HUERTA KICKS
STALLIONS
INTO 2ND GREY CUP CFL-record 7 FGs knock out
Texans in division final, 21-11
Face Stampeders for
title
Pringle's 136 yards
clinch 12th win in row
By Gary Lambrecht
Baltimore Sun, Nov. 13, 1995
The howls of joy and the
accompanying champagne bath that enveloped their locker
room told the story. The Stallions, a second-year
Canadian Football League franchise that made pro sports
history last year by playing for a championship as an
expansion team, are headed back to the Grey Cup. The
Stallions earned the trip yesterday with a 21-11 victory
over San Antonio that sealed the Southern Division crown
before an announced crowd of 30,217 at Memorial Stadium.
Baltimore (17-3) will take a 12-game winning streak to
Regina, Saskatchewan, where the Stallions will play the
Calgary Stampeders for the CFL championship on Sunday.
Several hundred fans celebrated by pouring onto the
field, which, with the impending arrival of the Cleveland
Browns, has probably been used for its last CFL game.
Fans tore down one goal post.
"From the very beginning, we've said
that anything short of winning the Grey Cup would be very
disappointing. We expected to be in this position,"
Baltimore coach Don Matthews said. "It isn't
complete yet." Yesterday's victory was. The
Stallions, who have no shortage of resources, stuffed the
Texans (13-7) with a full complement of them. On a day
when Baltimore won for the first time this year without
scoring a touchdown, its defense shut down a San Antonio
attack that had averaged 41.5 points in its previous 10
games. And its offense moved the ball enough behind
running back Mike Pringle to put kicker Carlos Huerta in
position to take care of the scoring. Huerta, who
struggled in last week's first-round victory over
Winnipeg, when he missed an extra point and three
field-goal attempts, shook that mini-slump by making
seven of nine field-goal attempts. His seven field goals
set a CFL playoff record. His seventh, a 28-yarder that
set the record with 5:42 left in the third quarter, gave
Baltimore a 21-1 lead. "I just got a little luckier
this week," said Huerta, who battled gusty winds for
the second straight week.
"Last week, I hit the ball pretty well,
but the wind blew my balls out of range. This week, I got
a lot of attempts, and when I do, I usually make a lot of
kicks." The rest of the Stallions got their kicks at
the expense of the Texans, who were expected to give
Baltimore quite a battle, having won nine of their
previous 10 games before yesterday. Instead, Baltimore
beat San Antonio for the third time this season by
executing its ball-control game plan to near perfection.
The Stallions, by far the CFL's top rushing team this
season, gained 211 yards on the ground, accounting for
nearly two-thirds of their offensive output. Quarterback
Tracy Ham added 72 rushing yards on seven carries.
Pringle, who has won two rushing titles since getting
released by Sacramento two years ago - that team is now
the Texans - led the way once again. He carried 24 times
for 136 yards, and added four receptions for 35 yards.
Then, he was doused with champagne, which covered the mud
he accumulated on the sloppy turf.
"Champagne and turf burns don't mix too
well. It stings a little bit, but I couldn't ask for
anything better," said Pringle, the odds-on favorite
to win the league's Most Outstanding player award this
week. "This win is that much sweeter for me,"
he added. "Beating my old teammates and my old
coach, I love that. We did it in the style that is
vintage Baltimore offense. Pound it away and move the
ball when you have to." The Stallions set the tone
in the first half by putting consistent drives together,
and by using the wind to their advantage in the second
quarter, when Huerta connected on four field goals. The
real story of that half was the Baltimore defense, and
the slippery fingers of San Antonio's defense. Three
times in the opening half, the Texans dropped potential
interceptions.
On the Stallions' first play from scrimmage
deep in their territory, safety Charles Franks dropped a
pass by Ham over the middle. Given new life, Ham directed
a 10-play, 58-yard drive that resulted in Huerta's first
field goal, a 30-yarder that gave the Stallions a 3-0
lead. Linebacker Tommie Smith and Franks then botched
interceptions that could have prevented two more Huerta
field goals in the second quarter. "Defensive
turnovers have certainly helped us this year. They have
ignited our football team all year," San Antonio
coach Kay Stephenson said. "They would have been
big."
Baltimore's defense was sure handed. The
Stallions recovered two fumbles by quarterback Dave
Archer, turning one of them into a field goal. Archer had
plenty of other problems, namely a relentless Baltimore
pass rush led by end Grant Carter (three pass knockdowns)
and sticky coverage in the Stallions' secondary.
Linebackers Matt Goodwin and O.J. Brigance each had five
tackles. Brigance chipped in a sack and a fumble
recovery. A handful of drops by the Texans' receivers
didn't help.
The Texans were inept in the first half,
managing only three first downs and 60 total yards, less
than Pringle's rushing output in that half. It took San
Antonio nearly three quarter to get past the Stallions'
50. When San Antonio finally came to life, it was too
late. After kicker Roman Anderson's 42-yard field goal
cut the Stallions' lead to 21-5 late in the third
quarter, Archer, with the help of two Baltimore
penalties, led the Texans on an 88-yard scoring drive. He
hit Mark Stock with a 3-yard touchdown pass that cut the
Stallions' lead to 21-11 with 2:11 left. But Archer's
two-point conversion pass to Joe Hess fell incomplete,
and after San Antonio's on-side kick failed, the
Stallions ran out the clock with Pringle.
"They [San Antonio] were putting up a
lot of points against mediocre teams," Baltimore
cornerback Irv Smith said. "We knew if we came out
and played defense Stallions style, everything would take
care of itself. "If we pull it out next week, the
champagne will taste much sweeter."
A LAST LOVE-IN FOR
TEAM, FANS OUT OF PAST
By Ken Rosenthal
Baltimore Sun, Nov. 13, 1995
An hour after the game, the lobby
at Memorial Stadium was packed. Fans and players,
relatives and friends, huddling together in Baltimore for
probably the last time, celebrating the Stallions' return
to the Grey Cup. One by one, the players emerged from the
locker room - Baylis, Armstrong, Ham, Pringle. Kids
jumped up and down in excitement. Stars and scrubs, they
all stopped to sign autographs, to chat, to
mingle.
"Thanks for coming out," slotback
Gerald Alphin told one fan. Defensive end Grant Carter,
standing a few feet away, signed a boy's jacket.
"Hey, Grant, you're going get that little boy's butt
whipped, writing on his clothes!" hollered his
roommate, offensive lineman Robert Davis. It was a scene
out of 1955, not 1995. It evoked the community's long,
lost relationship with the Colts. And, in all likelihood,
it was a farewell.
"Hopefully, we can win the Cup in
Regina, and then they can call us and tell us where to
show up next year," Carter said, laughing. Carter
isn't happy with the prospect; none of the Stallions are.
They love their fans as much as the fans love them. Their
bond represents everything that is right about sports,
even if the 'C' in CFL stands for Crumbling. "I
would love to sit here and play for these 25,000 fans for
the rest of my career," offensive tackle Shar
Pourdanesh said.
It's football in a time warp. No luxury
boxes. No club seating. No permanent seat licenses. No
guilt. You can reach out and touch the Stallions. The
same won't be true with the NFL Browns. Which isn't to
say the CFL is preferable. But this team was a reflection
of one Baltimore. That team will be a reflection of
another. What can be more grass-roots than fans signing
petitions to keep their team? The Stallions' fans did
that yesterday as they entered the stadium. The crowd was
announced at 30,217, but that figure seemed
preposterously high, unless owner Jim Speros was using
the Canadian exchange rate. The petitions, distributed by
the Stallions' booster club, the Special Teamers, said
the fans "want an affordable alternative to NFL
football games." Presumably, the Special Teamers
will present them to Mayor Schmoke and Gov. Parris
Glendening, a symbolic gesture if nothing
more.
"Thanks Stallions, it's been fun,"
said one banner that hung from the upper deck yesterday.
"Stay," another said, simply. They're not going
to stay. Speros wants a guarantee of 20,000 ticket sales
per game. The state is giving Art Modell a $200 million
stadium, and maybe helping Jack Kent Cooke build another.
What Speros really wants is a nice little check to
compensate him for the money he put into Memorial
Stadium, and he'll be on his way. The sad part is, this
is a wonderful team, a team that never gets fully
appreciated because of the ridiculous league in which it
plays. CFL commissioner Larry Smith this week mused about
a return "to our Canadian roots." In other
words, he's ready to ditch the American operation.
"You wanted a close game," a Stallions official
groused to Smith on the sidelines when San Antonio scored
a touchdown to make it 21-11 with 2:11 remaining.
"Got to keep the ratings up!' Smith replied, as if
he was Pete Rozelle. The ratings? Easy there, Larry. The
game was only on Canadian television. Indeed, it was a
ridiculous thing, hearing the fans at a game between
Baltimore and San Antonio exhorted to cheer so they could
be heard "live across Canada." Smith will get
his. This is Baltimore, land of revenge.
The Stallions, robbed by the referees in
last year's Grey Cup final, will pound Calgary so
unmercifully, Quebec will wish it had seceded from
Canada. Yesterday's victory was the Stallions' 12th
straight. The last time they lost was Aug. 12, back when
the Orioles were collapsing in Boston. They're now 17-3
on the season, and 31-10 in their two years in Baltimore.
The news of a potential move didn't stop them. Nothing
does. "We addressed that on Monday," coach Don
Matthews said. "the Browns had said last week that
they felt they were distracted. We said 'If you allow
yourselves to be distracted, you're giving yourselves an
excuse to fail." The Stallions would have none of
it. "Hey, the bureaucrats are going to do what
they're going to do," Jearld Baylis said. "If
they want to bring a loser and leave out a champion,,
that's their prerogative."
These are working men, not millionaires.
They're accustomed to the usual detours of life. Neal
Fort, the offensive tackle with the beer-guzzling fan's
body, worked at Home Depot in the off-season. "This
is what the city of Baltimore is to me - old
steelworkers, old blue-collar workers, people who can
afford to see our games," he said. People the NFL
doesn't want, cheering players the NFL doesn't want. Is
it any wonder the fans are so fanatically loyal? Or that
the players are so deeply appreciative? When the final
gun sounded, Baylis, Carter, rush end Elfrid Payton and
wide receiver Shannon Culver raced over to the stands and
shook hands with fans in the front row. Baylis and Culver
later climbed on top of the first-base dugout to mingle
with the crowd some more. "They make our players
feel very, very special," Matthews said. "Our
job now is to show them how much we appreciate it by
bringing the Cup back, and making them feel
special."
Not to worry, their mission already is
accomplished. As the celebration began and the late
afternoon sun faded, one fan held a sign conveying the
sentiments of thousands. "Thank you," it
said.
PARTING IS PAINFUL
FOR PLAYERS, WHO SALUTE FANS
They vow to leave
faithful with title to remember
By Gary Lambrecht and Kevin Eck
Baltimore Sun, Nov. 13, 1995
Right after the Stallions clinched
the Southern Division title and their second straight
trip to the Grey Cup, team owner Jim Speros and coach Don
Matthews thanked the Memorial Stadium crowd for its
support. Cornerback Irv Smith wished he would have had a
chance to address the fans. Smith talked about the
distractions the Stallions have battled lately, namely
the probable move of the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore,
which likely would end the CFL's two-year stay here.
"I wish I could have said good-bye to them myself. I
love it here," said Smith,a Maryland native who
played his collegiate ball at College Park. "It's
just not fair. We're 17-3 and we're out of town? The NFL
is just flexing their muscle. It's the big bank taking
over the little bank. That's how it is." Smith's
feelings were echoed around the Baltimore locker
room.
"We had a great time while we were
here," nose tackle Jearld Baylis said. "We
think there are some people that are hooked on the CFL
and will continue to follow the CFL. It would be a shame
if we decide to leave this city, but we don't have any
control over that. But if we're going to leave this city,
we're going to do it as the champions." "We
won't be distracted about what goes on outside of
football, because we can only control football,"
quarterback Tracy Ham said. "but this group of fans
here has been great. If we are taken away from them I
will really feel very bad for them. The fans always lose
whenever there's adversity about a team leaving....
"Our fans let us know when we're not playing well
and that they're behind us, and that's what you call
fans."
"The fan support that we've received
has been tremendous," linebacker O.J. Brigance said.
"Whether it's been 21,000 or 31,000, the people
loved us and came out to support us. These are probably
some of the greatest football fans I've ever seen."
Brigance turned in his usual solid show yesterday with
five tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery early in the
second quarter that swung the momentum Baltimore's way.
San Antonio quarterback Dave Archer was lined up in a
shotgun formation, but failed to handle center Mike
Kiselak's low snap. After a lengthy scramble for the
ball, Brigance came up with the fumble at the San Antonio
23. The resulting field goal increased the Stallions'
lead to 9-1. "That was a big play, because it gave
our offense a chance to get three points," Brigance
said. "And as we saw, those threes really started
adding up."
Culver provides early lift
Wide receiver Shannon Culver wore an
ear-to-ear grin after the game, and not just because he
got to spray teammates with bubbly. Culver caught three
passes for 47 yards. It has been an interesting year for
Culver, particularly in the late going. After starting 15
of Baltimore's first 16 games - he missed one with a neck
injury - Culver was relegated to a backup spot for a game
last month, before getting demoted to the practice roster
for the regular-season finale. Culver returned to start
last week's playoff opener. Yesterday, he made his
presence known immediately. On Baltimore's opening drive,
he caught a 35-yard pass from Ham to get the Stallions
into San Antonio territory, withstanding a vicious hit
from defensive back Jason Wallace. Culver came back on
the next play to make a 6-yard reception. Five plays
later, the Stallions took a 3-0 lead on Carlos Huerta's
first field goal. "It was real big to make some
things happen early, Culver said. "It was personally
a big lift for me and my confidence, to show the coaches
I could do it."
Carter puts on closing rush
Defensive end Grant Carter has been one of
the Stallions' steadiest players all year, but he has
raised his game in the postseason. Yesterday, Carter was
outstanding, knocking down three passes, with four
tackles and one sack. In last week's 36-21 win over
Winnipeg, Carter had a tackle, two sacks and two pass
knockdowns. "I take a lot of pride in playing well
in crunch time. I've made an extra commitment these last
two weeks to study my opponent," said Carter, a
late-season addition last year, when he played on special
teams. He has started the last 10 games this
season.
No TDs no concern to Ham
Ham was unable to lead the Stallions to a
touchdown, but he said that isn't a concern. "Not at
all. We won the ballgame and that's the biggest
issue," said Ham, who completed 13 of 19 passes for
135 yards and rushed seven times for 72 yards. "You
have to put a lot of thing aside this time of year and
not allow yourself to get caught up in what you do
personally or statistically and just do whatever it takes
to win the ballgame." Ham did not commit a turnover,
which he saw as a key. "They were a team that lived
off turnovers," he said. "To put them in a
position where they had to go the distance of the field
certainly made a difference in the ballgame."
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