Whyte’s overtime field goal earns Lions 41-38 victory over Ticats

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HAMILTON — Sean Whyte’s 19-yard field goal earned the B.C. Lions a 41-38 overtime win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Thursday night.

Whyte capped B.C.’s first overtime possession with his game-winning boot. Hamilton had the opening possession but former Ticat DeWayne Hendrix recovered Tim White’s fumble following a completion, to the dismay of the Hamilton Stadium gathering of 29,012.

B.C. (4-5) earned its first win in three games and avenged a 37-33 home loss to Hamilton on July 27.

Hamilton (6-3) had its six-game win streak snapped.

Hamilton forced overtime on Marc Liegghio’s 29-yard field goal on the final play of regulation, ending a five-play, 44-yard march that began with 32 seconds remaining. It came after Nathan Rourke found James Butler on a 16-yard TD pass at 14:22 to end a seven-play, 85-yard drive that began at the B.C. 25-yard line with 1:47 remaining.

Liegghio’s 43-yard field goal at 13:07 of the fourth staked Hamilton to a 35-31 lead. It was set up by Julian Howsare’s interception and 32-yard return that put the Ticats at the Lions’ 38-yard line.

Liegghio banked a 43-yard field goal in off the upright at 11:01 to give Hamilton a 32-31 lead.

Whyte had put B.C. ahead 31-29 with a 39-yard field goal at 6:45. It came after Liegghio missed from 36 yards out for the single at 4:03 that broke a 28-28 tie.

Isaiah Wooden Sr., Jevoni Robinson, Shemar Bridges and Kiondre Smith scored Hamilton’s touchdowns. Liegghio had three converts, three field goals and a single while Nik Constantinou added a convert.

Butler, with two, Jevon Cottoy, and Jeremiah Masoli had B.C.’s touchdowns. Riley Pickett added a two-point convert while Whyte booted four field goals and three converts.

At halftime, Hamilton added Miles Gorrell, a Hall of Fame offensive lineman, to its Wall of Fame.

B.C. tied it 28-28 on Pickett’s two-point convert following Masoli’s three-yard TD run at 14:32 of what was a 36-point third quarter.

Bo Levi Mitchell gave Hamilton a 28-20 lead with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Smith at 12:48. It followed Roman Horrall’s recovery of Seven McGee’s fumble at the B.C. 15-yard line.

Mitchell put Hamilton ahead 21-20 with his three-yard touchdown pass to Bridges at 8:48. Butler’s five-yard run at 3:50 put B.C. back ahead 20-14.

Mitchell’s 22-yard TD pass to Robinson put Hamilton ahead 14-13 at 1:06. The Ticats opened the second half scoring on a two-play, 76-yard march with punter Constantinou converting in place of the injured Liegghio.

Rourke’s 15-yard TD strike to Cottoy at 14:49 of the second quarter staked B.C. to a 13-7 halftime lead. It capped a smart 100-yard, six-play drive that included a 57-yard completion to Ayden Eberhadt.

The score flattered Hamilton, which had 61 net offensive yards and four first downs from just 16 first-half plays. B.C. accumulated 252 yards from 29 plays and had the ball for 19 minutes 18 seconds.

Both Whyte and Liegghio had lengthy field-goal streaks end in the second.

Liegghio missed from 42-yards out with just over a minute left, his first in 34 attempts. Liegghio was hurt on the return.

Whyte looked to put B.C. ahead with a 53-yard field goal attempt earlier, but missed after 33 straight boots.

Whyte’s attempt followed Josh Haggerty’s recovery of Wooden’s fumble on a punt return. Wooden left the game on a cart favouring his right arm.

After Whyte opened the scoring with a 42-yard field goal at 2:31, Wooden put Hamilton ahead 7-3 with an electrifying 84-yard punt-return TD at 5:33.

Whyte’s 35-yard field goal at 11:57 cut Hamilton’s lead to 7-6.