CALGARY – Sergio Castillo’s walk-off field goal lifted the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to a 30-28 win over the host Calgary Stampeders in the CFL season-opener for both clubs Friday.
Tim Whyte, Brady Oliveira and Bryce Perkins scored touchdowns for the Blue Bombers, who were swept by the Stampeders in three meetings in 2025.
Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros completed 17 of 28 pass attempts for 233 yards, a touchdown throw and one interception.
Castillo’s kicks yielded 11 points, including two of Winnipeg’s three punt singles.
Derek Mills and backup quarterback Quincy Vaughn each scored short-yardage touchdowns and Erik Brooks had a touchdown catch for Calgary.
Stampeders quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. completed 17 of 27 pass attempts and had one touchdown throw. Jude McAtamney kicked four converts, but missed a 45-yard field goal attempt in the third quarter in front of an announced crowd of 17,743 at McMahon Stadium.
The Stampeders went 11-7 last season to finish third in the West Division ahead of the Blue Bombers at 10-8.
Winnipeg crossed over and fell 42-33 to the Montreal Alouettes in the East semifinal. Calgary lost 33-30 to the B.C. Lions in the West semifinal.
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Calgary led 28-27 with 64 seconds remaining on the clock Friday.
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Collaros’s 27-yard throw to Ontaria Wilson put the Blue Bombers in field-goal range for Castillo to boot the 38-yard winner.
Up three points to start the fourth quarter, Castillo padded Winnipeg’s lead to 27-21 with a 21-yard field goal.
Adams was sacked three times in the quarter, but with three minutes to go, the quarterback drove the offence out of Calgary’s end zone downfield.
Adams ended a 15-play, 104-yard drive with a three-yard rushing touchdown to draw the Stampeders even, and for McAtamney to kick the go-ahead point.
Calgary led 21-16 after a first half that featured a running backs duel. Mills, the CFL’s leading rusher in 2025, ran for 95 yards and a touchdown and Oliveira for 75 yards and a touchdown.
Mills finished with 112 yards and Oliveira had 113.
But Winnipeg led 24-21 midway through the third quarter when Collaros threw to Whyte in the end zone.
Calgary lost a challenge for offensive pass interference on that play, and then conceded the third punt single of the game to trail by three.
Winnipeg scored on its opening drive of the game. Calgary countered with back-to-back touchdowns before the Blue Bombers struck again for a 15-14 lead.
But Adams found Brooks in the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown throw with two minutes remaining in the half.
With three minutes remaining in the second quarter, Oliveira’s 21-yard rumble brought the ball to Calgary’s doorstep where backup quarterback Perkins scored his first CFL touchdown.
Trey Vaval, the CFL’s outstanding special teams player and rookie in 2025, set up that score with a 54-yard return to get to Calgary’s 25.
Clarence Hicks, who led Calgary in sacks last season (12), brought down Collaros on Winnipeg’s second drive of the game to force a punt.
Adams and Jalen Philpot then connected on a 51-yard passing play to get to Winnipeg’s 25-yard line. Jason Woodbey’s roughing-the-passer penalty cost Winnipeg as Mills punched the ball in from first-and-goal.
Vaughn scored for Calgary on a one-yard plunge to start the second quarter. Mills spurred the drive with four carries for 37 yards.
Oliveira capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive with a 19-yard scamper to the end zone on Winnipeg’s first possession of the game.
Calgary was minus veteran kicker René Paredes (groin) and defensive linemen Folarin Orimolade (Achilles) and Jaylon Hutchings (hamstring).
Paredes’ run of 247 consecutive CFL games since his 2011 debut ended with first-round global draft pick McAtamney of Derry, Northern Ireland, drawing in for Paredes on Friday.
Temperature at kickoff Friday was 14 C, and winds gusting up to 57 km/h also changed direction during the game.
Up Next:
Stampeders: Bye week.
Blue Bombers: Home-opener Thursday against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
