By Stampeders.com staff

The Stampeders claimed sole possession of first place in the West Division with a 28-13 victory over the Edmonton Eskimos in the Labour Day Classic at McMahon Stadium.

Jon Cornish ran for 163 yards and a touchdown while the Calgary defence held the Eskimos offence to just 273 net yards and zero touchdowns.

The Stamps (8-1) have won four games in a row and now lead the Eskimos and Saskatchewan Roughriders (both 7-2) by two points for the West Division lead.

Calgary has beaten Edmonton in the past three Labour Day Classics and owns 10 straight wins over the Eskimos overall.

“I thought we played good football,” said Stampeders head coach and general manager John Hufnagel. “We had to against a team like that.”

The Stamps scored on the opening possession of the game as Drew Tate capped a 65-yard, eight-play drive with a one-yard run.

Rene Paredes booted the ensuing kickoff into the end-zone for a single that made the score 8-0.

The Eskimos got on the board thanks to a Willie Jefferson blocked punt that was picked up by Otha Foster and taken 57 yards into the end-zone.

“You have to be able to face adversity,” said Hufnagel of the play, “and be able to respond to it and answer. It didn’t take the wind out of our sails.”

Calgary got that major back in the seventh minute of the second quarter as Bo Levi Mitchell connected with Anthony Parker for a 27-yard touchdown pass. The score was Parker’s third of the season.

Edmonton threatened to get in the end-zone late in the first half but the Stamps held firm after the Eskimos had a first-and-goal from the six-yard line and the visitors had to settled for a 14-yard Grant Shaw field goal.

Paredes kicked a 47-yard field goal in the third quarter and Cornish scored a rushing touchdown from three yards out in the fourth to extend Calgary’s lead to 25-10.

Shaw (44 yards) and Paredes (33 yards) traded field goals in the final five minutes to close out the scoring.

In addition to paving the way for Cornish’s 163 rushing yards and the Stamps’ 205 team rushing yards, the Calgary offensive line held the Eskimos’ pressure defence to just one sack.

Meanwhile, the Stamps got to Edmonton quarterback Matt Nichols on three occasions with Shawn Lemon, Deron Mayo and Charleston Hughes recording the sacks.

Mitchell threw for 252 yards and spread the ball around as he connected with nine different Calgary receivers.

The Stamps and Eskimos meet again on Saturday at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium. Kickoff is 5 p.m.