Oct 12th, 1927: Glebe 05, Lisgar 02

1927 is largely considered the year in which high school football started in Ottawa.

That claim is not entirely factual; games from 1925 and 1926 have been recorded here so teams did play prior to 1927. However, I believe that the local schools began being affiliated with the EOSSA that year and therefore fully organized for the first time, hence it began the recognize starting point.

The majority of championship results/recaps have been recorded on the High School page with some additional work done recently to track down standings and playoff game finals from the mid-2000s. But tonight, I thought I'd go back and track down the first "official" senior high school game played in Ottawa. 

Not surprisingly, it turned out to be a little unclear.

The brief Ottawa Citizen article below states clearly that Glebe and Lisgar met in the "opening game of the school season", yet the Ottawa Journal's summary of the game made reference to the teams looking crisper than they had in an earlier contest. I was unable to locate any reference to a game being played in the prior two weeks or so, so I don't know for certain what the Journal's writer meant by that. So the article below will do for now until I prove myself wrong.

Nov 13th, 1954: Montreal Alouettes 12 @ Ottawa Rough Riders 14

Got my day started by looking up the last time an Ottawa professional football team went winless at home as the Redblacks did this season.

The 1987 - 1988 Rough Riders teams had a long home losing streak, but it was bookended by victories in each season. The 1987 team won its first two home games, the second of which took place on July 11th. The 1988 team won on October 22nd, its second-to-last home game. So neither provided the answer.

I thought the 1954 edition that went 2-12 was a good candidate, but no. It won its final game of the season, at home, against Montreal. The summary of that game is copied below. Sorry about the page breaks, I can't seem to avoid those.

In fact, the last time an Ottawa team did not win at home throughout an entire season was in...1934. They played only six games in those days and Ottawa won once, in Montreal.

Congratulations to the 2022 Redblacks for matching an "accomplishment" dating back to the year Don Cherry was born. 👏👏

Oct 20th, 1973: "'Bombs' Save Sooners from Grid Defeat"

The game below was the first playoff contest for the 1973 Sooners. While the team was said to be undefeated, accurately, they did have a tie in their regular season record that had come against this same Verdun team. 

NCAFA Midget Final 2022 Standings

Just storing these, and the team-by-team scores below, for future reference. Too often I've seen teams change websites and not retain their historical results, so I choose to be their unofficial "back up" in that regard.

Congratulations to the Giants on an undefeated regular season. 

June 28th, 1995: Winnipeg Blue Bombers 15 @ Ottawa Rough Riders 25

The Rough Riders won the first game of the 1995 season and, as was so often the case back then, things went downhill from there. Results from that season are being added this evening, so I thought that this rare sliver of competence and hope deserved a little attention.

Nov 23rd: Ottawa Rough Riders 08 @ Toronto Argonauts 01

The summary of the first contest in this two-game series for the 1940 IRFU (Big Four) title was posted earlier today.

Nov 16th, 1940: Toronto Argonauts 01 @ Ottawa Rough Riders 12

Continuing to gather the various teams' playoff successes, here we have the 1940 Rough Riders' first such victory in a two-game series against Toronto. The second game will be added shortly. 

The 1941 games were a better fit for the Rough Riders 1907 - 1942 page so I added them there directly rather than create a post for them. You can check that out at your leisure using the link bearing that exact name under the banner image.    

Oct 17th, 2022: "REDBLACKS sign American linebacker Jordan Young"

I'm using the press release title, but not the press release itself, because it's largely useless. All I'll copy from it are Young's standard basic info.

American linebacker Jordan Young

HEIGHT: 6-3 | WEIGHT: 230 lbs | BIRTHDAY: 1998-18-02

HOMETOWN: Coatesville, PA | SCHOOL: Old Dominion 

Great. 

Now in order to actually know a little more about this young man, I'll refer to an article from the May 2nd, 2022, Daily Local News in which it was reported that Young had signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

A former Coatesville High School star quarterback has been signed as an undrafted free agent by the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a linebacker. Jordan Young, a 2015 Coatesville graduate who stands 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, has been rewarded for having a stellar college career at Old Dominion University with a contract with the Buccaneers.

Young left the Monarchs as the all-time leading tackler, and in 2021, his senior season, he started all 13 games at linebacker. Young had a team-high 104 stops in 2021 and that landed him in seventh place in Conference USA. Young also led the Monarchs with 7.5 tackles for loss and notched a pair of sacks. In his four seasons at ODU, Young had a school-best 350 tackles and five sacks along with 20.5 tackles for loss.

In his senior season at Coatesville in 2014 Young led the Red Raiders to the District 1 4A championship game. During his time as quarterback of the Raiders he completed 208 of 324 passes for 2,270 yards and 20 touchdowns. Young also rushed 147 times for 669 yards and 20 touchdowns and was selected to play in the Big 33 game his senior year.

Young is part of a storied football family as his father Anthony was drafted by the NFL Baltimore Colts after a star career at Temple University. Jordan Young also has two younger brothers, Avery and Aaron, who are currently playing their collegiate football at Rutgers University.

None of this is included in the press release. It only states that he's been signed by Ottawa.

Here are his stats with Old Dominion, copied from his bio on the school's athletics website.

Who knows, this guy may not work out here. He may never even show up for camp next year. It's been known to happen. 

But if I'm trying to promote a team that is performing poorly on the field to an annoyed fan base, maybe I use a guy that's notched 350 tackles in 49 games to show that I'm serious about trying to improve the product instead of treating a roster addition like an afterthought. It wouldn't have taken much effort.

Knowing this team, they'll put more effort in promoting their Hallowe'en theme night. 

Nov 5th, 1960: "Last-Quarter TDs Send Riders Into Finals"

The images that follow are from the November 7th, 1960, Ottawa Citizen summary of the playoff game between Ottawa and Montreal played here two days earlier and won by Ottawa 30-14. 

Oct 12th, 2022: REDBLACKS sign national DL Alain Cimankinda

OTTAWA - The Ottawa REDBLACKS have added national defensive lineman Alain Cimankinda to the club's practice roster, the team announced Wednesday. 

The Congo-born Gatineau resident was drafted in the fourth round of the 2021 CFL Draft by the Saskatchewan Roughriders and spent the 2021 season with the team. Released prior to this season, the Riders re-signed Cimankinda in time to play in their Week 7 matchup against Toronto.

National defensive lineman Alain Cimankinda

HEIGHT: 6-1 | WEIGHT: 280 lbs | BIRTHDAY: 1995-05-04
HOMETOWN: Democratic Republic of the Congo | SCHOOL: Guelph

2022 Ontario Football Conference Awards

The OFC took a week off for Thanksgiving and now prepare to head into its playoffs. They took the opportunity to hand out some hardware in the meantime.

Let's start with the following players that have been named to the Conference's All-Star team:

QB Owen Cowan
WR Nathan Coleman
OL Jett Hudson
DL Richard Graham 
LB Shawn Charles 
    
Now Owen Cowan actually shared the all-star team quarterback honour with another player (from St. Clair) but he nailed down the offensive rookie of the year award for himself. 

Over the course of the regular season, Cowan completed 92 of 172 attempts for 1,254 yards, nine touchdowns and nine interceptions.

And to cap it all off, the man responsible for the team's resurgence also got a well-deserved pat on the back.

Congratulations all, it's been great to have the Sooners back. 

Aug. 8th, 1991: Winnipeg Blue Bombers 31 @ Ottawa Rough Riders 41

As the Redblacks wind down the season with Bob Dyce as interim head coach, let's take a look back at a time when the Rough Riders did something similar to reasonable success.

Head Coach Steve Goldman was sent packing by the team following an 0-4 start to the season in 1991, and an 11-29 record overall. He was replaced by Joe Faragalli who managed a 7-7 record the rest of the way. The recap below is from the team's first victory following that leadership change. 

Oct 6th, 2022: REDBLACKS sign American DB Darius Williams

OTTAWA - The Ottawa REDBLACKS have added American defensive back Darius Williams to the club's practice roster, the team announced Thursday. 

The 24-year-old Floridian began his CFL career with the Edmonton Elks in 2021 before moving the Montreal Alouettes this year. In two CFL seasons, Williams has 39 defensive tackles, 11 special teams tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble in 24 games. 

American defensive back Darius Williams

HEIGHT: 5-10 | WEIGHT: 195 lbs | BIRTHDAY: 1998-08-11
HOMETOWN: St. Petersburg, FL | SCHOOL: Carson-Newman

B.C. Lions’ Dominique Rhymes (19) dives but fails to make the reception as Edmonton Elks’ Darius Williams, back, defends during the first half of a CFL football game in Vancouver, on Thursday August 19, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Oct 5th, 2022: REDBLACKS add Doug Malone and Corey McDiarmid to coaching staff

OTTAWA - The Ottawa REDBLACKS have added a pair of experienced coaches to the staff, the club announced Wednesday.

Joining the team are Offensive Consultant Doug Malone and Special Teams Assistant Cory McDiarmid. 

Malone returns to the CFL, where he previously spent time as the Offensive Line Coach with a Hamilton Tiger-Cats team that reached the 2011 East Division Championship game. Malone would then coach the Saskatchewan Roughriders offensive line from 2013-2014 where he would help the team capture the 101st Grey Cup. He would move on to the BC Lions in 2015 before heading back to the United States as Co-Offensive Coordinator and Tight Ends Coach at Western Illinois. Malone most recently coached at Tennessee Tech, where he had served as Associate Head Coach and then Offensive Coordinator.

McDiarmid, a veteran coach with nearly two decades of CFL experience, comes to Ottawa after a stint as Special Teams Coordinator and Running Backs Coach with Panthers Wroclaw of the European League of Football. Prior to his most recent role, McDiarmid served as Special Teams Coordinator with the Toronto Argonauts, a position he has also held with the Edmonton Elks, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Montreal Alouettes, Calgary Stampeders and BC Lions. McDermid has won the Grey Cup twice; first as a Special Teams Coach with the Lions in 2000 and as assistant Special Teams Coordinator with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2013.

Pro experience will take priority over university experience in listing one's credentials, but it bears pointing out that McDiarmid was also a defensive coordinator and assistant head coach for the university of Ottawa, I believe in 2011 and 2012.

REDBLACKS sign American WR Quan Bray

OTTAWA - The Ottawa REDBLACKS have added American receiver Quan Bray to the club's practice roster, the team announced Tuesday. 

Bray has played in 27 regular season games in two seasons in the CFL, both with the Montreal Alouettes. As a rookie in 2019, Bray caught 58 of 83 targets for 818 yards and six touchdowns. In all, the 29-year-old Auburn product has caught 93 passes for 1,299 yards and eight touchdowns in the CFL. 

ADDED TO PRACTICE ROSTER: 

American wide receiver Quan Bray

HEIGHT: 5-10 | WEIGHT: 184 lbs | BIRTHDAY: 1993-04-28
HOMETOWN: LaGrange, GA | SCHOOL: Auburn

OFC Defensive Player of the Week: LB Richard Graham

As he has done all season for Ottawa, Richard Graham was all over the field making plays for the Sooners.  In addition to his 3 solo tackles, Graham picked off a pass that he returned 51 yards to the house for a touchdown.

Oct 1st, 2022: "Gendron stars as Gee-Gees roll to Panda Game victory over Ravens"

Finding coverage of regular season university football can be tricky at the best of times. That doesn't normally apply to the well-hyped Panda Game, but unfortunately the coverage of post-game behaviour by students ended up dominating my search results.

The article below is originally from the Ottawa Sun but found through MSN dot com. It was written by Ken Warren and the full version can be read through this link.

In the entire 2021 season, Nicholas Gendron registered a grand total of 173 receiving yards for the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees.

Fast forward to Saturday’s Panda Game, when the Gatineau native had the game of his life in front of the packed, spirited house of 23,078 students at TD Place, where the Gee-Gees ran all over the Carleton Ravens in what ended up as a 37-7 victory.

Photography by Emir Atli 

...

Gendron finished the afternoon with eight catches for 211 yards, the fourth best receiving day in Gee-Gees history.

Thousands of students were lined up, still on their way into the stadium, when Gendron slipped behind the Ravens defence and hauled in an 81-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ben Maracle late in the first quarter.

The spectacular play erased an early 7-0 deficit, turning any and all momentum in the Gee-Gees’ favour.

“You know, when the ball is in the air, it’s kind of silent,” Gendron said. “But, when the ball is in your hands and the crowd erupts, it’s just so special. And being in the end zone and seeing my teammates being so happy, it was a great moment. The offensive line did such a great job on that play and the whole game protecting for Ben.”

Photography by Guillaume Sénéchal 

...

A support player a year ago — he caught one pass for 10 yards in the 2021 Panda Game — Gendron has become a key part of the offence for the Gee-Gees, who have won four straight games and are 5-1 overall in Ontario University Athletics conference play.

...

Gendron had plenty of company in posting big numbers on Saturday. Maracle was on his game throughout, completing 20 of 23 passes for 354 yards, adding a second touchdown toss to Willie-Pierre Dimbonji.

Workhorse running back J.P. Cimankinda punished the Ravens defence on the ground, rushing for 166 yards on 31 carries, including two touchdowns. Kicker Campbell Fair made three of five field-goal attempts.

...

The Ravens struck first when quarterback Tanner DeJong connected with Kaseem Ferdinand for a 26-yard touchdown with 6:10 remaining in the opening quarter, but that was it for Carleton scoring.

The Gee-Gees led 10-7 at half-time, as TD Place air was full of potent smells and the traditional colourful back and forth chants between Ravens faithful in the north-side stands and Gee-Gees backers in the southern seats.

But, as the Gee-Gees continued to shut down the Ravens offence and delivered a series of extended drives in the third and fourth quarters, there was little doubt about who would finish on top.

“Just too many mistakes,” first-year Ravens head coach Corey Grant said. “They did a really good job, they had a really good game plan coming in. They executed better than us, and, you know, things just got out of hand at the end there.”

Photography by Greg Mason