Cody Fajardo set to start for Elks against Riders
Fajardo was listed as the starter on the Elks' depth chart, released Thursday morning.
Trevor Harris will start for the Riders (5-1).
Fajardo spent three seasons with the Riders (2019, 2021, 2022) emerging as the Green and White's starting pivot in 2019 when he led the CFL with 4,302 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions, helping the Riders to a 13-5 regular season record, losing just once at home. Fajardo then threw for 366 yards and an interception in the 2019 West Final in a losing effort to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Before departing Rider Nation in February 2023 Fajardo posted a heartfelt letter to Rider fans on social media.
Fajardo signed with Montreal after departing Saskatchewan and went on to win the 2023 Grey Cup with the Alouettes. He was also named Grey Cup MVP in Montreal's 28-24 win over Winnipeg.
Kickoff at Mosaic Stadium Friday night is 7 p.m.
-With files from TSN
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Winnipeg Free Press
11 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Houston back with Blue and Gold
For a franchise built on strong community ties and a family-oriented locker room, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' decision to sign American defensive back Demerio Houston comes with a layer of complexity. Houston, a former Grey Cup champion with the Bombers, rejoins the club months after his release from the Calgary Stampeders following a domestic violence charge that was later dropped. The move raises questions about accountability, due diligence and what a second chance truly entails in a league that has committed to a strong gender-based violence policy. On Monday, following his first practice back with the team, Houston addressed the situation with a calm and deliberate tone, emphasizing his gratitude and a desire to move forward. RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS FILES Demerio Houston last played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2023. 'It feels great to be back,' Houston said. 'I'm just happy to get another opportunity and be back with the team that gave me my first opportunity.' Houston's departure from Calgary came after a public report that he was facing a misdemeanor domestic violence charge in North Carolina, stemming from an alleged incident in November where he was accused of hitting his wife with a suitcase. The report from the issuing magistrate noted a history of domestic violence, a claim Houston publicly denied. Shortly after charges were laid, Houston admitted in an Instagram post to putting his family through an emotional and mental roller-coaster but claimed he has never physically harmed his family. The charges were dismissed in March, and Houston said they were on the verge of being expunged from his record. 'But, like I said, at the end of the day, I'm just trying to move forward and just try to take advantage of my second opportunity,' he added. When pressed on what he has done to be a better man and learn from the situation, Houston confirmed he underwent mandatory steps from the CFL. 'Just be there for my family,' he said. 'Had some requirements through the CFL that I had to go through, and everything's completed and done with. And, like I said, I'm grateful to just have another opportunity. Just going to play football.' He later clarified that the requirements included counselling and a therapist, indicating the league's gender-based violence policy — which focuses on rehabilitation and education — was put into practice. He confirmed the league was in communication with him before and after his release from the Stampeders, conducting an investigation to ensure he was cleared to play again. Clubs were notified in the off-season that the CFL would register a contract provided the conditions were met. 'Everything's clear. I'm just here to play ball,' Houston repeated. For the Bombers, the decision to sign Houston was a matter of trusting the league's process. Head coach Mike O'Shea, a man who has cultivated a culture of integrity and family within the organization, said the team had conversations with the player but did not conduct a formal investigation. 'We had him here before, he's been good for us,' O'Shea said. 'He's done very well in this league and he's available. So, bring him back.' The move to bring Houston back is a logical one from a football perspective. In his first three seasons with Winnipeg, he played in 30 games and recorded 84 defensive tackles and nine interceptions. He was a member of the Bombers Grey Cup team in 2021 and earned CFL All-Star honours in 2023 after leading the league with seven interceptions. He also had a productive season with the Stampeders last year, registering 74 tackles and five interceptions in 15 games. O'Shea made it clear that, while need might have played a factor as the Bombers have had their share of injuries in the secondary, it would never trump integrity. Instead, he pointed to the league's comprehensive investigation as the key determining factor. 'I would always be concerned about being in the community and making sure that we're good citizens of the community,' O'Shea said. 'But also, in this organization, we deal with humans and we also deal with humans that make mistakes and work hard to be better.' A league spokesperson shed further light on the process, confirming that 'upon learning of the situation, the CFL initiated a third-party investigation; the findings of which determined that Mr. Houston had violated the CFL's Gender-Based Violence Policy.' The league also contacted the victim and offered support throughout the process, marking a critical part of the league's policy and path to redemption. As part of the resolution, Houston was required to complete a minimum number of counselling sessions with a gender-based violence expert and is subject to ongoing monitoring. O'Shea affirmed his confidence in the process, despite admitting he doesn't know the specifics of the league's investigation. 'If our scouting department likes a guy and there's been something in the past, we submit it to the league. And they say 'yay' or 'nay,'' he said. 'As far as we're concerned, everything was dropped. And the league probably went further than that.' The conversation around Houston's return also extends into the locker room, where his presence appears to be a welcome one. Veteran defensive end Willie Jefferson, a cornerstone of the team's culture and a four-time CFL All-Star, expressed support for his teammate. 'Demerio is a good guy. We love him like he's one of our own; he is one of our own,' Jefferson said. 'But at the same time, you got to handle your business. On the field, off the field, you're part of an organization and you have to take care of your business.' Jefferson acknowledged the team's role in helping Houston navigate his second chance. 'That's the side of things we can help him with,' he said. 'We know who Demerio is, we know who his wife is and his kids. With him coming back here, being with us, we're going to love on him and his family and not down talk him or wag our fingers at him. We're going to bring him in, love him and try to push him in the right direction. You got to make the best of your opportunity.' Jeff HamiltonMultimedia producer Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University's journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff. Every piece of reporting Jeff produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Montreal Gazette
17 hours ago
- Montreal Gazette
Jack Todd: Anthony Calvillo calling shots could spark Alouettes' offence
The man in the booth is mostly invisible. The éminence grise. The not-so-grey ghost. If you follow the Alouettes, you might have heard of him. Chap named Anthony Calvillo. Threw 9,437 passes, completed 5,892 for a gaudy 79,816 yards, with 455 touchdowns and only 224 interceptions. Records? Calvillo has more than the Beatles. It was my privilege to cover Calvillo during the better part of his career. The man was one of the classiest in Montreal sports at the time, right up there with Saku Koivu and Otis Grant. On the field, he had a big arm and that born athlete's ability to sense the rush and sidestep it without losing sight of his receivers. But what stood out wasn't the big arm or the athletic ability. It was what he had between the ears. Kent Hughes would have loved this guy — the Nick Suzuki of football. Calvillo was flat-out smart, adept at spotting the chinks in a defence and checking down through his receivers. It makes sense, then, that Calvillo would be the Als' offensive coordinator. Who has better credentials? Surely not Jason Maas, the head coach who is clearly calling the plays. The trouble is that while Calvillo has the title, Maas is the actual coordinator. To this observer, that constitutes a massive waste of knowledge and experience. Look, everyone knows you don't need to be a superstar player to be a good coach. With few exceptions, such as Martin St. Louis, great players don't make great coaches. But with the Alouettes' offence stuck in the muck like a truck in a country song, you have to wonder why the unimaginative Maas is calling the plays with an asset like Calvillo in the booth. Mind you, any team that is down to the fourth quarterback on the depth chart is going to struggle, especially on the road in B.C., where the Alouettes win every other century. Once Davis Alexander went down and McLeod Bethel-Thompson quickly proved he was not the solution, the slide began and a team that started the season 3-0 is now 5-5 and only in possession of a shaky playoff spot because Ottawa and Toronto are in the same division. On the bright side, after hard-luck Caleb Evans was literally run out of the B.C. game and injured while taking his third sack in barely more than a quarter, the Alouettes got a sustained look at a backup who might be able to do the job in 28-year-old James Morgan out of Florida International University. Morgan was quick, efficient and steady. He has a powerful arm. He looked like a CFL quarterback — which will get you zero touchdowns but still counts in my book, because teammates pick up on that vibe. The Alouettes are obviously hurting on both sides of the ball, but especially on offence. They need to stop this slide, beginning with a tough game when they meet the Blue Bombers at Percival Molson Stadium Thursday on only five days of rest. Resident statistician Tim Mell points out that after going 4-0 during the weekend, the CFL West is 15-7 against the East and the easiest road to the Grey Cup is to finish fourth in the West and get the crossover game. As things stand now, that would mean the Alouettes having to face the Lions, with Nathan Rourke again looking like he's head and shoulders above any other CFL signal-caller. The Als need wins. Anthony Calvillo, the underutilized guy in the booth, has won a football game or two. Perhaps he could inject some imagination into a moribund offence? Minor miracle: Your friendly neighbourhood columnist has been following the Montreal Canadiens closely since winter 1970-71, when I arrived in this city at roughly the same time as a couple of chaps named Frank Mahovlich and Ken Dryden. (For some inexplicable reason, they got more attention than a certain tall, skinny hippie from Nebraska.) In that time, I have noted several emotional states in the hockey fans of our fair city. These range, as a rule, from hysteria, panic and despair to lynch the GM. Yet during this off-season, what has struck me most is that Hughes (insert HuGo if you wish) is more popular than ever. People notice the seamless way he has rebuilt the organization around intelligence, class and players who get along and support each other. They notice the deft trades and the occasional brilliant, outside-the-box draft picks and the open way Hughes communicates. This would be remarkable at any time in a general manager's tenure — but Hughes will have been on the job four years as of this coming January. It's a minor miracle, to be topped only if he and management partner Jeff Gorton can win that elusive 25th Stanley Cup. Heroes: Kent Hughes, Nathan Rourke, Brandie Wilkerson, Melissa Humaña-Paredes, Iga Swiatek, Jasmine Paolini, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Dillon Gabriel, the Milwaukee Brewers &&&& last but not least, Victoria Mboko. Zeros: Toxic Chad Kelly, Alexander Zverev, the 'ghost runner,' Shedeur Sanders, Wayne Gretzky, Bud Selig Jr., Claude Brochu, David Samson &&&& last but not least, Jeffrey Loria. Now and forever.
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Petrasso goal allows CF Montreal to earn 1-1 draw against visiting D.C. United
MONTREAL — Defensive commitment was on full display as CF Montreal and D.C. United played to an unwavering 1-1 draw on Saturday night at Stade Saputo. Jackson Hopkins opened the scoring for D.C. United (4-15-8) in the 28th minute, while Luca Petrasso scored in the 41st minute for Montreal (4-15-8), which still has just one regulation win in 16 games through all competitions. 'It was a very balanced game. We were trying to play more with the ball and go down step by step, and they were more direct because they have different qualities,' said Montreal's interim head coach Marco Donadel. 'I think that we missed a bit of quality in the final third, for example. We didn't attack the second post properly, we had so many chances there.' Despite enjoying the majority of possession in the opening stages of the Major League Soccer match, Montreal struggled to build out of the back, with D.C. relying on a compact block in the middle of the field. With the state of play seemingly at a standstill, both teams only had a single chance, forcing excellent saves from each goalkeeper. Since he arrived in the American capital city, Christian Benteke has become one of MLS' most dominant and consistent attackers. The former Belgian International has scored 48 goals in 93 games and has become the focal point of the D.C. attack, so much so that teams now plan their entire defensive structure around marking him. While they successfully kept Benteke at bay for the entire game, D.C. would strike first when Hopkins pounced on a loose ball in the middle of the park just before the half-hour mark. After driving forward, he unleashed a powerful shot into the bottom right corner beyond the reach of Thomas Gillier's outstretched hand. 'We knew coming into the game how D.C. wants to play, just launch the ball up to Benteke and just fight over second balls, that's kind of the way they scored on us,' said Petrasso. 'There are games like this that aren't very pretty to play, and we had spells with the ball, but they did a good job of sitting back low.' Looking for an immediate reply, Montreal began throwing numbers forward and were able to score an equalizer five minutes before halftime. After forcing a turnover deep in D.C.'s half, Prince Owusu launched a counterattack before sliding the ball into Petrasso on his left, who made no mistake. The second half progressed in a similar fashion as Montreal held on to the ball even more, while D.C. dared the hosts to break down a staunchly organized low block. Montreal had a number of chances in the second frame, even a goal from Prince Owusu that was called back for offside, but the final touch — as it has for most of the season — could not be provided. 'I think that we deserved more in the first half. We started the second half well. I think that we were a bit more predictable, because they closed very well wide,' said Donadel. 'We didn't have the same courage and quality in the middle to try to go through in the middle, and we lost a bit of energy.' As the game wound down to its closing stages, it was D.C.'s turn to look for the winner, capitalizing on Montreal's tired legs and forcing Montreal to retreat into a defensive shell of its own. The match also saw Matty Longstaff register his first minutes for Montreal after being acquired via trade from rival Toronto FC. The English midfielder played 57 games for Toronto, picking up three goals and three assists. 'I just tried to get on the ball and progress it as much as I could. We got good midfielders here … I've really enjoyed playing with them,' said Longstaff. 'We were a tight-knit group (in Toronto), so it's obviously sad when you leave one place. It's weird, for the last year-and-a-half, I've had the media and the fans telling me to hate Montreal, and obviously now I'm getting told to hate Toronto.' UP NEXT D.C. United: Hosts Inter Miami on Saturday, Aug. 23. CF Montreal: Hosts Austin FC on Saturday, Aug. 23. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2025. Elias Grigoriadis, The Canadian Press
