By Max Campbell
Stampeders.com

Not only did Rene Paredes pick up 16 points of his own against the Ticats, but the veteran kicker made good when it mattered most.

After a game-winning field goal of 50 yards versus Hamilton back in Week 1, No. 30 did it once again over the Tiger-Cats, nailing two field goals in the final minute for a 23-20 victory from Tim Hortons Field.

A 46-yard boot tied the game with 48 seconds remaining as it then appeared the game was destined for overtime, but a rock-solid Calgary defence forced a timely change of possession to help set up Paredes for the win from 37 yards out.

“I had a feeling I was,” Paredes said when asked if he believed he would be lining up once again before time expired. “I trusted the defence – the defence did a great job all game – and I knew I was going to get a chance. I told them to give me a chance and they did, so I’m very proud of the guys. All three phases did their job to grind out this win.”

Winds of up to 60 kilometres per hour persisted throughout the evening, presenting challenging conditions for the Concordia alum. The five-year veteran proved his worth, however, and was also accurate from the 51, 36 and 29-yard lines.

“Yeah, it’s very hard,” commented the 30-year-old on the relentless gusts. “You’ve got to not think about it and just keep trusting what you’ve been doing all year. The team did a great job playing the whole game and gave me a shot to tie and win the game, so the team did a great job.”

Paredes stressed the important contributions from long snapper Randy Chevrier and holder Drew Tate, as the trio teamed up to battle the elements for five made field goals as a collective unit.

“It’s very tricky,” offered the Venezuelan native, who attended high school in Miami after immigrating to Quebec during childhood. “I don’t know if you guys saw (but) the field goal posts were moving side-to-side, so it was hard to get a snap and a hold and a kick. Chevy and Drew did a great job and I’m proud of this team.”

His 52-yard try in the second quarter may have ended his streak off 22 successful attempts, but the five-foot-eleven, 197 lb. specialist has always been far from concerned with stockpiling personal accolades.

“I’d rather get the win than keep the streak going, so it doesn’t matter to me,” said the CFL-record holder with 39 consecutive regular-season field goals in 2013. “I was very, very far away from breaking my own record, so I wasn’t really thinking about it. I’m not even mad about it.”