Pre-Game - Adam Bighill 4 - Malik Clements 33
It all looked so familiar and felt so comfortable for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and their ever-loyal faithful Friday night.
There was Zach Collaros once again slinging it all around the park to six different receivers, with Nic Demski, Drew Wolitarsky and Rasheed Bailey all finding the end zone in a wild and wacky 42-31 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
There was Brady Oliveira doing his thing by rumbling behind a veteran offensive line to the tune of 106 yards and a score, with almost 60 more yards in receiving.
Willie Jefferson and Demerio Houston were all over the stats sheet – Willie with three tackles, a tackle for loss, two sacks and a pair of pass knockdowns; Houston with two interceptions of Bo Levi Mitchell and a fumble recovery. They weren’t alone, either, as one defender after another stood up in a performance worthy of their ‘Dark Side’ nickname.
Sergio Castillo was back, too, methodically kicking four field goals – including a 50 yarder that helped squish a potential Ticat second half rally.
And, afterward in a euphoric Blue Bombers locker room, the music blared as the bro hugs and back slaps were aplenty – just as it has so often in 28 of the last 30 home games at IG Field. Amidst it all, Celestin Haba sat in front of a temporary locker, his eyes surveying the scene unfolding all around him.
“Man, I’m just blessed to have this experience,” began the Blue Bombers defensive end. “The atmosphere, the team, and the way it has treated me… this is why this team is so successful. Again, I’m so blessed to have this opportunity.
“I’ve been here a short amount of time but, to me, it already feels like I’ve been here for a couple of months because of the way the team welcomed me with open arms. I love these guys and I’ve only known them for a little bit.”
Continuity matters, absolutely, for the Blue Bombers. As we indicated in one of our pre-game pieces, the club has opened the last three seasons 12-1 (2022), 11-1 (2021) and (8-2), largely due to a stable roster stacked with star power.
What shouldn’t be overlooked is how new faces like Haba – and Dalton Schoen, Deatrick Nichols, Evan Holm and a long list of others – continue to be discovered by the scouting department and then step in to make contributions.
It was Haba Friday, as veteran Jackson Jeffcoat left the game in the first half with what was called a lower-body injury. In came Haba – dressed as a rotational end behind Jefferson and Jeffcoat – and he finished with four tackles and a critical sack late in the game that helped seal the ‘W’.
Bo Levi Mitchell, meet Celestin Haba 👋#CFLGameday | @Wpg_BlueBombers @CelestinH45 pic.twitter.com/gwqjZapJOX
— CFL (@CFL) June 10, 2023
All this from a guy who didn’t even arrive until May 30 – a full 20 days after the first day of rookie camp – played in a preseason game three days later and then made the opening-day roster.
“I had just finished working out and when I came back, I got a call that Winnipeg was interested and I’m so glad I took this opportunity,” said Haba, who had been waiting for an opportunity in Commerce, Texas, where he played at Texas A&M-Commerce.
“It’s crazy. I’m still taking stuff in, I’m still learning… I mean, I’m in a whole different country in a league with different rules. God put it this way for me for a reason and I’m so grateful. I’m playing for the best team in the CFL, and I couldn’t ask for more.
“Willie and Jackson, those are the two guys I’ve looked up to ever since I got here. I’ve studied a little bit of them when I first got here and then be able to practice with them every day, take notes from them and put that into my game has been a blessing. When Jackson went down, I had to get a few more snaps and I just took the lead from them.
“My first pro career sack… man, I’m still just realizing it right now. I’ve just got to give it all to the coaching staff and my teammates – I wouldn’t have been able to do that without them.”
In case you missed it, you can read our recap of Friday’s win here, and what follows is our weekly UPON FURTHER REVIEW…
LET’S TALK ABOUT THE BLUE BOMBERS D… because it is certainly worthy of praise. It’s true they were facing a made-over Ticats squad featuring a ton of new faces, but they also worked effectively to limit the damage of Mitchell in his first game in Hamilton colours.
Mitchell completed 17 of 33 passes for 200 yards with one TD against two interceptions while the Blue Bombers registered three sacks – the most by the club since picking up five in a win over the Elks in Edmonton last July. Jefferson was especially dangerous, with his pair of sacks and two pass knockdowns at the line of scrimmage.
Brandon Alexander led the team with five tackles, with Haba and Adam Bighill each chipping in with four apiece. The 31 points against is also misleading as it applies to the defence, as Jamieson Sheahan had a punt blocked near the end zone for a touchdown, Chris Edwards returned a Collaros fumble 62 yards for another score while a fumble on a kickoff return by Janarion Grant set the Ticats up at the Blue Bombers two-yard line for another TD.
“What did they have, two special-teams touchdowns and then we fumbled a ball for a touchdown so that’s 21 points right there,” said Collaros. “Offensively we had to stay on the football field.
“Our defence was unbelievable all night. I don’t know how many times they made (Hamilton) turn the football over (four), but it was awesome to watch.”
ABOUT THAT SLOPPINESS… chalk some of it up to it being the first game of the season, but it’s certainly something that will be addressed this week in advance of Friday’s game in Regina.
“They know if they play well, if they play physically tough football, smart, clean football, these are the possibilities,” said head coach Mike O’Shea. “When you don’t, then the other possibility is the team comes racing back on you.
“I don’t think we were relaxed. I think we simply made some mistakes and they capitalized on them, and they turned out to be big plays. You certainly don’t want to give up a blocked punt, but it’s probably less damaging if you don’t take the holding penalty on the kickoff return to put you right back on the doorstep – especially going into the wind.”
As for there being a potential lesson learned in the foot coming off the gas pedal…
“There’s a core group of guys who have been there before and they don’t waver,” O’Shea said. “Eight years ago the mood on the sideline would have been pretty tense. Now it’s, ‘we’ve been there before.’ I think even if you come up short in this game, they move on very quickly from it and just focus on tomorrow and look at the exact reasons why it happened.”
THERE WERE A LOT OF SHOUTOUTS… to Castillo post-game for his consistency and the confidence he brings. He has hit nine straight field goals for the club dating back to the 2021 Grey Cup and if you included what he did after he was acquired in a trade in 2021 – and minus his numbers from last year in Edmonton – Castillo is 16-of-18 on field-goal attempts and 12-of-13 on converts.
“As a kicker you’ve got to crave those situations,” said Castillo of the 50-yarder. “When it felt like Hamilton was coming back – and credit those guys for continuing to fight – and they got it to seven (point lead) I was on the sideline thinking, ‘Give me a shot. I want this one in my hands.’ I had a lot of short ones early and you expect to make all of them… but to make a 50 in a situation like this in front of this crowd for this team? It’s just so great to be back.”
Castillo, as you no doubt recall, was suddenly available to the club in early May when he was released by the Elks. And within an hour he was back with the Blue Bombers.
“There was some stuff that didn’t make any sense,” said Castillo, looking back at his release. “To go from thinking you have a job to, ‘What’s next?’… I’m just very fortunate I got scooped up here quickly.
“I’m just so grateful to have found a landing spot, to have competed and won the job. You go from the high of landing here and now we’re competing. I’m grateful just to have a chance. I’m just so happy to be back.”
