HAMILTON—The Argonauts’ season ended on a field where they’ve never won.

The Boatmen are 0-6 at Tim Hortons Field after falling 25-22 to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Sunday’s East Division semifinal before an announced crowd of 24,029.

Justin Medlock’s 47-yard field goal on the final play of the game ended a topsy-turvy season for the Argos and their fans, who might have seen the last of 36-year-old quarterback Ricky Ray.

Ray, heading into free agency, was not effective on two late drives. He missed several reads, fumbled (recovered by a teammate), threw an interception and was called for a time-count violation that cost Toronto a down.

His best passes were to Chad Owens, a 29-yarder in the second quarter that set up a touchdown run by Brandon Whitaker, and a nine-yard dart to Owens for a major just over the goal-line. The veteran QB finished 22-of-34 for 220 yards.

“I felt like we played hard,” Ray said post-game. “We put ourselves in position to win that game, but we just didn’t make enough plays.”

Toronto’s fate was sealed by a 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty assessed to defensive lineman Martin Wright on the final drive. The call plus the 10-yard reception by Tiquan Underwood moved the Ticats into Argo territory with time winding down. Soon after, Medlock’s kick sealed it.

Asked about the roughing infraction charged to Wright, Argo head coach Scott Milanovich said: “I’m not going to get fined (for criticizing a referee).”

The Argonauts dressing room was understandably sombre post-game. Ray, kicker Swayze Waters (who missed two of four field-goal attempts on a windy day in Hamilton) and cornerback Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (whose slip led to a Ticat TD) felt they had let the team down.

“His feet just got caught in the turf,” Milanovich said in support of Owusu-Ansah, whose costly fall in the third quarter allowed Bakari Grant to reach the end zone and, with the convert, cut the Argo lead to five at the time.

In the opening quarter, Waters shanked a short punt, raced to retrieve it, fumbled, then tried to kick it to keep the play alive.

“If I had to do it again, I would definitely slow down and jump on it,” Waters said.

Milanovich said the loss was a bitter pill to swallow after putting up a solid 10-8 record with the most inexperienced team in the CFL and having to play four home games on the road for a variety of reasons. The Ticats also seemed to be there for the taking with inexperienced QB Jeremiah Masoli starting.

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“(Argo players) believed they had a chance to make a run, and I believed we had a chance to make a run,” Milanovich said. “(The Ticats) made the plays when they had to.”

Masoli completed 12 of 18 passes for 141 yards and a TD with one interception. He was good when he needed to be after backup Jacory Harris saw brief action. Ticats coach Kent Austin said he pulled Masoli “to get a breather, get his composure and settle him down a little bit.”

With the win, the Ticats earn a shot at the Redblacks in next Sunday’s East final in Ottawa. The winner goes to the Grey Cup in Winnipeg on Nov. 29.

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