Stampeders clinch playoff spot

The Calgary Stampeders clinched a CFL playoff spot Friday with a 30-7 win over the Edmonton Eskimos, as Stamps wideout Romby Bryant put on a show for the home crowd at McMahon Stadium.

Bryant and quarterback Henry Burris seemed to work telepathically as the two connected nine times for 211 yards. The 29-year-old Bryant set up three of Calgary’s four TDs with long receptions.

Burris went 22-for-31 with 346 yards and two TDs (one passing, one rushing) overall.

Running back Joffrey Reynolds also had a big game, rushing for 72 yards and adding 38 yards receiving while scoring two touchdowns.

You know it’s not a good night for your offence when your kicker scores all the points, and that’s exactly what happened to the Eskimos as Noel Prefontaine went 2-for-3 in field-goal attempts, hitting from 18 and 25 yards and missing from 46

Prefontaine added a single to round out the Edmonton offence as Calgary held the Eskimos without a touchdown. Quarterback Ricky Ray was 25-for-40 with 239 yards to his name.

The only bright spot was that Esks running back Arkee Whitlock broke 1,000 yards rushing this season with his 71 yards on the ground.

Even though the Stamps (9-6-1) clinched a playoff spot, a lot still has to be decided in the tightly bunched West Division.

Three of the four teams still have a chance to clinch the division title, as Saskatchewan (8-6-1) and B.C. (8-7) can topple Calgary from its perch atop the standings.

The Roughriders and Lions clash in Regina on Saturday.

Even though Edmonton (7-9) is in last place, the team still controls its playoff destiny. The Eskimos are ahead of Winnipeg (6-9) in the division crossover.

The Eskimos had a 6-1 lead until the waning minutes of the second quarter Friday, when the Stamps marched 77 yards to score the first touchdown of the game.

Burris hit Rob Cote with an eight-yard pass for the TD, which was set up by two long completions to Bryant totalling 60 yards. A completed convert later, Calgary was up 8-6.

A single from kicker Burke Dales made the score 9-6 Calgary before the half was out.

Bryant had seven receptions for 118 yards in the first half.

The Stamps picked up where they left off in the second half, going on a seven-play 75-yard drive to score another TD, making the score 16-6.

It was Reynolds who got into the act this time, taking the ball 17 yards midway through the drive and capping it off with a 13-yard TD run, his 12th of the season.

Edmonton kicker Prefontaine missed a 46-yard field goal at 4:09 of the third and Calgary conceded a single, cutting the lead to nine.

The Stampeders scored another TD with 10 minutes left in the fourth, as Burris capped off an 84-yard drive with a score from the one-yard line. Bryant again was at the centre of the action, snagging a 47-yard reception to get the Stamps into the Eskimos’ red zone.

After an Eskimos fumble, Calgary scored again thanks to another setup reception by Bryant, who caught a 46-yard pass to get the ball to the Edmonton seven.

Reynolds punched the ball into the end zone a couple plays later for his second TD of the game.