By Max Campbell
Stampeders.com

Rene Paredes made two field goals in the final minute of regulation to claim a 23-20 Stampeders victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from a gusty Tim Hortons Field.

Jon Cornish rushed for 90 yards while also leading all receivers with 64 yards through the air. Now sporting an 11-3 record, the Stamps have secured a home playoff date with four games remaining.

“Rene has been in the groove,” said Stampeders head coach and general manager John Hufnagel. “He struggled a little bit – one was blocked because we were having trouble handling the snap – but I wouldn’t rather have anyone else out there besides Rene for a long, winning field goal. He’s been clutch (on) numerous occasions, as we all know.”

Both sides failed to pick up a first down on their respective opening possessions, although Calgary’s initial punt was returned for an 82-yard major. Brandon Banks raced down the sideline for the game’s initial score, his second return for a touchdown against the Stamps in as many games this season.

The subsequent kickoff resulted in a single point as Skye Dawson – making his first appearance in Red and White – took a knee in the end zone to trail 8-0 early on.

With Rob Maver standing on his own goal line two series later, the all-star punter ran the ball out of bounds to concede two more points. The visitors faced a double-digit deficit with just over four minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Justin Medlock would soon add three more as Hamilton’s placekicker matched his career-long distance with a 57-yard field goal strike.

A promising drive in response to the Tiger-Cats field goal resulted in a Paredes attempt, and the kick split the uprights from the 51 yards out. Although his streak of 22 successful field goals would end shortly thereafter with 9:58 to go until the break, he did manage to provide Calgary with a fourth point on the night.

Beginning his second stint with the Stampeders, Brandon McDonald made a timely interception off of an errant Jeff Mathews toss, but Eric Rogers coughed up a would-be reception of 20 yards two plays later. A third turnover in four plays occurred when Deron Mayo scooped up a Michael Ford fumble.

Maver would eventually be called on to punt, but Banks was stripped by rookie linebacker Maleki Harris deep in his own territory for yet another change of possession. Marquay McDaniel put six on the board following a Glenn Love recovery with a catch of eight yards, but the two-point conversion was no good.

Taking the lead at the half was the Stamps, with Paredes effective from the 36-yard line for a one-point advantage.

Midway through the third, Hamilton committed their fourth turnover of the contest by way of a Mathews fumble to promptly end a nine-play drive.

Dawson then picked his way through a series of would-be Ticat tacklers when Medlock was wide right on a field goal try of 51 yards, returning the ball all the way up to the 50-yard line. However, a bobbled snap by Drew Tate on a 46-yard Paredes try led to a blocked kick, as the 14-13 score remained in tact.

The first points of the second half came via Paredes from a distance of 29 yards with eight-and-a-half minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

In direct response, a 58-yard pickup by Ford down to the one-yard line preceded a Mathews quarterback sneak and three-point lead for Hamilton.

Tying the game with 48 seconds remaining was Paredes with a 46-yard kick straight down the middle. With the Calgary defence then denying the Tiger-Cats of a first down, a short Medlock punt gave the Stamps prime field position to set up a game-winning field goal. A nine-yard Cornish scamper set up Paredes from the 37-yard line as the clock struck zeros, and the come-from-behind effort was complete.

“It was a battle for 60 minutes,” said Hufnagel. “I thought both teams battled hard. You have to take advantage of the wind and when they had the wind, they kicked some long ones. We went against the wind punting and we didn’t punt the ball very well sometimes, so it was back and forth that way. We had the wind in the fourth quarter (and) had the last chance to win the game.”

Next up for the Stampeders is a Western showdown with the second-place Eskimos set for 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 10 at McMahon Stadium.