B.C. Lions clinch CFL playoff spot with 41-20 win over winless Redblacks

The Interior News

The B.C. Lions are playoff bound.

Quarterback Nathan Rourke threw for 360 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Lions to a 41-20 win over the visiting Ottawa Redblacks in CFL action Friday at BC Place. With the win over the winless Redblacks, the Lions clinched a post-season berth.

Zander Horvath rushed for 89 yards and two touchdowns for the Lions (10-6), with James Butler, Stanley Berryhill, Jevon Cottoy and Keon Hatcher also adding majors. Kicker Sean Whyte added five extra points. B.C. has won nine of its last 10 outings.

McLeod Bethel-Thompson tossed for 253 yards and a touchdown for Ottawa (0-16), who continued their string of futility. Daniel Adeboboye had the lone Redblacks touchdown, with kicker Paul Geelen booting four field goals and Kalil Pimpleton returning a missed extra point attempt 126 yards for two points.

The Lions, who failed to score a touchdown last week in a win over the Toronto Argonauts, marched down the field for a major on their opening drive. Rourke was 7-for-7 for 79 yards, finishing with a 10-yard TD toss to Hatcher. Whyte’s convert gave the Lions a 7-0 lead 4:41 into the quarter.

After an Ottawa punt, the Lions struck again. Horvath burst through the line for an 11-yard TD, his 20th of the season with 5:46 remaining. Whyte converted again, giving the Leos a 14-0 advantage.

Ottawa responded with a touchdown of their own with just over three minutes left in the quarter. Bethel-Thompson found a wide-open Adeboboye in the flat and he carried it in for a 10-yard TD. Geelen, in just his second game, missed the convert and it was 14-6 B.C. after 15 minutes.

In the second quarter, Geelen connected on a 38-yard field goal at 1:49 to cut the B.C margin to 14-9.

Shortly after, the Lions were driving in Ottawa territory, but Horvath was stopped on a third-down effort and B.C. turned it over on downs.

With 6:38 left in the half, B.C.’s Mathieu Betts stripped the ball from Bethel-Thompson and it was recovered by Casey Sayles.

Rourke made the Redblacks pay, tossing a beautiful ball to Berryhill for a 26-year TD, the first of the season for the B.C. receiver. Whyte converted to give B.C. a 21-9 lead.

The Lions got the ball back again with a chance to extend their lead, but with less than a minute left, Rourke was intercepted by Ottawa’s Alonzo Addae. It was the third pick of the year for Addae in two games this season facing Rourke.

Geelen’s 24-yard field goal as time ran out in the half pulled the Redblacks within 21-12.

The Redblacks opened the third quarter with a scoring drive, finishing as Geelen hammered through a 52-yard field goal to draw the Redblacks within 21-15.

Five minutes into the quarter and with the Lions driving, Hatcher fumbled and it was recovered by Ottawa’s Amani Bledsoe at the Redblack 23. The Redblacks managed three points off the turnover, with Geelen booting an 18-yard field goal with just under three minutes left in the third to claw within 21-18.

B.C. widened the lead with 24 seconds remaining in the quarter as Horvath plunged in from a yard out for his 21st TD of the year. Whyte’s point after put B.C. up by 10 at 28-18.

The Lions opened the fourth quarter with another turnover. Sayles stripped Bethel-Thompson of the ball and it was recovered by Darnell Sankey at the Ottawa 41. B.C. converted it into six more points, as Rourke found Cottoy for an eight-yard touchdown, his fourth of the year. Whyte missed the convert, and it was returned 126 yards for two points by Ottawa’s Pimpleton, making the score 34-20 B.C.

On Ottawa’s next drive, Bethel-Thompson was picked off by B.C.’s Deontai Williams at the Lions’ 30-yard line.

One play later, Rourke connected with Butler on a screen play which went for 55 yards to the Ottawa 25. Three plays later, Butler burst up the middle for a 14-yard touchdown, with Whyte this time making the point after to make it 41-20 B.C. and round out the scoring.

NOTES: In order to lock up second place in the West and a playoff home date, B.C. needs one more loss each from 8-7 Saskatchewan, 8-8 Calgary and 7-8 Winnipeg. Calgary and Winnipeg meet on Saturday. The Lions visit the Stampeders on Saturday, Oct. 17 (4 p.m.) in a key matchup… McInnish surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the season…Butler had 65 yards rushing and 76 yards receiving in a solid all-around effort… Berryhill finished with 105 receiving yards… Sankey led the B.C. defence with eight tackles, while Sayles had a pair of sacks.

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