By/Photo: CFL.ca Staff
The Ottawa Senators ended Queen’s run at an unprecedented fourth straight title in the Eastern Final, and went on to win their first-ever Grey Cup in 1925. The Senators faced the Winnipeg Tammany Tigers for the national championship and rolled to an easy 24-1 victory. It was the first time in four years the Tricolour’s had failed to participate in a Grey Cup championship.
Formerly the Winnipeg Victorias, the Tigers changed their name due to the railway dispute a year earlier which prevented the team from playing for the 1924 title. Supporters believed that this was the greatest Western club ever to compete for a Grey Cup. The West learned once again that their best was simply not good enough when it came to playing the East.
The victory was never in doubt for Ottawa after the first five minutes of play. Senators head coach Dave McCann felt so confident in his team that he substituted his second stringers in the second half.
Ottawa used a strong wind to its advantage in the opening quarter, carrying out a successful onside kick which gave the Senators the lead for good. Charlie Lynch kicked the ball towards the Winnipeg end zone, and before his opponents could react, leaped into the air and touched the ball. This made any Ottawa teammate eligible to recover the ball, and Charlie Connell pounced on it for a touchdown. Edgar Mulroney scored the second major of the game in the second quarter on a 20-yard run around the right end.
The Senators went on to add two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter. A Winnipeg player lost control of the ball on his own five-yard line, which a teammate recovered. Officials ruled that the ball had been illegally passed forward, turning over the ball to Ottawa. The Senators capitalized when Connell ran around the end for his second major following three lateral passes. Ottawa then scored on another turnover when Don Young fell on a dribbled ball in the end zone.
For Eastern football critics, they were once again disheartened by the lack of competition coming out of Western Canada. In four Grey Cups contested by Western teams, the East has outscored the opposition 114-2. It would be another decade before the West would be on par with their Eastern hosts.
