Rookie returner's 2 TDs help offensively challenged Blue Bombers hold off Argos
Rookie Trey Vaval dazzled a sold-out crowd of Blue Bombers fans when he returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown and followed up with a 97-yard punt return for a major that helped Winnipeg snap a three-game losing streak with a 40-31 victory over the Toronto Argonauts on Friday.
It was the first and second TDs of the CFL season for the defensive back from Montana.
Chris Streveler started for Winnipeg (4-3) after quarterback Zach Collaros left last week's 31-17 loss in Toronto with a neck injury.
The backup completed 17 of 21 pass attempts for 173 yards with three interceptions. He also ran four times for 25 yards and one touchdown in front of the team's ninth consecutive sellout at Princess Auto Stadium.
Nick Arbuckle was 22-of-39 passing for 327 yards with one interception and two TDs for the Argonauts (2-6).
The game kicked off on time after the Blue Bombers and CFL were monitoring the smoky air quality caused by forest fires in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The Air Quality Health Index was seven at game time, under the threshold of eight that would have delayed or postponed the contest. It had a very high risk of 10-plus in the morning.
Winnipeg defensive end Jay Person also got the crowd cheering when he returned an Arbuckle fumble 28 yards for a score.
Bombers kicker Sergio Castillo connected on field goals from 46, 49, 34 and 31 yards, but hit an upright on a 45-yard attempt. He was good on four converts.
Toronto receiver Damonte Coxie had touchdown catches of 16 and 56 yards, as he hauled in nine passes for 187 yards. Linebacker Cameron Judge returned an interception 47 yards for a TD.
Kicker Lirim Hajrullahu was good on field goals from 44, 25 and nine yards and made three converts. John Haggerty booted an 85-yard punt for a single.
The Bombers led 14-7 after the first quarter, 31-13 at halftime and 34-24 heading into the fourth.
After Castillo missed a 45-yarder on Winnipeg's first possession, big plays had the crowd groaning again and then cheering.
Toronto defensive lineman Anthony Lanier II tipped a Streveler pass, the ball bounced into Judge's hands and he took it into the end zone at 5:53.
On the kickoff, Vaval showed his speed for his 93-yard TD return.
Winnipeg finished the first quarter with Streveler running the ball nine yards across the goal line.
The second quarter featured Person and Vaval.
After defensive end Willie Jefferson forced Arbuckle to fumble, Person scooped up the ball for a 28-yard score at 12:57.
Vaval followed that up a minute later with his 97-yard punt return.
The Argonauts scored on their first two possessions of the third quarter with Coxie's 16-yard TD catch and a nine-yard field goal by Hajrullahu after Toronto was stopped from one and two yards out.
Castillo sailed through a 33-yarder early in the fourth, but Toronto responded with Coxie's 56-yard TD.
After Arbuckle was intercepted by linebacker Tony Jones, the Bombers got to the red zone but Streveler was intercepted in the end zone by defensive back Tarvarus McFadden with just under three minutes remaining.
Winnipeg's defence stood tall on Toronto's final possessions and Castillo nailed a 31-yarder with 38 seconds left.
Up next
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Ottawa Rapid score in dying seconds to secure draw with Vancouver Rise
Kayla Adamek's goal in the 97th minute on the last shot of the match gets Ottawa a 3-3 draw with Vancouver.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
High-performance cricket pitch outside Winnipeg 'a dream come true' for Manitoba players
Social Sharing Cricket players from across the Prairie provinces gathered for a tournament during the grand opening of a cricket pitch at La Barrière Park just south of Winnipeg on Saturday. "This was kind of a dream for every cricketer in Manitoba," said Paramjit Shahi, president of the Manitoba Cricket Association. Shahi said cricket players have been gathering at the La Barrière Park ever since construction started on a high-performance pitch in 2018. The grounds have now grown to include two more high-performance pitches, four practice nets and a batting cage, the city said in a news release on Saturday. Shahi said the project would not have been possible without support from the city, province and non-profit organizations like Cricket Canada. The project has received more than $1.1 million in funding from the city for installation, ongoing maintenance and new signage. The new fields were built on public land that is leased by the Manitoba Cricket Association. Waverley West Coun. Janice Lukes, whose ward contributed nearly $950,000 to the project, said the park is set to become the "epicentre of cricket in Manitoba." La Barrière Park is owned by the city, but since it is located on the southern outskirts of the city, it is not under the jurisdiction of any specific ward councillor. The project also involved funding from St. Norbert-Seine River Coun. Markus Chambers, St. Vital Coun. Brian Mayes, Old Kildonan Coun. Devi Sharma, and St. Boniface Coun. Matt Allard. "Cricket is far more than just a game," Lukes said during the grand opening ceremony on Saturday. "It brings people together, it brings countries together. And we play, we have fun and in a very positive way." Milan Dave was playing in the tournament, which included teams from across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, on Saturday. He said he has been playing cricket since he was a child and is driven by a passion for the game. Dave moved from India to Toronto in 2016, eventually settling in Winnipeg a few years ago. He's been playing cricket at La Barrière Park ever since. "I have played with different provinces, and what I can say is these fields are amazing …" Dave said. "As a player, I would say it only elevates your game," he said of the high-performance pitch. Manoj Chaudhari, a past board member with the Manitoba Cricket Association, said the newly-opened grounds will serve as the association's main venue while the cricket pitch at Assiniboine Park remains under construction. "It's been a long time coming, it's taken a lot of hard work," Chaudhari said. "We do appreciate all levels of government helping us with this." Chaudhari said he has seen the sport's popularity bloom from just a handful of teams in the province to nearly 70 in 2025. He said the association has plans to build three more pitches in Manitoba. Shahi said it was wonderful to see so many players on the park's pitches on Saturday. "It's a beautiful grounds. A lot of players are playing here from other provinces, they appreciate how good [the] grounds are here," he said, adding cricket groups across Canada have been asking his 1,600-member association for advice on expanding the sport in other provinces. "We are very excited. This is a dream come true for the Manitoba Cricket Association."
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Canada's Victoria Mboko stuns No. 1 seed Coco Gauff to reach National Bank Open quarterfinals
Social Sharing Victoria Mboko's stellar run at the National Bank Open hit a new level Saturday. The Canadian rolled to a 6-1, 6-4 victory over No. 1 seed Coco Gauff of the United States, winning the women's singles match in just 62 minutes to advance to the quarterfinals at the WTA 1000 tournament. Mboko, a rising star who has climbed from a No. 333 ranking to 85th in the world this year, saved all four breakpoints against the world No. 2 Gauff, who committed 22 unforced errors in the fourth-round match at IGA Stadium. The 18-year-old from Toronto, who entered the tournament as a wild card, is the last Canadian standing in the singles draw, both in Montreal and at the 96-man Masters 1000 event in Toronto. Mboko became the second youngest Canadian to reach a WTA 1000 quarterfinal since 1990, behind only Bianca Andreescu. She's also only the second teenager — and first Canadian — to defeat Gauff, as well as the first player this season to not drop a single game on serve against the star American. After major support for Eugenie Bouchard early in the tournament, the buzz in Montreal shifted around Mboko as the teenage sensation took centre court — and she delivered before a sellout crowd. "Your support was incredible," Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of "Ole, Ole, Ole!" chants echoed around the venue. "I'm really happy to win today." Mboko looked ready to meet the moment early, flashing the powerful groundstrokes and blistering serve that have made a mark on the pro tour this season. Gauff, meanwhile, made unforced error after unforced error, firing some shots long and many more into the net during a swift, 25-minute first set. The 21-year-old double-faulted on the third point of the match, leading to an early break for the Canadian, who rattled off seven straight points into the next game. Mboko broke again in the fifth and seventh games while holding serve. In the seventh game, Gauff doubled-faulted and sent two shots into the net in succession to lose the set. Gauff found a rhythm early in the second set and earned three breakpoint chances with the match tied 3-3, but committed an error each time as Mboko hung on to win the game. With Mboko leading 5-4, Gauff doubled-faulted twice to set up two match points for the Canadian. Gauff, this year's French Open champion, scraped by with three-set wins in Rounds 2 and 3. She struggled with her serve, striking a whopping 37 double faults in the two matches combined — adding six more on Saturday. Mboko and Gauff met once before in May, when the Canadian won the first set but dropped the next two on clay at the Italian Open. Mboko will play the winner of Saturday's late match between Zhu Lin of China and Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain. Playing in only her seventh WTA main draw, she advanced to the quarterfinals of a 1000-level tournament for the first time, knocking off higher-ranked opponents at each step. Mboko opened with a win over 79th-ranked Kimberly Birrell, then upset 23rd seed and former Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin before snapping Marie Bouzkova's seven-match winning streak with a relentless comeback and taking down Gauff, dropping one set the whole way. It's the latest chapter in a breakthrough season for Mboko, who also played in her first two Grand Slam main draws, reaching the French Open third round and Wimbledon second round. Her impressive record in all competitions this season improved to 50-9, including 24-8 against players ranked above her. In Saturday's day session, Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine and Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan advanced to the quarterfinals. Kostyuk, the 24th seed, recovered from a first-set loss to defeat McCartney Kessler of the United States 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 in the fourth round. The ninth-seeded Rybakina also rallied for a 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 win over Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine, who defended three match points before losing. Kostyuk and Rybakina will play each other in the next round.
