiver caught all seven passes Matt Shiltz threw towards him and ended his night with 156 yards and touchdowns of 33 and 58 yards.
There were also heroes in defense. Argos quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson could confirm that. The poor saw four of his passes being intercepted, he who did not throw any touchdown pass.
Excellent for the past few weeks, Chris Ackie is undoubtedly experiencing the best moments of his career. He ended a promising Argos streak when the mark was 24-10 in the third quarter with his fourth sack of the season, and added a second later. The linebacker also intercepted a pass from Bethel-Thompson during a double-convert attempt.
Monshadrik “Money” Hunter excelled for a second straight game with two interceptions and Rodney Randle Jr., who continues to gain strength, got the other. Randle Jr. and Ackie led the Alouettes with six tackles each.
“Our defense has been building since the start of the season and I’m very happy with the way she played tonight,” said Khari Jones.
Shiltz will keep his post
PHOTO PASCAL RATTHÉ, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Matthew Shiltz and William Stanback
Shiltz and the Alouettes’ offense took a while to find their rhythm as their first three series lasted just two games apiece before Joseph Zema punted. On his second start, Shiltz found his way to go from there.
He hit the target on seven of his next eight passes and finished the first half with 155 yards and two touchdowns. As in his previous game, Shiltz played it safe in the second half, protecting a comfortable lead. He finished the game with modest stats (12 for 18 for 212 yards and two touchdowns), but didn’t make any major mistakes.
Shiltz’s performance will allow him to keep his starting position despite the arrival of Trevor Harris, Jones confirmed. “Matt is playing at a pretty high level right now,” said the Als driver.
“I’m not trying to prove anything right now. I love the players in this locker room so much and I would like people on the outside to see how hard we work in our team, ”commented Shiltz.
With Shiltz, Harris and Vernon Adams Jr., the Alouettes haven’t often had as much quarterback depth. Crossed before Friday’s match, club president Mario Cecchini was delighted. “The beauty is that three quarters are all on the same wavelength. Everyone on the team only wants one thing, and that is to win. ”
However, the challenge promises to be a little more difficult in the coming weeks. After defeating their three division rivals in the past month, the Alouettes will now face the Saskatchewan Roughriders next Saturday in Montreal, before playing twice in a row against what is clearly the best team in the league, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
We now know that the Birds can reach the East. In a few weeks, we should know if they can realistically aim for a championship.