There’s hope in Hamilton following a lengthy stretch in which hapless and hopeless became the Ticats’ calling card.

But there is also momentum building within the Argonauts’ ranks, a belief now that the East can be won.

Every time the Ticats and Argos hook up, fireworks become the norm, the occasional fisticuffs break out, and, as fans and players experienced on Labour Day, the wrath of Mother Nature can be involved, as well.

With the post-season on the horizon, Saturday night’s meeting at Tim Hortons Field has all the earmarks of a classic, one of those evenings with so much at stake for both teams, the kind of football night that requires no hype.

For the first time all season, the Argos have put together back-to-back wins to pull ahead of Ottawa atop the East.

The team is playing with better discipline, has seen its run game improve with the emergence of James Wilder Jr. — both as a runner and a receiver when the Argos turn to their screen game, a weapon that has taken pressure off quarterback Ricky Ray.

Meanwhile, Jeremiah Masoli, whom interim head coach June Jones anointed as his starting QB, gives the Ticats that run/pass option that opposing defences must contend with, especially when containment breaks down and he can use his legs to make plays.

Anyone who saw Hamilton’s late-game win over the host B.C. Lions 24-23 last Friday can see how Masoli stepped up in the game’s biggest moment, evading a tackle in the backfield and hooking up with Steve Tasker for the game’s most critical play, whichled to the game-winning field goal by Sergio Castillo.

That moment, and how Hamilton’s defence held B.C. to field goals when the Lions moved the football deep into Ticats territory, pretty much sums up the renewed feeling in The Hammer.

For most of the season, some kind of misfortune would await, but now the mood has dramatically changed and the Ticats — winners of three of their past four and no longer in last place in the East — are brimming with confidence.

Two teams heading in the right direction, at least for now, two rivals, potential post-season opponents if the stars in the East align, one night of football with plenty of repercussions.

Make no mistake, the margin for error is slim for the Ticats, who began the season by losing eight in a row. A loss to visiting Saskatchewan on Sept. 15 looked like it might cost the Ticats a playoff berth, but they rebounded by upsetting the Lions when no one gave them a shot.

The Ticats have three home dates remaining, beginning with Toronto’s visit, two games against the woeful Alouettes and a visit to Ottawa. There’s also an away game in Winnipeg and a home game versus the Stamps.

A win this week and the Ticats can conceivably go 4-2 down the stretch, perhaps even 5-1 if Masoli plays with poise and is accurate from the pocket.

The tiebreaker may come into play with Toronto and a win Saturday will give the Ticats the edge if the teams end the season with identical records.

There’s also the chance of winning the tiebreaker over the Redblacks.

The Argos have the tiebreaker over Ottawa and can take control of the East if they find a way to beat Hamilton.

Following Saturday’s meeting, the Argos finish the season with four games against the tougher West — at home against Saskatchewan and Winnipeg, on the road against Edmonton and B.C.

Ottawa plays Saskatchewan twice, travel to B.C., and will play host to the Ticats in its season finale.

The Redblacks, however, need to get better production from their quarterback following injuries to starter Trevor Harris and backup Drew Tate.

In last Friday’s 29-9 loss at Winnipeg, former NFL quarterback Ryan Lindley struggled in his CFL starting debut with poor decision-making, poor throws and far too little production in a league where no team can win if its starter is ineffective.

Masoli has shown flashes and he stepped up when Hamilton played host to the Argos in the East semifinal two years ago.

Ray is by far the more accomplished quarterback, but the Ticats have always had a way to attack Toronto’s backfield and make him uncomfortable.

When the teams met in the season opener, Hamilton loaded the box and basically dared the Argos to throw it, which the home side did as Ray produced a career-high passing total in a one-sided win.

When they met on Labour Day, the game when Jones started Masoli ahead of Zach Collaros, the Argos took careless penalties and had a special teams turnover parlayed into a Hamilton touchdown.

The Argos are much improved from that previous visit, but now comes the hard part of putting away a Hamilton team that has life and a chance of a post-season berth if it takes care of business.

The Ticats and Argos have met on bigger stages, none bigger in recent years than the 2013 East final, but there haven’t been bigger regular-season meetings than what awaits this Saturday night.

With there’s so much on the line and when two teams are playing well, no buildup is required.

It’s one of those nights no one will soon forget.

HOUSE OF HORRORS

From the time the Argos helped unveil Tim Hortons Field, the facility has proven to be a site of futility for the visitors.

Even when the stadium was used for an Argos home date, twice, in fact, in 2015 when the Blue Jays’ run forced some stadium scrambling, Toronto ended up on the losing end.

For those keeping tabs, it’s seven visit to Tims, seven setbacks, some close, blowouts, times when Argos players blew their cool, times when the tricky winds blew field-goal attempts wide.

It’s been a virtual house of horrors, a place the Argos must one day exorcise whatever demons exist, real or imagined.

There’s no bigger game than this Saturday night’s visit to the Hammer for the Argos, no bigger evening to lift that Tim Hortons Field monkey off their backs.

They’ve beaten a Western opponent for the first time this season, won back-to-back games for the first time and now comes the challenge of winning at Tims.

fzicarelli@postmedia.com