The Ottawa REDBLACKS will face a team with one of the best regular season records in Canadian Football League (CFL) history in next Sunday's Grey Cup.
The only three-year-old team punched its ticket to a second consecutive championship after fighting through wild, snowy weather to defeat Edmonton 35-23 in Sunday's CFL East Final. The REDBLACKS will face the Calgary Stampeders Nov. 27 at Toronto's BMO Field after the Stamps crushed the B.C. Lions in the West Final 42-15 Sunday evening.
Ottawa took the lead early in the game with two touchdowns giving them a 25-3 advantage over the Eskimos. Things quickly shifted in the second half when a series of REDBLACKS fumbles allowed the Eskimos to score two quick touchdowns in a row. Edmonton was never able to get a lead as Kienan Lafrance scored a 20 yard touchdown extending the lead 34-23 with just 45 seconds left.
The weather wasn’t exactly helpful with a snowfall warning in effect for the capital all day Sunday. Winds were gusting up to 70 kilometres an hour and it showed as the ball frequently blew out of reach.
Quarterback Henry Burris says the season leading up to the championship game wasn't always easy.
"To fight through it and to make sure we did the right things at the right time, I mean this team definitely earned this," he said. "We did what we needed to do to get back to the big one this year."
Head coach Rick Campbell says his team has a good mindset heading to Toronto.
"I know it sounds like they're happy here which they are, but they immediately talked about 'We got one more to go.' So I know they're going to treat it like a business trip and they want to do whatever we can do to put our best foot forward and see if we can close the deal this year."
Burris says the team won't let the Stampeders' 15-2-1 record faze them ahead of the game.
"We're looking for that challenge. They're a great team but we feel we are too," he said. "We're not going to take anything away from what they've accomplished but it's not about them. It's about us doing what we need to do to finish off the job and it's one game, one opportunity and may the best man win."