Rookies shine in leading Ticats past Bombers in CFL exhibition contest

GUELPH, Ont. – Rookies Lindsay Lamar and Raymond Brown gave Hamilton Tiger-Cats coach Kent Austin plenty to mull over Thursday night.

Lamar returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown while Brown had three interceptions, returning one 115 yards for the TD, as the Ticats pasted the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 52-0 in the final CFL exhibition game for both clubs.

Lamar, a running back from South Florida, took Mike Renaud’s 46-yard punt back the distance on the final play of the first quarter to put Hamilton ahead 14-0. With receiver-returner Chris Williams continuing his contract dispute, the Ticats could be in the market for a special-teams dynamo.

Brown, a defensive back from Kansas, picked off Justin Goltz in the end zone and returned it for the TD on the final play of the second to give Hamilton a commanding 35-0 half-time lead.

Other Ticats rookies who impressed were safety Erik Harris and receiver Greg Ellingson.

The six-foot-three, 225-pound Harris, who played collegiately at California, had an interception and fumble recovery in the first. Ellingson, from Florida International, had a 25-yard TD grab.

CFL teams must reduce their rosters to 46 players by 10 p.m. ET on Saturday.

The first-year players shone in Hamilton’s first “home” game at Alumni Stadium on a simply gorgeous evening. The facility on the campus of the University of Guelph will be the Ticats’ home away from home this season while a new venue is being built.

The usual seating capacity here is roughly 7,500 but has been increased to 13,000 for Ticats games. The announced attendance for Thursday’s game was 12,732.

The Ticats will move into their new venue next season. The facility will also stage the soccer competition for the 2015 Pan American Games.

Hamilton finished the exhibition season with a 2-0 record while Winnipeg was 0-2. The two clubs were tied for the CFL’s worst record last year at 6-12.

Chevon Walker, Andy Fantuz and Harold Mutobola had Hamilton’s other touchdowns. Luca Congi booted the converts and three field goals while Brett Lauther had a single.

Winnipeg kicks off the 2013 regular season Thursday hosting the Montreal Alouettes at new Investors Group Field. Hamilton travels to Toronto next Friday night to face the Grey Cup-champion Argonauts at Rogers Centre.

The two teams took different approaches to this contest as Winnipeg came with just 41 players while Hamilton dressed 64. Among the notable Bombers missing was starting quarterback Buck Pierce, who didn’t make the trip after going 0-for-5 passing in the club’s first exhibition game, a 24-6 home loss to Toronto last week.

Goltz got the start and completed 12-of-21 passes for 101 yards and two interceptions as Winnipeg didn’t get over centre field until just over two minutes were left in the opening half. Chase Clement, who left Hamilton’s camp in 2009 after just a single practice, and Max Hall took second-half snaps for the Bombers, who committed nine turnovers (six interceptions, two fumbles, downs).

Burris started for Hamilton and looked solid, completing 13-of-17 passes for 198 yards and two TDs in the opening half before giving way to sophomore Dan LeFevour to start the third.

Walker opened the scoring with a one-yard TD run at 7:43 of the first, which was set up by Harris’s interception. Then at 11:55 of the second, Burris found Fantuz on a five-yard touchdown strike before hitting Ellingson from 58 yards out at 13:48 to put Hamilton ahead 28-0.

Congi booted three field goals in the third. Then Mutubola ran 37 yards for a TD at 9:49 of the fourth after taking a lateral from Emanuel Davis after he had an 23-yard interception return.