Castillo’s Last-Second Kick Saves Bombers in Wild Finish
What a night in Winnipeg! The Blue Bombers looked like they had the game locked up early, jumping to a huge 17-0 lead after just one quarter, and stretching it to 20-3 by halftime. By the start of the fourth quarter, they were still comfortably ahead 27-10. But football loves drama, and the Ottawa Redblacks were determined to give the sold-out crowd a reason to hold their breath.
It all began after Brady Oliveira’s short touchdown run seemed to put Winnipeg out of reach. Ottawa refused to fold. Lewis Ward nailed a 46-yard field goal, Justin Hardy pulled in an eight-yard touchdown pass, and then came the moment that had the stadium gasping—Kalil Pimpleton returned a missed 57-yard field goal a staggering 117 yards for a touchdown with under a minute left. Suddenly, it was 27-27, and the tension could be felt in every corner of Princess Auto Stadium.
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Sergio Castillo, the man who had missed that long attempt, admitted he thought his earlier kick was good—he’d just aimed it wrong. But Coach Mike O’Shea had trusted him enough to try it, especially after Castillo had tied the CFL record with a 63-yarder just last week. Still, that miss had opened the door for Ottawa to tie the game. Winnipeg’s quarterback Zach Collaros then threw an interception right after the return, giving Ottawa a chance to steal the win. But the Redblacks’ offense stalled, and that window closed quickly.
With only seconds left, Collaros scrambled for 17 yards, hit Nic Demski for another 11, and set the stage for Castillo’s redemption shot—a 47-yarder as time expired. This time, it was perfect. The ball sailed through, the clock hit zero, and Winnipeg walked away with a 30-27 victory. Castillo could breathe again.
The win pushed the Bombers to 5-4, flipping the script from last week when they lost to Calgary on a last-second kick. For Ottawa, it was the opposite of their previous game, where they had erased a huge deficit to win. The Redblacks also lost starting quarterback Dru Brown to injury in the third quarter, forcing Dustin Crum to take over. Both QBs had decent numbers, but it was Demski’s 128 receiving yards and Castillo’s steady leg—minus one misfire—that sealed the outcome.
In the end, Winnipeg extended its home winning streak over Ottawa to four straight, while the Redblacks’ last win in Manitoba remains all the way back in 2018. The Bombers now head to Montreal, while Ottawa will try to regroup at home against Edmonton.
But for the fans who witnessed it, this one will be remembered for its wild swings, the 117-yard heartbreak return, and the sweet sound of redemption as Castillo’s final kick split the uprights.
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