Ticats fail to lock down first pace in CFL East after 37-20 loss to Stampeders

HAMILTON – Canadian running back Ludovick Choquette immediately thought of his grandmother after celebrating his first career Canadian Football League touchdown on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Calgary Stampeders rookie and his backfield mate Dedrick Mills, with two rushing majors, helped the visitors to a 37-20 win against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats before 22,313 at Hamilton Stadium and a step closer to securing a CFL playoff spot.

“My grandma did everything for me,” Choquette said. “She used to drive me to practice an hour-and-a-half away, and we used to come home at 10 p.m. or so. Just seeing how hard she worked showed me the ropes of what I have to do to be a great player and a great leader for this team.

“I’m still learning. But I’m very honoured to be part of this amazing team.”

Choquette’s mother, Claudine, died when her son was seven. Choquette was never close to his father, so his grandmother stepped in as his caretaker growing up in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.

“She made so many sacrifices for me,” Choquette said.

His grandma was also supportive when he was given an opportunity to leave Quebec to play high school football at Clearwater Academy at age 16.

“She trusted me and always was there with an encouraging word whenever I was down,” said Choquette, who battled his way through the Ticats’ defence for 44 yards and his first touchdown in the second quarter of a game the Stampeders led from wire-to-wire.

He went from Clearwater to a scholarship at Western Illinois University two years later. In his senior year, he was named an honourable mention for the Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Academic team.

Undersized at 5-foot-9 and 209 pounds, the Stampeders drafted Choquette in the sixth round. He was no shoo-in to make the team out of training camp, but his work ethic drew the attention of head coach Dave Dickenson.

“I liked him from the first interview, basically as soon as I talked to him,” Dickenson said. “I felt he would make any team better.“Listen, he’s still undersized, and he’s not the fastest guy. Maybe other backs have more talent, but nobody has that heart and plays harder than him.”

Choquette remarked he benefited from a strong game from Mills, who rushed for 105 yards on 17 carries. But Choquette enjoyed a fine outing too, with 73 yards on seven rushes.

“He’s been a really good addition to our team,” Dickenson said. “He’s a team-first guy, a very unselfish player. He does what we asked him to do. But he has a big heart. He plays extremely hard, and he does a lot on special teams, too.”

Rene Paredes kicked five field goals and Mills rushed for two touchdowns to help the Calgary Stampeders halt a four-game losing streak.

Calgary could clinch a playoff berth if the Edmonton Elks lose their game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers later on Saturday.

Paredes nailed his final field goal from 37 yards out with 6:55 remaining. Mills rushed for his second TD with 2:03 left for his 10th of the season.

Stampeders quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. was an efficient 16 of 23 for 257 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. His Hamilton counterpart, Bo Levi Mitchell, was good for two touchdowns, completing 25 of 39 for 306 yards and two interceptions.

Hamilton (10-7) missed a chance to clinch top spot in the East Division. The Ticats pulled to within 27-20 at the 2:38 mark with a 31-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell to Jevoni Robinson.

On Hamilton’s second possession of the second half, Mitchell marched the Ticats 61 yards, resulting in a 10-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Lawler. It was his 14th scoring reception of the season, one shy of Tony Champion’s club record set in 1989.

The Stampeders, however, answered right back with a three-yard touchdown run from Mills to increase Calgary’s lead to 27-13.

Calgary enjoyed a strong afternoon running the ball with 211 yards, led by Mills (105) and Choquette (73).

The Ticats suffered a blow with an illegal procedure penalty as the third quarter ended. The infraction turned the ball over at the Calgary six-yard line.

The visitors enjoyed a 20-8 lead at halftime, with a good portion of the 22,213 at Hamilton Stadium booing the Ticats off the field.

Paredes booted three field goals of 42, 32 and 42 yards in the first quarter, and added a 13-yard chip-shot in the second quarter. Paredes missed a 54-yard attempt, short and to the right, in the second quarter.

The Venezuelan’s second field goal was set up by Adrian Greene’s fifth interception in 2025. Paredes was put in position for his fourth three-pointer with a 31-yard scamper from running back Mills.

The Stampeders finished off the second quarter with a hard-nosed 44-yard run from Ludovick.

UP NEXT

Stampeders: Host the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday, Oct. 18.

Tiger-Cats: Host the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday, Oct. 24.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2025.