Bombers open with tie

 You don’t see ties very often in the CFL, but this game was anything but normal.
    A pair of missed field goals in overtime led to a rare 39-39 tie between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in their season-openers last night.
    The draw cast somewhat of a shadow on a four-TD performance by Bomber Charles Roberts, a record tying catch by Milt Stegall, and five TD passes by Eskimos’ QB Ricky Ray.
    “It was a wild night,” said Ray. “This one will go down in the memory books. It was such an up and down game, it feels like you have to score on every possession.
    “You start to think about the little things that could have made the difference after one like this.”
    Midway through the fourth quarter with the game tied at 25-25, Winnipeg had a chance to take the lead on a Troy Westwood field goal attempt but it was wide and Edmonton’s Tony Tomkins returned the ball 51 yards.
    That eventually led to a four-yard TD pass to Kamau Peterson just shy of the three minute warning to give Edmonton the 32-25 lead.
    But the game wasn’t over yet as the Bombers clawed their way back downfield and Kevin Glenn hit who else but Stegall on a 15-yard TD pass to tie the game up with just 31 seconds left to send the game to overtime.
    Stegall, who tied the CFL career record for TDs on the clutch reception, putting him along side George Reed and Mike Pringle at 137, was happy about the milestone, but admitted the way the game ended took a bit away from the accomplishment.
    “Tying the record with a tie, it’s like the cup is just half full,” he laughed. “It was still a good feeling but it would have been better with the victory.
    “At least it was a meaningful touchdown, allowing us to go to overtime,” Stegall added. “That made it a little bit better.”
    Edmonton got the ball first in the extra session and made the most of it as Ray found Jason Tucker on a 16-yard passing major—Tucker’s second major of the night.
    But Winnipeg responded right back with a one yard TD run by Charles Roberts, his fourth of the game.
    They switched sides and Winnipeg was held up by the Eskimo defence, forcing Westwood to attempt a 42-yard field goal. He was wide to the right and Tomkins ran the ball out again—giving Edmonton a golden opportunity.
    However, they also stalled so Eskimos kicker Sean Fleming came out for a 47-yard attempt. Fleming also went wide as a tremendous game went out with a whimper as a 39-39 tie.
    Roberts took a different tack, suggesting both teams earned points on the night rather than losing them.
    “In the seven years I’ve been in the CFL, I’ve never been in a tie game,” he said. “You have to be kind of glad when both teams play that hard that you don’t have to declare a loser.
    “Both teams can walk away with some positives.”
    In the other game on the CFL’s opening night, the B.C. Lions rallied to beat the host Toronto Argonauts 24-22.