Latest news with #Maltos
Montreal Gazette
4 days ago
- Sport
- Montreal Gazette
Zurkowsky: Jose Maltos caps Alouettes' rally with 57-yard field goal
Perhaps it was the fact most everyone believed the Alouettes couldn't win without quarterback Davis Alexander that motivated the visitors. After all, it's amazing what a team can accomplish when it's backed against the wall. Perhaps it was the fact Calgary suffered one too many injuries on this night. After losing receiver Damien Alford, a Montreal native and the first overall draft choice this year, and cornerback Adrian Greene, the biggest blow occurred on the final play of the third quarter, when starting quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. — a former Alouette — appeared to suffer a head injury as he was sandwiched between linebackers Tyrice Beverette and Darnell Sankey after a seven-yard gain. Adams didn't return for the final quarter and was replaced by P.J. Walker, a 30-year-old veteran who played for five NFL teams and had a 5-4 record over 21 games. But Walker was making his CFL debut against what's considered one of the league's stingiest defences — and the result was predictable. One week after overcoming an 18-point deficit at home against Toronto, the Als erased an eight-point deficit on the road at Calgary, scoring nine unanswered points in the fourth quarter for an improbable 23-21 victory before 19,863 fans at McMahon Stadium Thursday night. Global kicker Jose Maltos provided the margin of victory with three fourth-quarter field goals, including the winner, a career-long 57-yarder with 70 seconds left. The kick was down the middle and probably would have been good from more than 60 yards. His previous longest field goal was 53 yards. Maltos kicked five field goals in the game, including a 10-yard chip shot in the first quarter, when the Als couldn't find the end zone from the Calgary 3. 'It feels good,' Maltos told reporters in Calgary. 'This was an important game. We're happy because we need these kind of wins. Every kick is important to me. If they need me ... I'm going to be there and try to do my best.' The Als are 4-0-1 in their last five games against the Stamps. When the teams played to a 19-19 tie last season in Calgary, Maltos kicked four field goals, including two in overtime. The win moved Montreal (5-2) into first place in the East Division, two points ahead of Hamilton, which plays in B.C. on Sunday night. The Als are heading into the most difficult stretch of their schedule, with five consecutive games against West Division teams, though three are at home. And they will probably be without Alexander for most of that stretch. He was placed on the six-game injured list after re-injuring his left hamstring against the Argonauts. Montreal hadn't won without him this season, but veteran McLeod Bethel-Thompson changed that with his first victory in three starts. Bethel-Thompson completed 30 of 40 passes for 280 yards and a second-quarter touchdown to Cole Spieker. While Bethel-Thompson was intercepted by Greene in the opening quarter, he settled down. He released the ball quickly, relied on mostly short passes to various receivers and was sacked only once. While it was far from a perfect performance — especially during the third quarter, when Montreal didn't score and ran only eight offensive plays — his numbers would have been better had several receivers not dropped passes. Bethel-Thompson used seven receivers, but his favourite target was Tyler Snead, who caught seven passes for 103 yards — including a 42-yard flea flicker from backup Caleb Evans. The Als had 22 first downs, 362 yards' net offence, ran 64 plays and controlled the ball for slightly more than 34 minutes. 'It feels great to finally play my role for this team,' Bethel-Thompson said. 'I'm just so grateful to have done my job. That was an unbelievable kick at the end by Jose. 'I'll get better. I'll continue to improve. That's the fun part. I was dialed-in on doing my job and putting the team in position to make the kick. There are things I can get better at. I'm just excited to do my role.' The Als played like a team with a chip on their shoulders after critics said they couldn't win without their franchise quarterback, but Bethel-Thompson, 37, won a Grey Cup with Toronto in 2022. 'You can't buy what we just went through,' Maas told journalists in Calgary. 'It's such an incredible feeling and moment. It's something you'll never forget the rest of your life. 'He (Bethel-Thompson) deserved it. Any time you've been doubted, like he was this week. And the last few weeks, whether we could win with him? That's a hard cross to bear in my opinion when you're a quarterback. You've got to have confidence when everyone's telling you, you can't do it. I thought he played tremendous. I'm very happy for him.' Adams completed 15 of 25 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown, while tailback Dedrick Mills gained 78 yards on 14 carries and scored twice. But Walker failed miserably after being inserted, completing only three of seven passes for 20 yards. The Stamps, uncharacteristically, took 11 penalties for 121 yards. This story was originally published July 25, 2025 at 8:04 AM.
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Maltos' late go-ahead field goal lifts Alouettes to 23-21 win over Stampeders
CALGARY – Jose Maltos received a hero's welcome from his teammates after kicking the longest field goal of his CFL career. Maltos booted the go-ahead 58-yard field goal with 1:10 remaining as the Montreal Alouettes (5-2) earned a 23-21 win over the Calgary Stampeders (5-2) in front of 19,863 fans at McMahon Stadium on Thursday. When the Mexican-born kicker returned to his team's locker room, he was mauled by his teammates who congratulated him while chanting: 'Olé, Olé, Olé, Olé.' 'It feels good – important game, important kick,' said Maltos, whose previous longest kick was from 53 yards out. 'My teammates are great. I love them and I'm grateful to have them on my side. 'We're happy because we need these kind of wins. Every kick is important to me, so that was pretty good.' Following his heroics – which included four other field goals, a convert and a single – Maltos received praise from Montreal head coach Jason Maas. 'He's made some clutch kicks for us since he's taken over and he's got an outstanding percentage career-wise already,' Maas said. 'He just has a good knack for those types of moments and that's what he's shown us. That was a tremendous (game-winning) kick. It was one of the best kicks I've seen.' Montreal quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson completed 30-of-40 passes for 280 yards to go with one touchdown to Chris Spieker and one interception. 'Man, we needed that one,' Bethel-Thompson said. 'It feels great to finally play my role for this team. It's a special locker room. What coach Maas has built is a special place and I'm just so grateful to have done my job. That was an unbelievable kick at the end by Jose.' Dedrick Mills had a pair of rushing touchdowns for the Stampeders (5-2), who had won their previous three games. 'We ran the ball well for three quarters, but not the fourth quarter,' said Calgary coach Dave Dickenson. 'And that's when you need to run the ball … and we just didn't do it.' Calgary quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. threw a touchdown pass to Dominique Rhymes and also completed a short pass to Erik Brooks in the end zone for a two-point convert after Mills' second rushing score. Near the end of the third quarter, Adams scrambled out of the pocket and ran for a seven-yard gain before he was hit hard by Montreal linebacker Tyrice Beverette. Although he got to his feet and walked to the sidelines, he was assessed for a head injury and didn't return to the game. 'I'm expecting it was on the one hit.' Dickenson said. 'I'm not really going to speculate on what happened, but I know that he went in the tent and didn't come back, so that was obviously something that we know can happen. 'A lot of teams are playing with their backup QB, including Montreal, so we have to be able to function and get points and get first downs, and we weren't able to do it.' Defensive back Adrian Green picked off an errant pass by Bethel-Thompson for his league-leading fourth interception of the season and ran it back to Montreal's 44-yard line to help set up Calgary's first touchdown. Four plays later, Mills ran for a seven-yard touchdown with 1:53 remaining in the first quarter, which gave Calgary a 6-0 lead after a missed convert by Rene Paredes. After Tyler Snead's 42-yard diving catch put Montreal at Calgary's nine-yard line, the Stampeders held the Alouettes to a 10-yard Maltos field goal. Adams then engineered a five-play, 77-yard drive that he finished off by tossing a 33-yard TD pass to Rhymes at 5:10 of the second quarter to put the Stamps up 13-3. The Als responded at 9:18 when Spieker caught a seven-yard TD pass from Bethel-Thompson to cap off a quick eight-play, 77-yard drive. On the ensuing kickoff, Maltos booted an 88-yard single to pull the Als within two points of the Stamps. Maltos finished off the first half by making a 36-yard field goal with no time left on the clock to put Montreal ahead 14-13. The Stamps drove the ball 65 yards down the field before Mills ran in for a nine-yard score on the sixth play of the drive at 3:43 of the third quarter. A successful two-point convert gave the Stamps a 21-14 edge. Thanks to a pair of field goals by Maltos in the fourth quarter – a 28-yard kick at 6:22 and another from 20 yards out at 12:17 – Montreal cut Calgary's lead to just 21-20. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025.
Montreal Gazette
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Montreal Gazette
Zurkowsky: Sean Whyte's last-second field goal carries visiting Lions past Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes By Death, taxes and an Alouettes' loss against B.C. The Lions have now defeated the Als five consecutive times following Saturday night's bizarre 21-20 victory at Molson Stadium before 21,144 spectators. Montreal hasn't defeated B.C. since Jason Maas became head coach in 2023 and hasn't scored a victory against that team since Sept. 9, 2022. There are many reasons why a team loses, and there was enough blame to be shared on this night, as the Alouettes lost their second straight game without injured starting quarterback Davis Alexander. Montreal, which was threatening to run away with the East Division following a 3-0 start, now has a 3-2 record and is only two points ahead of Hamilton, with the Tiger-Cats holding a game in hand that will be made up next week, when the Als have a bye in the schedule. Among the many culprits, the leading candidate must be Alouettes guard Pier-Oliver Lestage, who continues hurting the team with his lack of discipline. With Montreal clinging to a 20-18 lead following Jose Maltos 's 24-yard field goal with 28.1 seconds remaining in regulation time, Lestage took a 15-yard misconduct penalty, forcing Maltos to kick off from his 15 as opposed to the 30. Maltos did his best to kick the daylights out of the ball, but the visitors still scrimmaged from their 43 with 22.1 seconds remaining. Lions Canadian quarterback Nathan Rourke, who returned from an oblique injury, passed twice to Keon Hatcher. Following an incompletion, a 13-yard pass to Jevon Cottoy moved the ball to the Montreal 36 with 0.2 seconds remaining. Sean Whyte then kicked the game-winning 43-yard field goal as time expired. Lestage refused to speak to The Gazette postgame. The Alouettes only took five penalties for 50 yards. Instead, it was the Lions who were more undisciplined, taking 11 penalties for 146 yards. 'We talk about nothing they say, nothing they do,' Maas said. 'That means anything they say to you, anything they do to you, can't result in an action that would get a 15-yard penalty. He's remorseful about it. He's been very good about that, trying to be a disciplined player. He just let the emotions get the best of him. I always say it's a learning lesson. I hope this is the last time and he reiterated to me he learned his lesson there. 'That's as a team. If one guy does it that means everybody can learn a lesson. That 15 yards turned out to be a huge deal at the end. It's not anything he's intending to do. Sometimes the emotions get the best of you. I can understand that better than anybody. We'll have his back, but it has to be something we never let happen again to us.' The Alouettes started well. After cornerback Kabion Ento intercepted an underthrown pass in the end zone for Hatcher, McLeod Bethel-Thompson, replacing Alexander, directed Montreal on a three-play, 80-yard scoring drive — capped by a 45-yard pass-and-run touchdown to Tyson Philpot, who broke numerous tackles. But for the second consecutive game, Bethel-Thompson, 37, simply didn't do enough to put Montreal's offence in a position to win. He completed 15 of 23 passes for 192 yards and a second touchdown on a 14-yard pass to tailback Sean Thomas-Erlington just before halftime. The Alouettes, however, were held to a pair of field goals following the intermission. Bethel-Thompson missed open receivers, didn't move the pocket frequently enough and had to leave the game temporarily following an eight-yard run in the third quarter when he left his upper-body exposed and was viciously tackled by linebacker Deontai Williams. Bethel-Thompson should know better at this stage of his career. 'It's a loss. There's no individual performances, it's just a loss,' Bethel-Thompson said. 'There were a lot of big plays we left out there. A lot of inches we couldn't quite accomplish. If we do that, if we don't kick ourselves in the foot, we should be pulling away with this game. 'I'll say it bluntly, I don't think 20 points is enough to win a game. We can do better on offence. We were right there on a lot of situations.' The Als had 23 first downs and 312 yards' net offence, but ran only 50 plays and had the ball for 29:15. But at least — unlike last week at Hamilton — they ran the ball. Thomas-Erlington, playing the 100th game of his career, gained 76 yards on 11 carries. Montreal produced 120 yards along the ground. Defensively, the Alouettes held B.C. to a pair of touchdowns. Rourke, the CFL's highest-paid player, scored on a two-yard run early in the second quarter. He also passed 46 yards to Stanley Berryhill III 10 minutes into the fourth quarter after safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy fell on the play. 'Bad footing. That's pretty much it,' Dequoy said. 'I tripped and let a big play happen. We didn't win, so I don't think (our pass defence) did great.' Rourke, who missed the last two games with an oblique injury, shredded the Alouettes' pass defence, completing 22 of 36 for 352 yards. There was an incident postgame when B.C.'s Kemoko Turay, a defensive-end, appeared to inexplicably try to enter Montreal's dressing room. He undoubtedly will be fined by the league. Montreal's next game is July 17, at home, against Toronto. Alexander is expected to return that night. The Alouettes surely require his presence before this promising season further deteriorates.
