OMG what a football game!  The Ottawa Redblacks captured their first ever Grey Cup, making them champions of the CFL for 2016 in a nail biting, overtime, suspense-filled thriller against the favoured Calgary Stampeders.

The Redblacks were well ahead (20-7) going into halftime, but much to the dismay of us Redblack fans (probably the entire city of Ottawa), the Stampeders came back to tie it up with a few seconds left in regulation time.  In overtime, Ottawa Redblacks’ Ernest Jackson (barely, as we all held our breath) caught a touchdown pass from MVP winning quarterback Henry Burris after it bounced in and out of his hands a few times.  Overtime rules require a team attempt the extra two points after a touchdown, which the Redblacks were unable to accomplish, meaning the Stampeders needed a matching touchdown with the extra two points to win.  The Redblacks defense was (thankfully, when it counted the most) able to shut down the Stampeders offense, running them out of downs for the big win.

 

 

photos by Keith Allingham, 106.1 Chez and Katherine Shayanpour