{"id":927906,"date":"2026-10-10T15:20:09","date_gmt":"2026-10-10T15:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/927906\/"},"modified":"2026-10-10T15:20:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T15:20:09","slug":"b-c-lions-clinch-playoff-spot-with-win-over-ottawa-redblacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/927906\/","title":{"rendered":"B.C. Lions clinch playoff spot with win over Ottawa Redblacks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

B.C. Lions’ Keon Hatcher Sr. (4), quarterback Nathan Rourke, back second right, and Michael Couture, back right, celebrate Hatcher Sr.’s touchdown during the first half of a CFL game against the Ottawa Redblacks, in Vancouver on Friday.DARRYL DYCK\/The Canadian Press<\/p>\n

Clinching a playoff spot seemed a distant dream for the B.C. Lions early this season. <\/p>\n

Sometimes dreams come true. <\/p>\n

Despite starting the campaign with a 1-5 record, the Lions have become one of the CFL\u2019s hottest teams in recent weeks. A 41-20 victory over the beleaguered Ottawa Redblacks on Friday marked B.C.\u2019s ninth win in 10 games and punched the club\u2019s playoff ticket. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s big,\u201d defensive linebacker Mathieu Betts said of the milestone. \u201cI mean, it\u2019s step one for sure. We\u2019ve got two weeks to get the best seed as possible. We\u2019re well aware of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Redblacks (0-16) tested the surging Lions (10-6) at times, cutting the home side\u2019s lead to just three points in the third quarter, but ultimately couldn\u2019t complete the comeback and suffered the team\u2019s 22nd straight loss dating back to last season.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just didn\u2019t make enough plays,\u201d said Ottawa\u2019s head coach Ryan Dinwiddie. \u201cOffensively, we had some opportunities and just didn\u2019t make them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke threw for 360 yards, connecting on 25 of his 31 pass attempts with three touchdowns and an interception as his Lions (10-6) stretched their win streak to four games. <\/p>\n

B.C. running back Zander Horvath rushed for 89 yards on 14 carries and drove in two majors, while James Butler amassed 76 rushing yards and a TD.<\/p>\n

Ottawa\u2019s McLeod Bethel-Thompson went 25 for 35 on his pass attempts, tallying 253 yards with a touchdown toss. He was sacked five times and recorded one interception.<\/p>\n

Elks score fourth-quarter TDs to down Ticats 27-12<\/a><\/p>\n

The Lions got off to a hot start Friday, scoring on the first possession of the game. <\/p>\n

Rourke orchestrated an eight-play, 84-yard drive that ended with Keon Hatcher Sr. collecting a sharp pass directly under the uprights for B.C.\u2019s first major of the night less than five minutes into the opening quarter. <\/p>\n

The home side padded its lead midway through the first. Running back Zander Horvath took the ball on a short-yardage play and darted over the goal line. Sean Whyte\u2019s single-point convert gave the Lions an early 14-0 advantage.<\/p>\n

Ottawa responded when QB Bethel-Thompson found Daniel Adeboboye on a short pass, and the Canadian running back sprinted 18 yards upfield and into the end zone. The Redblacks settled for six points when Paul Geelen\u2019s single-point convert went wide.<\/p>\n

The visitors added another three points early in the second, thanks to Paul Geelen\u2019s 38-yard field goal. <\/p>\n

B.C. regained a double-digit cushion before halftime when Rourke sailed a 26-yard pass to Stanley Berryhill. <\/p>\n

With less than a minute left in the first half, the Redblacks gained some momentum when Alonzo Addae picked off Rourke\u2019s pass at midfield. The play marked the first time the Canadian quarterback was intercepted in 131 attempts over four games. <\/p>\n

Ottawa worked the ball into B.C. territory, and Geelen booted a 24-yard field goal to trim the Lions\u2019 lead to 21-12 going into halftime. <\/p>\n

He put a 52-yard kick through the uprights early in the third quarter to bring the visitors within six points. <\/p>\n

The Redblacks forced a turnover minutes later after Rourke sent a short pass toward Hatcher at Ottawa\u2019s 36-yard line. Amani Bledsoe levelled Hatcher and came up from a dog pile with the ball, putting his team back on offence. <\/p>\n

Bethel-Thompson capitalized on the possession, firing a rocket upfield to Justin Hardy for a 37-yard gain. An unnecessary roughness call on B.C. linebacker Darnell Sankey further improved Ottawa\u2019s position, but the Redblacks settled for an 18-yard field goal from Geelen that cut their deficit to 21-18.<\/p>\n

The Lions refused to relent. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019ve faced a lot of adversity, and certainly know how to respond when our back is up against the wall,\u201d Rourke said. <\/p>\n

\u201cLook, I think if anyone came into this game thinking that Ottawa wasn\u2019t going to play well and put some points up and make it close \u2026 I think they were dead wrong. And so we weren\u2019t surprised by any means that they played good football.\u201d<\/p>\n

Horvath sparked the next scoring drive, plowing his way toward the Ottawa end zone for a 33-yard gain. He finished the drive by diving over a pile on the goal line for his second touchdown of the night and 21st of the season. Whyte\u2019s convert put the Lions up 28-18.<\/p>\n

It took B.C. just moments to regain possession. Casey Sayles sacked Bethel-Thompson, and Sankey jumped on the loose ball, turning it over. <\/p>\n

His teammates took advantage, with Rourke tossing an eight-yard dart to Jevon Cottoy for a touchdown. Whyte\u2019s convert attempt sailed wide of the uprights and into the hands of Ottawa\u2019s Kalil Pimpleton. <\/p>\n

Pimpleton sprinted up the field, evading several tackles, and ending his run in the Lions\u2019 end zone for two points. <\/p>\n

The adjustments B.C. made in the third came as little surprise to head coach Buck Pierce. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think the way our defence is able to adapt and communicate and just kind of continue to grow and get better as the game goes on \u2013 that\u2019s what you want from your team, right?\u201d he said. \u201cYou want them to be able to make the adjustments, look at reality and what\u2019s happening, and then go out and fix those things. And that\u2019s what they\u2019ve been doing all year.\u201d <\/p>\n

The Lions pulled away midway through the fourth quarter on two big runs by Butler. <\/p>\n

The speedster took the ball from Rourke and took off, getting 55 yards up the field before being felled by Kahzir Brown. Butler later accepted another handoff from his QB and dashed 14 yards for a touchdown. This time, Whyte made the convert and B.C. took a 41-20 lead. <\/p>\n

Pierce liked the way his team didn\u2019t panic when Friday\u2019s game grew close. <\/p>\n

Instead, they rallied. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think the group believes the next time they take the field that they\u2019re gonna be able to accomplish something great,\u201d the coach said. \u201cAnd if you walk up and down our sidelines, you\u2019re with those guys in meetings and throughout the course of the week, they\u2019re able to continue to believe if they get another opportunity, then we\u2019re going to be successful.\u201d <\/p>\n

Up next<\/p>\n

Redblacks: Host the Toronto Argonauts on Friday, Oct. 16.<\/p>\n

Lions: Visit the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday, Oct. 17.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Open this photo in gallery: B.C. Lions’ Keon Hatcher Sr. (4), quarterback Nathan Rourke, back second right, and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":927907,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194295],"tags":[901,888,902,879,877,903,49,48,876,895,896,891,878,875,46,549,295,894,887,914,880,881,893,889,890,884,904,885,909,910,912,907,911,905,20739,908,882,898,899,714,897,906,865,61,900,892,886,883,913],"class_list":["post-927906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ottawa","tag-alberta","tag-arts-news","tag-bc","tag-breaking-news","tag-breaking-news-video","tag-british-columbia","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-canada-news","tag-canada-sports","tag-canada-sports-news","tag-canada-trafficcanada-weather","tag-canadian-breaking-news","tag-canadian-news","tag-economy","tag-education","tag-environment","tag-federal-government","tag-foreign-news","tag-globe-and-mail","tag-globe-and-mail-breaking-news","tag-globe-and-mail-canada-news","tag-government","tag-life-news","tag-lifestyle","tag-local-news","tag-manitoba","tag-national-news","tag-new-brunswick","tag-newfoundland-and-labrador","tag-northwest-territories","tag-nova-scotia","tag-nunavut","tag-ontario","tag-ottawa","tag-pei","tag-photos","tag-political-news","tag-political-opinion","tag-politics","tag-politics-news","tag-quebec","tag-sports-news","tag-technology","tag-travel","tag-trudeau","tag-us-news","tag-world-news","tag-yukon"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/927906","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=927906"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/927906\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/927907"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=927906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=927906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=927906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}