Thursday, June 16, 2005

Als to Rens: Curb your enthusiasm

With the Renegades riding a one win streak heading into Thursday nights CFL exhibition contest at Frank Clair Stadium, the Montreal Alouettes felt it proper to remind them of the pecking order in the East.

With Anthony Calvillo taking the helm at QB for three quarters the Alouettes launched an air assault on the Rens on the way to a 37-16 victory. The tune up for Calvillo provided him with ample opportunity to test his arm as he passed for 280 yards, completing 20 of 36 passes, one of which went for a TD and Calvillo kept the interceptions at zero. Free agent acquisition Michael Jenkins tallied up fourteen points one on the TD pass from Calvillo the other on a run, field goals and a fumble recovery in the Ottawa endzone accounted for the other Alouette points. Back up Ted White was handed the ball for mop up duty in the fourth quarter.

Kerry Joseph played one half of football for the Renegades as Joe Paopao continued to experiment with his lineup against a pretty set Montreal roster. Joseph's numbers on the night were 10 passes for 82 yards and no interceptions, Joseph hooked up with Jason Armstead on the second play of the game to pick up the first seven points of the night for the Renegades. Darnell Kennedy fresh from his return from Calgary saw action; as did rookie Paul Peterson as they spelled Joseph in the second half.

For the Rens it was an important barometer for how they shape up against a perennial powerhouse in the CFL east, for Montreal it was vindication after last weeks surprise loss to the Rens at Molson stadium.

Montreal now prepares for the season opener on Wednesday when the Ti-cats make the trek to the McGill campus, Ottawa will travel west to Edmonton to take on the always daunting Eskimos.

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