HAMILTON — The Hamilton Tiger-Cats came up just short in a 14-13 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sunday night at Hamilton Stadium, in a game defined by a strong first-half performance, defensive takeaways, and a difficult second-half injury to starting quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell.
Hamilton controlled the opening half and carried a 13-4 lead into halftime before Winnipeg rallied late, scoring the game-winning field goal with 22 seconds remaining.
The Tiger-Cats set the tone early on defence when Destin Talbert intercepted Zach Collaros on the game’s opening possession, giving Hamilton immediate momentum. The offence capitalized quickly, with Mitchell connecting with Kenny Lawler for a 19-yard touchdown to open the scoring.
Hamilton added to its lead with a pair of Marc Liegghio field goals from 10 and 20 yards, while the defence continued to limit Winnipeg’s offence inside the red zone. The Blue Bombers were held out of the end zone in the first half as Hamilton built a 13-4 advantage at the break.
The turning point came early in the third quarter when Mitchell exited the game after being injured on a sack. From that point, Hamilton rotated quarterbacks Tre Ford and Jake Dolegala as the offence adjusted on the fly.
Winnipeg responded quickly, as rookie quarterback Taylor Elgersma led a 31-yard touchdown strike to Ontaria Wilson, cutting the lead to 13-11.
Hamilton’s defence continued to battle throughout the second half, highlighted by strong play from Reggie Stubblefield and another interception from Destin Talbert. However, Winnipeg’s ground game helped control field position late in the contest.
A late Winnipeg drive set up the decisive moment, as Sergio Castillo converted a 23-yard field goal with 22 seconds remaining to complete the comeback.
Top Performers
| Category | Player | Stat Line |
| Passing | Bo Levi Mitchell | 18/29, 228 yards, 1 TD |
| Receiving | Kiondre Smith | 7 receptions, 90 yards |
| Receiving | Kenny Lawler | 5 receptions, 64 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Larry Rountree III | 9 carries, 45 yards |
| Defence | Reggie Stubblefield | 6 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble |
| Interceptions | Destin Talbert | 1 interception |
Scoring Summary
- HAM: Bo Levi Mitchell 19-yard TD pass to Kenny Lawler (convert good)
- HAM: Marc Liegghio 10-yard field goal
- HAM: Marc Liegghio 20-yard field goal
- WPG: Sergio Castillo 46-yard field goal
- WPG: Ontaria Wilson 31-yard TD pass from Taylor Elgersma (convert good)
- WPG: Sergio Castillo 23-yard field goal
Next Up
The Tiger-Cats head west to face the Saskatchewan Roughriders before returning home for the Steeltown Showdown against the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday, July 18 at Hamilton Stadium.
