Ticats’ Peters Knows All About Labour Day in The Hammer

Two years ago, Jamal Peters had one of the best 11-day stretches ever recorded against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. And, unfortunately for Cats Crazies, they came while he was wearing the colours to which longtime Hamilton fans are naturally allergic. ‘Double Blue.

He spent three years with the Argos but he’s all black and gold now, one of five Cats –linebacker Trevor Hoyte, and defensive linemen DeWayne Hendrix, Brandon Barlow and Deionte Knight join him—who played in last year’s Labour Day Classic for the Argos.

In the Argos’ 2022 Labour Day win—the first time they’d ever won the Classic at Tim Hortons Field after seven straight losses here—Peters had two interceptions. The week before in Toronto, also against the Ticats, he picked off three Hamilton passes.

“I think about it every time,” Peters said today. “I was always circling this (game). Being on the other side it’s going to feel kind of weird.

“Actually I was just having a conversation with my girlfriend about what happened in 2022. The Labour Day Classic. I had just caught three the week before and then had two in this game. I’d love to have a pick against them. I haven’t shown my real personality since I’ve been here with Hamilton and I plan on showing it tomorrow. Especially by making plays. I’ve got to catch an interception against them …that’s really mandatory for me.”

The 2-9 Ticats trail the 6-4 Argos by four points for third place in the East, and Toronto has a game in hand so this game is huge—“They all are now,” Bo Levi Mitchell said earlier today—in determining if Hamilton has a sliver of playoff hope. They have lost two straight Labour Day games to the Argos, and have lost three  Classics in a row to them only once before, so there’s pride at stake as well as the serious post-season implications.

The Ticats edged Toronto 27-24 in July for their first win of the season after opening with five debilitating losses, then beat Edmonton. But since then they’ve lost four in a row and are looking to the sold-out crowd to push them back into the win column on Monday.

In that July win, the Argo quarterback was Cameron Dukes and he had to be lifted for Nick Arbuckle, who made it close. But, says Peters who played against Chad Kelly every day in practice while he was an Argo, Kelly’s return to quarterback after his nine-game suspension makes Toronto a much different opponent.

“They’re a way better team,” Peters says. “He’s a leader. Everybody was just waiting for him to come back. They look way different on film and I know they’re coming in trying to win. But I know we’re ready to do what we have to do.”

Peters says he’s been trading “trash talk” calls with Argo linebacker Robert Priester, one of his close friends from his Toronto tenure.

And Peters will often find himself lined up against Damonte Coxie, who led the Argos with 87 yards in receptions against the Ticats in July, his best game until he caught five passes from Kelly for 112 yards in Toronto’s one-point win over Saskatchewan last week.

“What makes Coxie so good is he has a big body, and people don’t respect that he’s fast,” Peters says. “He’s sneaky fast and he’s real strong. I’ve been going against him the past two years and I know I have to be on my A game. I really think he’s the best receiver in the league; he made me better, I didn’t like going against him. He doesn’t have any flaws for the most part. You just have to play your game, know what you got to do, know where you are on the field. If you slacken one time, that’ll be it.”

This will be the second game for Senor Defensive Assistant Chris Jones as Ticats play-caller and he’ll be trying to out-scheme Argo head coach and offensive coordinator Ryan Dinwiddie and his weapons, which include a Kelly with another week of practice under his belt, Coxie, DeVaris Daniels, ex-Ticat David Ungerer and running back Ka’Deem Carey who’s on pace for the most yards of his career. And that doesn’t even count returner Janarion Grant, who ran a punt back for a touchdown in July’s Argo-Ticat game.

“He’s able to get some more stuff in, things he likes to do,” Milanovich said of Jones’ extra time to work with his new team. “We were very simple last week, which isn’t always a bad thing and our guys were able to play fast because of it. But there’ll be a few more wrinkles probably added to the package.”

On the other side of the ball Bo Levi Mitchell, who still leads the CFL in passing yardage, knows his team has to get off to a better start than they did last week, especially on offence.

“Football is complementary,” Mitchell said. “It’s offence, defence and special teams. Offensively, we can’t have two-and-outs to start the game and put the defence in a bad position. It’s all of us as a unit being cohesive, doing what it takes to beat your man on your play, whatever your job responsibility is. At the beginning of the game, they’re going to show different looks. You’ve got to figure out what it is and find a way to move the chains.”

CATS CLAUSES: The Ticats have only one change among starters from the lineup that gave Winnipeg a good game last week. Jordan Murray goes in at right tackle for the injured Quinton Barrow who will be out for a while with a knee injury … receiver Tyler Ternowski is back in the game-day lineup, two weeks after he suffered a head injury against Edmonton. OL Nate Dumoulin Duguay, the Ticats’ first-round draft choice in the spring, returns for the first time in two months after recovering from injury. Jordan Byrd, who fumbled for a scoop-and-score last week, but otherwise did well at returner, will be the returner again … Argo LB Wynton McManis who’s always played well against the Ticats, is still on the six-game injury list … Ticats rookie receiver Shemar Bridges leads the CFL in receptions with 66 … Bridges is 5th in reception yardage while Tim White is 7th, Kiondré Smith is 12th and Steven Dunbar Jr. 13th … Toronto’s Jake Ceresna is tied for the league lead in sacks with five … Toronto’s DaShaun Amos has four picks, two back of the CFL lead and one up on the Ticats’ Jamal Peters … Ticats LB Kyle Wilson is second with 67  defensive tackles, six back of league-leader Nyles Morgan of Edmonton … Janarion Grant has four return touchdowns including one against the Ticats …  Tyreik McAllister, who led the CFL in all-purpose yards for the Ticats last year, has made the 53-man roster of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders.