Medlock kicks 5 field goals as Tiger-Cats beat Lions 19-17

HAMILTON - Hamilton kicker Justin Medlock fought through the gusty conditions and made all five of his field-goal attempts to keep his Tiger-Cats undefeated at Tim Hortons Field.

Medlock's field goals, and two conceded safeties late in the game, accounted for all the Ticat scoring in a 19-17 victory over the B.C. Lions Saturday night.

"I love to get the opportunity to put the game on my foot," he said after hitting attempts from 39, 15, 42, 37 and eight yards out. "It's tough conditions, but you've just got to get through it."

The wind now blows south-north at the new field, and Medlock is still getting used to it.

"It's a tricky stadium," he said. "It's like kicking in an airport. You're going into a really hard wind and (then) going downwind - it's pretty hard."

Receiver Shawn Gore and defensive back Josh Johnson each scored a touchdown for B.C. while kicker Paul McCallum hit a 27-yard field goal on his lone attempt.

The Ticats (6-7) are on a four-game win streak and have won five of their last six, dating back to Labour Day, when they moved into their new stadium and got quarterback Zach Collaros back on the field after missing five games with concussion-like symptoms. They are now undefeated in their four games at the new stadium and sit atop the CFL East Division.

Collaros completed 27 of 43 pass attempts for 367 yards and one interception that was returned 38 yards for a B.C. touchdown by Johnson.

The Lions (7-7) have lost their last three games and sit fourth in the CFL West, but still hold a crossover playoff spot with a better record than the Toronto Argonauts — who are tied for second in the East.

"It's a little frustrating right now, because I thought we had the game," said Lions quarterback Kevin Glenn about his team holding a 17-12 lead midway through the fourth. "It's tough when you come in, you fight. When you play this game as hard as we've been playing . . . and you don't come out with victories, with wins, it's tough. We've just got to figure it out. We've got to stay together and figure it out. It'll happen."

Glenn, who was the Tiger-Cat quarterback from 2009 to 2011, completed 19 of 33 pass attempts for 188 yards, no TDs and no interceptions.

The B.C. offence wasn't able to get much going all game and found themselves down 12-10 late in the third before Glenn hit Ernest Jackson for a 42-yard gain to the Hamilton 17. On the very next play, he ran a reverse, handing off to receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux who threw into the end zone, finding Gore for the TD and a 17-12 lead.

The Lions' defence stopped Hamilton on a third-and-one attempt at the B.C. 13-yard line midway through the fourth and looked to have things under control. But when Glenn was sacked at his own six-yard line on the ensuing possession, punter Ricky Schmitt was forced to concede the safety on the next play and Hamilton pulled to 17-14.

The Lions were stopped on their own nine-yard line on the next possession, and that led to Schmitt conceding his second safety in a row. B.C. led 17-16.

It looked like a late Hamilton drive had stalled at the B.C. 15, but the Ticats successfully challenged a non-call on pass interference between B.C. defender Ronnie Yell and Brandon Banks. That gave Hamilton first-and-goal at the five, but the B.C. defence held firm. Medlock kicked his fifth field goal of the night, this one from eight yards, and the Ticats led 19-17.

"A win's a win," responded Hamilton head coach Kent Austin when asked if he was concerned his offence wasn't able to get the ball in the end zone, especially when inside the 15. "I love winning. It's hard to do."

This matchup featured the league's best pass defence (B.C.) versus the league's best run defence (Hamilton) and it looked like the first quarter would end scoreless. But McCallum finished off a 57-yard drive for the Lions with a 27-yard field goal to give B.C.a 3-0 lead with 28 seconds left on the clock. Then on the very next play, a Collaros throw to Andy Fantuz was intercepted by B.C.'s Johnson who ran it back for a 38-yard TD and suddenly the Lions were up 10-0.

A 39-yarder by Medlock put the Ticats on the board early in the second quarter. Midway through, the Ticats still couldn't find the end zone despite a first down inside the B.C. 15 and settled for a 15-yard field goal to pull to 10-6.

Another Ticat drive stalled when Collaros was sacked by Johnson at the B.C. 35. That sent out Medlock again, who hit his third field goal of the quarter, this one from 42 yards out, for a 10-9 score.

It was more of the same in the third when Medlock had to finish Hamilton's 73-yard drive with a 37-yard field goal giving Hamilton its first lead of the game, 12-10.