Argos return home after celebrating Grey Cup win

After a celebration that lasted into the wee hours, a tired group of Toronto Argonauts arrived home Monday morning with the Grey Cup in tow.

Star quarterback Ricky Ray emerged from the team’s charter plane hoisting the coveted trophy.

“The guys are pretty tired, not very much sleep last night,” Ray said after the one-hour flight from Ottawa. “We had a good after-party at the hotel with everybody, family and fans and stuff.

“It was pretty calm on the flight home.”

Ray led the Argonauts to a 27-24 comeback victory over the Calgary Stampeders on a snowy Sunday night at TD Place Stadium. Lirim Hajrullahu’s 32-yard field goal with 53 seconds remaining was the difference.

It was Ray’s fourth CFL title as a starting quarterback, the most in league history.

“It was just a great finish to a great year with these guys,” Ray said. “Everybody put in so much work. I’m just happy for everybody on the team.”

It was Toronto’s 17th Grey Cup victory, a CFL record. DeVier Posey was named MVP after recording seven catches for 175 yards, including a record-breaking 100-yard, first-half touchdown.

“We’re still in party mode, everything is still sinking in,” Posey said.

The team will celebrate the win with a city hall rally Tuesday afternoon.

“We walked off that field, we played a game that the people that were closest to us could be proud of,” said head coach Marc Trestman. “We think we’ve done that and we’re excited to engage the city.”

The Argonauts locked up the first seed in the weak East Division with a 9-9 record. Toronto had a first-round bye and beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 25-21 in the East Final at BMO Field.

It was Toronto’s first CFL championship since winning the 2012 title with a 35-22 win over Calgary at Rogers Centre.

– CP