At every CFLOAA Huddle, on the first Tuesday of most months at Local Heroes, Jim McAuley the Ottawa Sports Historian entertains everyone with his research into what happened on a day in that month in Ottawa Football History. Since we always meet on the first Tuesday of the month, Jim has started to select dates later in the month, so he does not duplicate what he has presented at earlier Huddles.
1961 (63 years today)
Jim Cain, a Canadian with American college training, seems certain to win a berth at tackle. (Jack Koffman, Ottawa Citizen.)
Note: -Jack’s information was good, Jim, our CFLOAA VP, had a 9-year career playing both offence and defence with the Riders finishing with the Grey Cup wins in 1968 and 1969.
1973 (51 years today)
Ottawa Rough Riders 13 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 9 before 23,884 at Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton in a pre-season game. The only major score from the Riders was a Rick Cassata to Lee Fobbs completion for a 10-yard pass and run major. Five points came from Gerry Organ. Tony Gabriel scored Hamilton’s touchdown on a 13-yard pass reception from Bill Etter.
1979 (45 years today)
Ottawa Rough Riders 31 Toronto Argonauts 2 before 42,160 at Exhibition Stadium. Riders’ Mike Nelms had a 71-yard punt return for a touchdown, recovered an on-side Riders’ kickoff and intercepted one of Argos’ QB Tony Adams passes and ran it back 40 yards to set up another Ottawa touchdown. All that happened in the second quarter. He returned four punts for 123 yards over the game. Tony Gabriel caught three passes, two for touchdowns from Condredge Holloway. Jeff Avery caught another Holloway aerial for a 23-yard touchdown on a third down and inches situation. Gerry Organ set a CFL record. He reached 140 converts in succession surpassing the record held by Edmonton Eskimos’ Dave Cutler by two. He also kicked a 51-yard field goal.
1981 (43 years today)
Defensive tackle, Mike Raines, was in Head Coach George Brancato’s doghouse after he missed the team’s flight out of Ottawa International Airport for Vancouver. He eventually arrived in BC, but speculation was that he would have to pay for the flight as well as be fined $300.
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1983 (41 years today)
Ottawa’s oldest police officer, at age 61, is leaving the job. Staff Inspector Ellard Miles joined the force in 1947 while he was a member of the Ottawa Trojans of the Ontario Rugby Football Union. He joined the Rough Riders the following season and remained with the club until the Grey Cup year of 1951. He left football and concentrated exclusively on his police career. Ellard passed away on November 2, 1995, at age 73.
Note:-Warner Miles, former Rough Rider, and CFLOAA Board member, is Ellard’s nephew.
1991 (33 years today)
Calgary Stampeders 42 Ottawa Rough Riders 28 at Ottawa, before 18,788. Terry Baker had a 78-yard punt and a 70-yard kickoff for the Riders. Damon Allen brought the Riders back from a 24-4 deficit to 32-25 early in the second half. He connected with Stephen Jones for five receptions, 103 yards, and two majors. Quarterback John Congemi suffered a dislocated shoulder making Allen and Jason Garrett (later the Dallas Cowboy’s Head coach) the only Riders’ QBs.
1992 (32 years today)
Saskatchewan Roughriders 23 Ottawa Rough Riders 13 at Taylor Field in Regina in front of 20,117. The Rough Riders set a club record for most penalty yards in one game, 190, 135 in the first half. James ‘Duke’ Ellingson caught one pass in the game, a 23-yard touchdown strike from Tom Burgess. Ottawa defensive end, John Kropke had six tackles.
2003 (21 years today)
British Columbia Lions 37 Ottawa Renegades 19 at Vancouver to drop Ottawa’s record to 2-4. Kelvin Anderson opened the scoring with a 52-yard touchdown run 1:53 into the game. He carried 12 times for a total of 133 yards. Jason Clermont caught two TD passes. Demetris Bendross scored the Renegades TD on a pass from Kerry Joseph. Lawrence Tynes kicked four field goals.
2015 (9 years today)
Ottawa Redblacks 29 Calgary Stampeders 26 before 23,018 at TD Place Stadium. Delbert Alvarado booted a 34-yard field goal in overtime to get Ottawa the victory. Keith Shologan fell on a fumble by Bo Levi Mitchell which led to the winning points. Henry Burris threw TD passes to Chris Williams for 84 yards, Ernest Jackson for 23 yards and Greg Ellingson for five yards. Redblacks improved their record to 3-2-0.
2017 (7 years today)
Toronto Argonauts 27 Ottawa Redblacks 24 before 15,801 at Toronto. Lirim Hajrullahu’s 34-yard field goal with no time left on the clock gave the home team the victory. Ricky Ray completed 40 of 55 passes. RedBlacks’ Trevor Harris completed touchdown passes to Brad Sinopoli and Greg Ellingson. Josh Stangly ran the ball in for a 15-yard touchdown. Argos’ total offence was 424 yards with 367 passing. Redblacks accumulated 298 yards. Ottawa’s record dropped to 1-4-1.
PASSINGS (JULY 24)
2010 (14 years today)
Ivan Kelly, former Equipment Manager of the Ottawa Rough Riders as well as Carleton University, passed away at Manotick, Ontario, in his 79th year.
