Ticats and RedBlacks meet in East Final

Ottawa had a rolling, acrobatic play in the fourth quarter by Ellingson – another former Ticat – called an incomplete catch, so the RedBlacks had to be happy with a field goal instead.

The Burris-to-Ellingson touchdown came on second down-and-25-yards-to-go with just a little more than a minute to play to give the Redblacks a 35-28 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Eastern Conference Final at TD Place in Ottawa.

It was the type of dramatic finish the CFL has become known for.

Ottawa capped its three-game season sweep of Hamilton.

Last year in the inaugural year of the CFL’s return to Ottawa, the Redblacks finished last in the East at 2-and-14. “It was like all the things in the past we let bygones be bygones and the fans did the same and we have a great memory that will be remembered for a long time, especially with that play that was made”. We’ve got a really special group and for us it’s now or never. Even previous year when we had our struggles the stands were always sold out.

For Milo, the way the East final played out typified Ottawa’s season to date, with Burris and his mates displaying a never-say-die attitude.

“And to top it off you have five different receivers we can throw to plus the backs and the tight ends”, Williams added.

Ellingson made the catch in front of a Hamilton defender, then hesitate briefly before streaking on the outside to the end zone.

“Everything is good”, said Burris.

“Difference is we didn’t make the plays”, Hamilton head coach Kent Austin said. “To have a quarterback producing like that and putting the ball where it needs to go is going to help you win games”. “You gotta believe. You have to give these guys credit”. It’s good for them and it’s good for our league. Ernest Jackson caught four passes for 52 yards.

Canadian football fever has returned to Ottawa in a big way and winning is certainly a large part of that.

Ottawa’s offense lit it up in 2015.

While the REDBLACKS look to continue their storybook season, the Ticats hope to flip the script. They were the class of the CFL through the first half of the season but a season-ending ACL injury to Zach Collaros provided a challenging setback.

620 CKRM will have the Battle of Alberta live from Commonwealth Stadium at 330 as the Eskimos look to get into the title game for the first time since 2005. They ended the regular season on a four-game win streak, something an Ottawa team hadn’t done since 1991. People will talk forever about not getting Kevin Glenn, but that’s a moot point because in the end the offence did enough to get to the Grey Cup.

Burris spent two productive seasons in Hamilton, leading the club to a Grey Cup appearance in 2013.

“What we went through past year, there’s a lot of hunger in this locker room”, said Burris.

“We just don’t want to stop because we’re having so much fun in here together”.

Ottawa, which won nine Grey Cups as the Rough Riders, ceased operations after the 1996 campaign.

Then a 24-year-old CFL rookie, Johnson had been on the Roughriders’ roster late in the regular season, but he was deactivated just before the West final against the B.C. Lions and then was transferred to the practice roster before the Grey Cup game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

That means the start at slotback goes to Pilares, a 27-year-old Hawaiian who played 20 games in 2011-12 with the National Football League’s Carolina Panthers.