1960 Division Semi-Finals
Montreal Rouge VS. Ottawa Royals - Mount Royal Stadium - September 17, 1960 - 3 PM ET - Weather: Partly Cloudy - 21ºC | 70ºF
1st Q
The intense crowd in Montreal set the tone early in the Rouge’s return to the playoffs. While Montreal was unable to score on their opening drive, communication issues forced the Royals to go 2 and out on their opening possession. While the Royals were struggling to get the offence moving, QB Stanislav Ovechkin was able to get the Rouge into field goal range to take an early 3-0 lead. With the crowd becoming an issue, Ottawa would adjust and had Matieau take full control of the offensive play calling. He would counter the Montreal field goal with a strong drive, connecting on several simple plays. Eventually, Matieau would rollout and toss the ball to WR Mackenzie Jones in the endzone. Jones would reach out and bring in the pass with DB Quentin Xavier right on him. Ottawa would take the lead and tame the crowd just a bit.
MTL 3-7 OTT
2nd Q
The momentum seemed to completely shift following the touchdown drive from the Royals. The offence was not getting anywhere for the Rouge, and Ottawa’s offence kept moving the ball. Midway through the frame, RB Alexei Volkov would break free for an 11-yard touchdown run to put Ottawa up 3-14. Montreal would finally catch a break in the final minutes of the half with Stanislav Ovechkin finding WR Derek Cross for a 38-yard play which would set up RB Scott Mallard-White to pull back within 4.
MTL 10-14 OTT
3rd Q
The Royals came out of the break with the lead, and they wanted to keep it that way. The strategy in doing so was turning up the defensive pressure. DC Matthew Carson would let DL Olaf Viktorsson loose into the backfield. He would manage to get to Stanislav Ovechkin 2 times during the quarter and would force a fumble on the QB as well. Montreal was only able to pick up 1 first down in the 3rd. While Montreal struggled, Ottawa was able to roll down the field again. Matieau would connect with WR Truman Harry underneath the Montreal zone defence and would scamper into the endzone to give Ottawa an 11-point lead heading into the final quarter of play.
MTL 10-21 OTT
4th Q
Montreal continued to struggle in the final quarter, but with a heavier focus on the run, they were starting to make up some ground. RB Scott Mallard-White was able to get the Rouge into field goal range, but it was at the cost of the clock. K Arthur Kettinger would get a field goal to make it a one-score game. The Royals would also focus on the run game and the clock, and they were able to get back into field goal range to make it an 11-point game again. Montreal would need to get going with 4 minutes to go in the game. Ovechkin was able to find WR Ray Lopez open to get the Rouge into Ottawa territory, however, the next play he looked for WR Derek Cross deep and underthrew him. DB Mingan Oliver would jump all over the pass and would bring in the interception. Montreal’s hopes were squashed at that point as Ottawa controlled the game the rest of the way to seal yet another playoff win.
London Tigers VS. Worcester Athletics - Western Fair Stadium - September 17, 1960 - 7 PM ET - Weather: Clear - 22ºC | 72ºF
1st Q
There were many nervous fans in the London crowd as QB Christian Stewart made his first start since getting injured in the 1958 season opener. However, the Tigers were able to ease the anxiety with a strong drive out of the gate. RB Clifford Russell and his partner RB Don Gregson were expected to get the bulk of the touches in the game, and that was the case on the first drive. They would march down the field on a fairly conservative drive, which Worcester was having trouble stopping. RB Clifford Russell would finally open up the scoring on a 12-yard run into the endzone to make it 7-0 Tigers. QB Gene Bishop and the Athletics were not having the same success going 2 and out on their first 2 drives. They would not be able to get a foothold in the quarter while the Tigers would add on to their lead with a K Nimrod Handsworth field goal.
LDN 10-0 WOR
2nd Q
The Athletics were able to finally get their motor started in the second. Bishop would lead the team into Tigers’ territory for the first time on their first drive. They would even get down to the 36-yard line where Bishop would then take a shot to the endzone. WR Zachariah Pembroke would be one-on-one with DB Ricardo Salvador. Pembroke would get a step on Salvador, with the DB coming up limping on the play. Pembroke had a huge opportunity, but he misjudged the ball and it hit his hands and fell to the ground. Bishop was visibly frustrated after throwing a great pass. They would settle for a field goal on the drive. On the ensuing Tigers’ drive, the Athletics’ defence would step up to help their offence. QB Christian Stewart would look to throw the ball over the top to WR Benedict Spencer, but he was pressured by DL Vinny Brown. Stewart would rush the throw and it would be picked off by LB Harrison Bennett. Worcester would take over in London territory and RB Lawrence Sharp would punch it in to pull the Athletics to within one. Unfortunately, K Elvis Franklin would miss the convert.
LDN 10-9 WOR
3rd Q
The Tigers’ offence struggled in the 2nd quarter after the solid start in the first, so they made some adjustments and went a little more aggressive. The new strategy would catch the Athletics off guard as WR Max Sutton would spring loose on a post route. He would fly past rookie DB Joe Robinson and would catch Christian Stewart’s pass over the top. He was wide open with only S Shawn Jensen to beat. He would make a great move to get past Jensen and would roll into the endzone just 20 yards later. Worcester was backpedalling after that with their next drive ending in a tough play. QB Gene Bishop tried to get the ball to WR Trig Jegman, but veteran DB Louie White would anticipate the pass and punch it up into the air. DB Jackson Miles was all over the ball and brought in the pick. The Tigers would then take it down to the 2-yard line before RB Don Gregson punched it in.
LDN 24-9 WOR
4th Q
Worcester would have a strong drive to start the final quarter of play. Bishop was able to get the team into field goal range, but they were still a ways from the endzone. However, being down by 15, Bishop felt like they had to go for it. However, HC Dean Parrish decided to kick the field goal instead, making it a 12-point game. Bishop was not happy with the decision and showed his frustration on the sideline. London would get the ball back and once again would find themselves moving the ball down the field. From the 25, QB Christian Stewart would hit WR Max Sutton on a crossing route at the 14. Sutton would use his speed to get past everyone and take it in for his second touchdown of the game. Worcester was now down by 19 with only 6 minutes left. At this point, Bishop would become a little more selfish with the ball, being frustrated by the constant mistakes from his WRs. He would run the ball himself 5 times on their retaliation drive. He would eventually punch it in himself with no celebration to follow. They would miss the 2-point on a WR Trig Jegman dropped pass on the next play which pretty much killed any hope they had. QB Christian Stewart and the Tigers walked away with the win and were ready to head to Long Island next week.
Players of the Week
DEF: DL Olaf Viktorsson OTT - 1 Forced Fumble, 2 Sacks, 7 Tackles
1960 Division Finals Preview
Boston Independents VS. Ottawa Royals - Richardson Stadium - September 24, 1960 - 3 PM ET - Forecast: Cloudy
Head-to-Head: W1 OTT 27-20 BOS, W9 BOS 24-16 OTT
The Independents and Royals will meet in the playoffs for the 5th time in the East Division Final. Boston enters the game as favourites after probably their best season since QB Larry Larson was playing. The big factor is the healthy roster from Boston who will have WR Ellis Lindholm in the playoffs after he missed the past two postseasons with injuries. However, Ottawa is a tough beast to tackle. They proved once again that they are still as good as ever against the Rouge and will fight until the final whistle in Boston. I still believe that Boston will come in with a bit more experience and finally put a stop to the Royals.
My Pick: Independents
Long Island Raiders VS. London Tigers - Long Island Stadium - September 24, 1960 - 7 PM ET - Forecast: Cloudy
Head-to-Head: W4 LI 10-15 LDN, W12 LDN 17-23 LI
For the 3rd straight season, it will be the Tigers visiting the Raiders for the West Division Final, but this season will be different with both teams starting their backup QBs. QB Christian Stewart was strong in the Tigers' win over the Athletics, but the Raiders' defence is a much tougher beast to handle. QB Brian Meadows on the Long Island side will be making his first playoff start which could come with some bumps, but with RB Johnnie Stafford having a career year, there could be loads of support. I still like the Tigers to win, but the game is almost guaranteed to be close.
My Pick: Tigers
1960 Division Finals
Boston Independents VS. Ottawa Royals - Richardson Stadium - September 24, 1960 - 3 PM ET - Forecast: Cloudy - 17ºC | 63ºF
1st Q
The Boston-Ottawa battle began quite balanced between offence and defence. Both teams were finding ways to move the ball but wouldn’t get far enough to score before being stopped. Boston would be the first to strike on their 2nd drive of the game with a K Johnnie Berg field goal. It would take Ottawa a couple more drives to get a field goal of their own and tie the game. The game remained tied after the first.
BOS 3-3 OTT
2nd Q
Ottawa would be the ones to finally make up some real ground getting past the Boston defence. QB Jean Matieau would roll out and would connect with WR Mackenzie Jones for a 23-yard play that would set up RB Alexei Volkov for the first major of the day. Boston would look to get back the score and would have a solid start to the drive, however, the Royals would bring the pressure. DL Troy Hunt and DL Charles Hoover would close in on QB Nathaniel Braddock. Braddock saw WR Paul Franklin open and would force a pass to him. However, the pass was not great due to the two linemen, and the ball would flutter into the arms of LB Killian Reed. The turnover would set the Royals offence at midfield. QB Jean Matieau would then march the team down the rest of the way and would connect with WR Chester Bennett for a touchdown to give them a 3-17 lead. Braddock was able to bounce back from the pick leading the Independents to a late field goal to finish the first half.
BOS 6-17 OTT
3rd Q
Boston came out of the break with a sense of urgency. Braddock was able to get the offence moving quickly down the field. Boston would line up for a 2nd and 8 on the Ottawa 37 when Braddock would decide to take a shot at WR Ellis Lindholm. Lindholm seemed to have beat DB Uzzia Hayes, but the veteran corner was able to reach up and tip the ball enough to knock it away and force the incompletion. Boston would have to settle for a field goal instead. Ottawa would return the favour not long after to extend their lead back to 11. Boston would not back down, going down the field once again. However, this time they would get into the endzone with a pass to WR Clyde McIntosh. Unfortunately, the team would miss the 2-point try, leaving the game at 15-20 heading into the final quarter.
BOS 15-20 OTT
4th Q
The momentum Boston picked up in the third would carry over into the next quarter. The offence continued to click and even the defence would get into the action. Ottawa would be nearing midfield when Jean Matieau would hit WR Chester Bennett on a slant. Bennett would catch the pass only to be hit 2 steps later. LB Brent Harper’s hit jarred the ball loose and S Drew Porter would pick it up to give Boston the ball in Ottawa territory. Braddock would make quick work of the Royals’ defence moving it down to the redzone before finding WR Ellis Lindholm for his second passing touchdown of the game. RB Kendall Morgan would punch in the 2-point convert to give them a 23-20 lead. The Boston crowd was ecstatic about the comeback, but it didn’t affect the Royals who would counter with a field goal on their next drive to tie up the game. As the clock winded down both teams traded drives as both defences dug their feet in. Boston would get the ball with just enough time for a drive. Braddock would drop back on first down and would find WR Paul Franklin for a quick 11-yard gain. On the next play, he would drop back looking toward WR Ellis Lindholm deep for a game-changing play. He would launch his arm forward only to realize the ball was not in his hands anymore. DL Olaf Viktorsson got a hand on it knocking it loose. Both teams scrambled for it, but it was Viktorsson himself who was able to scoop it up and run the 23 yards into the endzone. Boston was not able to score as the Royals, despite being on the verge of missing the playoffs, continue their historic streak going to their 7th straight McCallister Cup.
Long Island Raiders VS. London Tigers - Long Island Stadium - September 24, 1960 - 7 PM ET - Forecast: Partly Cloudy - 17ºC | 64ºF
1st Q
The Long Island-London rivalry has only gotten better every season, but this was probably the most intriguing matchup as both teams were starting their back-up QBs. QB Christian Stewart would get the first opportunity to strike for the Tigers. The offence would come out with a strong touchdown drive that ended with Stewart finding TE Paul McDowell in the endzone. 7-0 Tigers. QB Brian Meadows and the Raiders were not so lucky as the Tigers’ defence would shut them down on their opening drive. The Tigers' offence would not be able to replicate their strong first drive and wouldn’t score again in the quarter. The Raiders' offence would get a break with RB Conner Riley grabbing a 15-yard gain to put them in field goal range to end the quarter.
LI 3-7 LDN
2nd Q
The second frame flipped the game on its head. The Raiders would get a field goal early before their defence started to make an impact. DL Vernon Spears would land a hit on QB Christian Stewart while he was throwing the ball. LB Elijah Goldwater would get under the fluttering pass to set the Raiders up in Tiger territory. RB Johnnie Stafford would score a few plays later to give the Raiders the lead. The Raiders would once again get the ball back on the Tigers' next drive, with DB Slay Mitchell coming up with a pick to set up yet another Stafford TD. The Tigers would recover with a field goal to end the half.
LI 20-10 LDN
3rd Q
London would come out of the break much like they started the game. Their defence would stuff RB Johnnie Stafford for a 4-yard loss and then they would get to QB Brian Meadows on the next play. The Raiders would punt and the Tigers’ offence would march to the endzone. RB Clifford Russell would punch it in to make it 20-17. The Tigers continued to put pressure up front hoping to force the Raiders to throw the ball. It would work as the team would then force Meadows to make a mistake. DB Ricardo Salvador would pick off Meadows and would set the Tigers up for another score. QB Christian Stewart would find WR Max Sutton in the endzone to take back the lead.
LI 20-24 LDN
4th Q
The final quarter was intense with both teams struggling to move the ball. The game was being put into the hands of both defences as the Tigers’ hoped to hold onto the lead and the Raiders looked for a turnover opportunity. It would be the Raiders finding a turnover with 5 minutes to go in the game. RB Clifford Russell would take it up the middle only to run into DL Vernon Spears on one side and then LB Rusty McVee head-on. There was no chance for Russell to hold onto the ball as it flew over to LB Gene Benson to pick it up for the Raiders. Johnnie Stafford would lead the Raiders the rest of the way to the endzone taking a late lead, 27-24. London now had to make something happen. QB Christian Stewart would come to the field looking to deliver. HC Roy Aguirre would open up the playbook for the final drive and called pretty much every right play. Stewart was picture perfect in getting the ball where it needed to go. The Tigers would march down and would be able to tie the game off the boot of K Nimrod Handsworth. The game would end without another score making it the 3rd game in league history with overtime.
LI 27-27 LDN
Overtime
The game continued as it was, but clearly, both teams were getting a bit tired, especially the defences who were playing at their peak level despite the high scoring game. It seemed like a game poised to come down to who makes the big mistake. It looked to be the Tigers when they were forced to punt deep in their own zone. K Nimrod Handsworth would get the ball, but it hesitated a little, and that was enough time for DB Slay Mitchell to get in the way. Handsworth’s kick was blocked and the DB would pick up the ball and run it into the endzone giving the Raiders the lead. The Tigers looked beat, but Christian Stewart was not, he would get the team riled up and he would lead the Tigers back onto the field for their next drive. The Tigers would get a couple of first downs, but they would find themselves caught on 2nd and 10. Stewart would drop back to throw, but saw nothing and would take off picking up the first down on his feet, even taking a tough hit from McVee. That seemed to ignite the Tigers as they would go down the rest of the way. RB Clifford Russell would score his second touchdown of the game to tie the game back up. As the clock wound down to the final minutes, the Raiders would have the ball. Stafford had picked up 2 on first down, getting hit hard by LB Aengus Lynch, leaving the team on a 2nd and 8. Meadows would look to throw and he would find WR Darryl Duke open 16-yards downfield. The pass would be high, but Duke got his hands on it, only he couldn’t hold on as S Neil Graham hit him on the way down. The Raiders were forced to punt on 3rd and 8. London would take over and on 1st and 10 from the Tigers’ 37, Stewart would drop back and look at WR Max Sutton for a play. His eyes were glued and the Raiders defenders shifted towards Sutton. They fell for the trap. Stewart shifted quickly to spot WR Jack Duncan open down the opposite sideline. He would hit the WR and Duncan would take it into Raiders’ territory. They would inch closer and closer before finally letting K Nimrod Handsworth nail the game-winning field goal to send the Tigers home for the 42nd McCallister Cup.
Injury Report
OL Elliot Winterbottom LI - Day-to-Day
OL Ulysses Fairgrove LDN - Day-to-Day
OL Simeon Clarke LDN - Day-to-Day
WR Wilbert Benjamin LDN - 5 Weeks
DL Charles Hoover OTT - Day-to-Day
OL Jack Workman OTT - Day-to-Day
Players of the Week
OFF: QB Christian Stewart LDN - 2 Passing Touchdowns, 323 Passing Yards, 23 Rushing Yards, 2 Interceptions
DEF: DL Olaf Viktorsson OTT - 1 Forced Fumble, 1 Defensive Touchdown, 1 Sack, 5 Tackles
42nd McCallister Cup Preview
London Tigers VS. Ottawa Royals - Western Fair Stadium - October 2, 1960 - 6 PM ET - Forecast: Clear - Windy
Head-to-Head: W2 OTT 38-35 LDN
First time since 1950 and 1951, the same two teams will meet in back-to-back McCallister Cups. It is also the first time since 1956 that the host team is in the game. For more facts, it is also the first McCallister Cup to feature two teams that did not finish top of their division. With all the stats out of the way, the battle between the Royals and Tigers should be an offensive one. QB Riley Kiernan will be back in the lineup for the Tigers which is a huge factor in the game. The team has been great without him and should only be better with him. The Royals for once are the underdogs coming into this game being on the road and not quite as good as they were even just a year ago. It’s looking to be a fun and close game, but I gotta stick to my original prediction and go with the Tigers in this one.
My Pick: Tigers.
Boston Independents VS. Ottawa Royals - Richardson Stadium - September 24, 1960 - 3 PM ET - Forecast: Cloudy - 17ºC | 63ºF
1st Q
The Boston-Ottawa battle began quite balanced between offence and defence. Both teams were finding ways to move the ball but wouldn’t get far enough to score before being stopped. Boston would be the first to strike on their 2nd drive of the game with a K Johnnie Berg field goal. It would take Ottawa a couple more drives to get a field goal of their own and tie the game. The game remained tied after the first.
BOS 3-3 OTT
2nd Q
Ottawa would be the ones to finally make up some real ground getting past the Boston defence. QB Jean Matieau would roll out and would connect with WR Mackenzie Jones for a 23-yard play that would set up RB Alexei Volkov for the first major of the day. Boston would look to get back the score and would have a solid start to the drive, however, the Royals would bring the pressure. DL Troy Hunt and DL Charles Hoover would close in on QB Nathaniel Braddock. Braddock saw WR Paul Franklin open and would force a pass to him. However, the pass was not great due to the two linemen, and the ball would flutter into the arms of LB Killian Reed. The turnover would set the Royals offence at midfield. QB Jean Matieau would then march the team down the rest of the way and would connect with WR Chester Bennett for a touchdown to give them a 3-17 lead. Braddock was able to bounce back from the pick leading the Independents to a late field goal to finish the first half.
BOS 6-17 OTT
3rd Q
Boston came out of the break with a sense of urgency. Braddock was able to get the offence moving quickly down the field. Boston would line up for a 2nd and 8 on the Ottawa 37 when Braddock would decide to take a shot at WR Ellis Lindholm. Lindholm seemed to have beat DB Uzzia Hayes, but the veteran corner was able to reach up and tip the ball enough to knock it away and force the incompletion. Boston would have to settle for a field goal instead. Ottawa would return the favour not long after to extend their lead back to 11. Boston would not back down, going down the field once again. However, this time they would get into the endzone with a pass to WR Clyde McIntosh. Unfortunately, the team would miss the 2-point try, leaving the game at 15-20 heading into the final quarter.
BOS 15-20 OTT
4th Q
The momentum Boston picked up in the third would carry over into the next quarter. The offence continued to click and even the defence would get into the action. Ottawa would be nearing midfield when Jean Matieau would hit WR Chester Bennett on a slant. Bennett would catch the pass only to be hit 2 steps later. LB Brent Harper’s hit jarred the ball loose and S Drew Porter would pick it up to give Boston the ball in Ottawa territory. Braddock would make quick work of the Royals’ defence moving it down to the redzone before finding WR Ellis Lindholm for his second passing touchdown of the game. RB Kendall Morgan would punch in the 2-point convert to give them a 23-20 lead. The Boston crowd was ecstatic about the comeback, but it didn’t affect the Royals who would counter with a field goal on their next drive to tie up the game. As the clock winded down both teams traded drives as both defences dug their feet in. Boston would get the ball with just enough time for a drive. Braddock would drop back on first down and would find WR Paul Franklin for a quick 11-yard gain. On the next play, he would drop back looking toward WR Ellis Lindholm deep for a game-changing play. He would launch his arm forward only to realize the ball was not in his hands anymore. DL Olaf Viktorsson got a hand on it knocking it loose. Both teams scrambled for it, but it was Viktorsson himself who was able to scoop it up and run the 23 yards into the endzone. Boston was not able to score as the Royals, despite being on the verge of missing the playoffs, continue their historic streak going to their 7th straight McCallister Cup.
1st Q
The Long Island-London rivalry has only gotten better every season, but this was probably the most intriguing matchup as both teams were starting their back-up QBs. QB Christian Stewart would get the first opportunity to strike for the Tigers. The offence would come out with a strong touchdown drive that ended with Stewart finding TE Paul McDowell in the endzone. 7-0 Tigers. QB Brian Meadows and the Raiders were not so lucky as the Tigers’ defence would shut them down on their opening drive. The Tigers' offence would not be able to replicate their strong first drive and wouldn’t score again in the quarter. The Raiders' offence would get a break with RB Conner Riley grabbing a 15-yard gain to put them in field goal range to end the quarter.
LI 3-7 LDN
2nd Q
The second frame flipped the game on its head. The Raiders would get a field goal early before their defence started to make an impact. DL Vernon Spears would land a hit on QB Christian Stewart while he was throwing the ball. LB Elijah Goldwater would get under the fluttering pass to set the Raiders up in Tiger territory. RB Johnnie Stafford would score a few plays later to give the Raiders the lead. The Raiders would once again get the ball back on the Tigers' next drive, with DB Slay Mitchell coming up with a pick to set up yet another Stafford TD. The Tigers would recover with a field goal to end the half.
LI 20-10 LDN
3rd Q
London would come out of the break much like they started the game. Their defence would stuff RB Johnnie Stafford for a 4-yard loss and then they would get to QB Brian Meadows on the next play. The Raiders would punt and the Tigers’ offence would march to the endzone. RB Clifford Russell would punch it in to make it 20-17. The Tigers continued to put pressure up front hoping to force the Raiders to throw the ball. It would work as the team would then force Meadows to make a mistake. DB Ricardo Salvador would pick off Meadows and would set the Tigers up for another score. QB Christian Stewart would find WR Max Sutton in the endzone to take back the lead.
LI 20-24 LDN
4th Q
The final quarter was intense with both teams struggling to move the ball. The game was being put into the hands of both defences as the Tigers’ hoped to hold onto the lead and the Raiders looked for a turnover opportunity. It would be the Raiders finding a turnover with 5 minutes to go in the game. RB Clifford Russell would take it up the middle only to run into DL Vernon Spears on one side and then LB Rusty McVee head-on. There was no chance for Russell to hold onto the ball as it flew over to LB Gene Benson to pick it up for the Raiders. Johnnie Stafford would lead the Raiders the rest of the way to the endzone taking a late lead, 27-24. London now had to make something happen. QB Christian Stewart would come to the field looking to deliver. HC Roy Aguirre would open up the playbook for the final drive and called pretty much every right play. Stewart was picture perfect in getting the ball where it needed to go. The Tigers would march down and would be able to tie the game off the boot of K Nimrod Handsworth. The game would end without another score making it the 3rd game in league history with overtime.
LI 27-27 LDN
Overtime
The game continued as it was, but clearly, both teams were getting a bit tired, especially the defences who were playing at their peak level despite the high scoring game. It seemed like a game poised to come down to who makes the big mistake. It looked to be the Tigers when they were forced to punt deep in their own zone. K Nimrod Handsworth would get the ball, but it hesitated a little, and that was enough time for DB Slay Mitchell to get in the way. Handsworth’s kick was blocked and the DB would pick up the ball and run it into the endzone giving the Raiders the lead. The Tigers looked beat, but Christian Stewart was not, he would get the team riled up and he would lead the Tigers back onto the field for their next drive. The Tigers would get a couple of first downs, but they would find themselves caught on 2nd and 10. Stewart would drop back to throw, but saw nothing and would take off picking up the first down on his feet, even taking a tough hit from McVee. That seemed to ignite the Tigers as they would go down the rest of the way. RB Clifford Russell would score his second touchdown of the game to tie the game back up. As the clock wound down to the final minutes, the Raiders would have the ball. Stafford had picked up 2 on first down, getting hit hard by LB Aengus Lynch, leaving the team on a 2nd and 8. Meadows would look to throw and he would find WR Darryl Duke open 16-yards downfield. The pass would be high, but Duke got his hands on it, only he couldn’t hold on as S Neil Graham hit him on the way down. The Raiders were forced to punt on 3rd and 8. London would take over and on 1st and 10 from the Tigers’ 37, Stewart would drop back and look at WR Max Sutton for a play. His eyes were glued and the Raiders defenders shifted towards Sutton. They fell for the trap. Stewart shifted quickly to spot WR Jack Duncan open down the opposite sideline. He would hit the WR and Duncan would take it into Raiders’ territory. They would inch closer and closer before finally letting K Nimrod Handsworth nail the game-winning field goal to send the Tigers home for the 42nd McCallister Cup.
Injury Report
OL Elliot Winterbottom LI - Day-to-Day
OL Ulysses Fairgrove LDN - Day-to-Day
OL Simeon Clarke LDN - Day-to-Day
WR Wilbert Benjamin LDN - 5 Weeks
DL Charles Hoover OTT - Day-to-Day
OL Jack Workman OTT - Day-to-Day
Players of the Week
42nd McCallister Cup Preview
London Tigers VS. Ottawa Royals - Western Fair Stadium - October 2, 1960 - 6 PM ET - Forecast: Clear - Windy
Head-to-Head: W2 OTT 38-35 LDN
First time since 1950 and 1951, the same two teams will meet in back-to-back McCallister Cups. It is also the first time since 1956 that the host team is in the game. For more facts, it is also the first McCallister Cup to feature two teams that did not finish top of their division. With all the stats out of the way, the battle between the Royals and Tigers should be an offensive one. QB Riley Kiernan will be back in the lineup for the Tigers which is a huge factor in the game. The team has been great without him and should only be better with him. The Royals for once are the underdogs coming into this game being on the road and not quite as good as they were even just a year ago. It’s looking to be a fun and close game, but I gotta stick to my original prediction and go with the Tigers in this one.
My Pick: Tigers.
