We only talk about one week at a time with the Montreal Alouettes, so the title in the East has been discussed much more often by the media than members of the organization in recent weeks. This time, with the championship at hand against the Toronto Argonauts, Jason Maas and his team could not avoid the subject.
The Alouettes (11-2-1) can secure first place in the East with a victory against the Toronto Argonauts (7-7) at BMO Field on Saturday. It could even be that the team takes the field as section champion, since if the Saskatchewan Roughriders beat the Ottawa Rouge et Noir (8-5-1) a few hours earlier, the Alouettes will inherit the title.
« [Le résultat d’Ottawa]I don’t care a bit, Maas said after Thursday’s training at the Hébert stadium in Saint-Léonard. It will not change anything in our preparation and our desire to win all our next matches. Will I know [le résultat du match d’Ottawa]? Yes, but it won’t change our state of mind or our preparation. (…) Our attention will always be focused on our performances. »
His deputies and his flock understood the message.
“We’ll watch the game, but Ottawa’s result doesn’t mean anything,” confirmed receivers coach and air attack coordinator Mike Lionello. Which means something is what’s going to happen in our match. But we want to show why we are first in the East. »
“We’re going to be focused on our game, I don’t think we’re going to watch the Rouge et Noir,” added receiver Tyler Snead. Our goal is to finish the next four weeks — or the next six weeks I should say — with a 1-0 record.”
This would be a first section title for the Alouettes since 2012.
The Alouettes will count on the return to play of safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy for this meeting. After missing Tuesday’s practice, defensive end Lwal Uguak participated in the other two and was a starter for the Montreal team. Defensive lineman Nick Callendar, who is battling a virus, has not practiced all week, but will still be at his position.
Dequoy practiced with the team last week, but did not play in the Alouettes’ 24-12 win over the Ottawa Rouge et Noir. This season in 11 games, Dequoy has totaled 22 tackles and two interceptions.
Maltos chasing record
Montreal Alouettes precision kicker Jose Maltos could tie or set a team mark in this duel.
Maltos currently has 21 consecutive field goals and the team mark of 24, set by Sean Whyte in 2021, is more within his reach than ever.
However, don’t count on the main party to be excited by the prospect.
“I wasn’t aware of it and frankly, I don’t care a bit,” said the Mexican kicker when informed of this possible exploit by The Canadian Press on Thursday.
Maltos brilliantly replaced David Côté, the team’s regular precision kicker since 2021 who fell in action during the warm-up before the fifth game of the season.
“It’s my job, I had to be ready as a substitute,” he said. When the team needed me, I had to be able to get the job done. That’s all I’m trying to do.
“I don’t care about numbers, statistics. All I want is to do my best whenever the team needs to put me on the field. »
This season, he made 26 of his 28 field goal attempts, in addition to amassing 2,220 yards on 34 kickoffs.
Maltos was in uniform for 12 games with Ottawa in 2021 and 2022, but it was in Montreal, in 2023, that he made his first kicks. He then made seven of his nine field goal attempts.
The match between the Alouettes and the Argonauts will begin at 7 p.m., Saturday, at BMO Field.
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