VANCOUVER - Heads hung in the B.C. Lions’ locker room at halftime on Saturday.
asserted
Heads → hang → Saturday
With their season on the line, the team was behind 17-13 and in need of a comeback against the defending Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders.
asserted
team → defend → champion
“I think with what we’ve been through this year, I think this isn’t uncharted territory for us,” said quarterback Nathan Rourke.
asserted
Rourke → think → us
“We know that when things aren’t going our way, that we’re capable of climbing out the hole, right?
asserted
we → know → hole
The B.C. squad that started the season 1-5 rallied with nine wins over its next 10 games to clinch a spot in the CFL playoffs.
asserted
that → start → playoffs
On Saturday, the team rallied once again, overcoming a 14-point deficit to beat the Riders 33-26 in the West Division semifinal.
asserted
team → rally → semifinal
“We knew our defence was still going to keep playing well, special teams were going to make their plays,” said Rourke, who connected on 21 of his 32 pass attempts for 366 yards with three touchdowns.
asserted
who → know → touchdowns
“And offensively, we just had to remember what we’re capable of and just try to string a couple of plays together and try to get into a rhythm.
asserted
we → have → rhythm
The Lions will travel to face the Edmonton Elks (13-5) in the West Division final on Nov. 7.
asserted
Lions → travel → Nov.
The East semifinal earlier on Saturday saw the Winnipeg Blue Bombers stun the Argonauts with a 25-22 comeback victory in Toronto.
asserted
Bombers → see → Toronto
The Bombers will take on the host Montreal Alouettes in the East final on Nov. 7.
asserted
Bombers → take → Nov.
Calgary hosts the Grey Cup on Nov. 15.
asserted
Calgary → host → Nov.
“You want to win a championship every single year.
asserted
You → want → championship
Of course you do,” said Riders quarterback Trevor Harris, who logged 309 passing yards with one interception.
asserted
who → do → interception
“And so when you come up short it sucks, it hurts.
asserted
it → come → ?
You can’t lie about that.
asserted
You → lie → that
“You have aspirations to accomplish more.
asserted
You → have → more
And a game like this is one that’ll keep you up at night.
asserted
that → keep → night
But it’ll drive you for improvement and the ways to get better.”
asserted
it → drive → improvement
The Riders and Lions came in with identical 10-8 regular-season records, but B.C. earned the right to host by winning the season head-to-head series 2-1.
asserted
B.C. → come → series
A turnover on downs proved costly for the Lions midway through the second.
asserted
turnover → prove → second
The Riders got the ball at their own 49-yard line and worked it up the field over six plays, capping the drive with Tommy Stevens muscling his way into the end zone.
asserted
Stevens → get → zone
Saskatchewan opted to go for the two-point convert and Harris made good, connecting with Samuel Emilus to give his side a 17-3 advantage.
asserted
Harris → opt → advantage
“We had an opportunity, man,” said Riders head coach Corey Mace.
asserted
Mace → have → opportunity
They fought until the very last second.”
asserted
They → fight → second
B.C. replied to the touchdown with Rourke scrambling out of the pocket and lobbing a rainbow up the field to an unmarked Stanley Berryhill, who dashed over the goal line for the major.
asserted
who → reply → major
Sean Whyte’s kick for the extra point was good, cutting the Lions’ deficit to 17-10.
asserted
kick → cut → 17
The play showed how special Rourke is as a player, said Lions head coach Buck Pierce.
asserted
Pierce → show → player
“He never ceases to amaze me,” said Pierce, himself a former CFL quarterback.
asserted
Pierce → cease → me
“That play right there, you just look at the effort, the will he had to get something going for the offence, get something going for the team.
asserted
something → look → team
And it ignited the crowd, it ignited the sideline. …
asserted
it → ignite → sideline
He’s just a phenomenal player that makes plays that I haven’t seen in a long time.”
asserted
I → ’ → time
B.C. went into halftime down 17-13 and Cottoy said “a couple guys’ heads were down.”
asserted
heads → go → halftime
“A lot of us knew that we weren’t playing our best football, and we were still (only) down four points.
asserted
we → know → football
In the playoffs, that’s huge,” said the Canadian receiver.
asserted
receiver → ’ → playoffs
“And we just had to make sure we took advantage of it in that second half, right?”
asserted
we → have → half
Asked what was said in the room during the break, Pierce said the players were simply reminded they’d been in tough situations before.
asserted
they → ask → situations
“It’s a resilient group,” he said.
asserted
he → ’ → ?
“Maybe more resilient than any other group I’ve been a part of in terms of understanding where we are and how we need to respond.
asserted
we → understand → terms
And I think that’s a belief in everybody.
asserted
that → think → everybody
…and 20 more, not listed.
The Aporia
