BC Lions land in West Final with statement win over Calgary Stampeders

Nov 7 2022, 12:19 am

The BC Lions roared their way to the CFL’s Western Final for the first time since 2016 with an 30-16 win over the Calgary Stampeders in front of a raucous crowd of nearly 40,000 at BC Place on Sunday Night.

Indeed, a playoff victory in Vancouver for the first time since the Whitecaps beat the San Jose Earthquakes in 2017.

Back on August 20, when star quarterback Nathan Rourke hit the Saskatchewan turf with his ankle turned oddly, it seemed like the season might have been done for the Leos. 8-1 then, and finally getting some attention in a fickle Vancouver sports market, the Lions’ record dropped as they finished the season with a mix of quarterbacks and a 12-6 record.

Yet on Sunday, with an anthem from Sarah McLaughlin and a halftime performance by former Barenaked Lady Steven Page, Rourke jumped right back into his old self, settling into the rhythms that made the Lions such an exciting team to start the CFL season.

The Victoria, BC native threw for 321 yards and two touchdowns, with a 72.4 pass percentage in his first playoff game, as the BC Lions powered past Calgary to set up a Western Final with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Antonio Pipkin also threw for 45 yards and a touchdown.

Receiver Keon Hatcher ran for 131 yards and a touchdown. Bryan Burnham also scored a touchdown.

“It wasn’t a pretty win in a lot of aspects, but I think that as a team, it was a complete win,” Rourke said to TSN’s Farhan Lalji post-game. “That’s a very good team, and all credit to the Calgary Stampeders, and I’m really happy and proud of [our] team for pulling it off today on a day where I didn’t feel like I played my best.”

The Lions played comfortably through the opening half, reaching the break leading 13-6 on the back of a Rourke touchdown toss caught by Alexander Hollins and a pair of field goals from Sean Whyte.

Yet it was BC’s defence which kept them on the front foot, as they held the Stampeders to just 76 passing yards and 60 rushing yards through the first two quarters, with defensive backs shutting down running backs Ka’Deem Carey and Dedrick Mills, who were among the best in the CFL for the Stampeders through the regular season.

Mike Rose shot through a gap midway through the third quarter, laying a heavy sack on Rourke, Calgary’s fourth of the game. Yet, on the next play with Pipkin at quarterback, the Lions found Keon Hatcher win space to run, as he barreled 45 yards into the endzone with the roar of a strong BC Place crowd powering him on.

Despite star quarterback Bo-Levi Mitchell coming into the game for the Stampeders in the fourth quarter, the Lions weathered a brief storm before Rourke sent a second touchdown pass to Bryan Burnham to seal the deal for the Leos, sending a packed crowd into the Vancouver night happy.

The big crowd came from another great effort by new owner Amar Doman and his dreams not only to make money but to help his team win. On Sunday, the Lions ran free fan bus transport from Vancouver Island, the Fraser Valley, and the Interior.

“The crowd was amazing; it was such a cool environment to be in,” Rourke said. “It was great to see the fans show up, and the energy tonight was electric.”

With the win, Lions rejuvenated season continues as they head east to take on the powerhouse Blue Bombers at IG Field, where they fell 24-9 on the season’s final day last weekend.

Ben SteinerBen Steiner

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