Story summary
B.C. Lions clinched their spot in the Canadian Football League (CFL) playoffs with a decisive 41-20 victory over the struggling Ottawa Redblacks on Friday night. The Lions, who improved to 10-6, were led by quarterback Nathan Rourke, who threw for an impressive 360 yards, completing 25 out of 31 passes with three touchdowns and one interception. Running back Zander Horvath contributed with 89 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Despite the Redblacks' efforts to challenge, their record dropped to a dismal 0-16 following this defeat, extending their losing streak to 22 games dating back to last season. The Redblacks’ quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson managed 253 passing yards with one touchdown but was sacked four times and intercepted once. Kalil Pimpleton scored two points for Ottawa after a missed convert attempt, catching the ball in his own end zone and sprinting upfield for an unlikely touchdown.
The Lions' win solidifies their playoff standing and extends their winning streak to four games.
Written for “Lions Clinch Playoff Spot” on 2026-10-10,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
The B.C. Lions locked up their spot in this year’s CFL playoffs with a 41-20 victory over the beleaguered Ottawa Redblacks on Friday.
asserted
Lions → lock → Friday
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.
asserted
Lions → throw → games
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.
asserted
Butler → rush → yards
The Redblacks (0-16) tested the surging Lions at times, cutting the home side’s lead to just three points in the third quarter, but ultimately couldn’t complete the comeback and suffered the team’s 22nd straight loss dating back to last season.
asserted
Redblacks → test → season
McLeod Bethel-Thompson went 25 for 35 on his pass attempts, tallying 253 yards with a touchdown toss to Daniel Adeboboye.
asserted
Thompson → go → Adeboboye
He was sacked four times and recorded one interception.
asserted
He → sack → interception
Ottawa’s Kalil Pimpleton scored two points off a missed convert as he caught the ball in his own end zone and sprinted up the field, evading several tackles, and ending his run in the Lions’ end zone.
asserted
he → score → zone
Paul Geelen made four field goals, including a 52-yard strike early in the third quarter.
asserted
Geelen → make → quarter
The Lions got off to a hot start Friday, scoring on the first possession of the game.
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.’s first major of the night less than five minutes into the opening quarter.
The home side padded its lead midway through the first.
asserted
side → get → first
Horvath took the ball on a short-yardage play and darting over the goal line.
asserted
Horvath → take → line
A single-point convert from Sean Whyte gave the Lions an early 14-0 advantage.
asserted
convert → give → advantage
Ottawa responded, with Bethel-Thompson finding Adeboboye with a short pass and the Canadian running back sprinting 18 yards up the field and into the end zone.
asserted
back → respond → zone
The Redblacks settled for six points on the play when Paul Geelen’s convert single-point attempt went wide.
asserted
attempt → settle → play
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The visitors added another three points early in the second thanks to Geelen’s 38-yard field goal.
asserted
visitors → get → goal
B.C. regained a double-digit cushion before halftime when Rourke sailed a 26-yard pass to Stanley Berryhill.
asserted
Rourke → regain → Berryhill
As the American receiver jumped up to make the grab, he was hit by Ottawa’s Ahmari Harvey, but Berryhill managed to come down with the ball and Whyte’s convert kick gave the Lions a 21-9 lead.
asserted
kick → jump → lead
A trainer came out to look at Berryhill and, after a few moments, he got up on his own and walked back to the bench.
asserted
he → come → bench
With less than a minute left in the first half, the Redblacks gained some momentum when Alonzo Addae picked off Rourke’s pass at midfield.
asserted
Addae → leave → midfield
The play marked the first time the Canadian quarterback was intercepted in 131 attempts over four games.
asserted
quarterback → mark → games
Ottawa worked the ball into B.C. territory and Geelen booted a 24-yard field goal to trim the Lions’ lead to 21-12 going into halftime.
asserted
Geelen → work → halftime
He put a 52-yard kick through the uprights early in the third quarter to bring the visitors within six points.
asserted
He → put → points
The Redblacks forced a turnover minutes later after Rourke sent a short pass toward Hatcher at Ottawa’s 36-yard line.
asserted
Rourke → force → line
Amani Bledsoe levelled Hatcher and came up from a dog pile with the ball, putting his team back on offence.
asserted
Bledsoe → level → offence
Bethel-Thompson capitalized on the possession, firing a rocket up the field to Justin Hardy for a 37-yard gain.
asserted
Thompson → capitalize → gain
An unnecessary roughness call on B.C. linebacker Darnell Sankey further improved Ottawa’s position, but the Redblacks settled for an 18-yard field goal from Geelen that cut their deficit to 21-18.
asserted
that → improve → 21
The Lions rallied.
asserted
Lions → rally → ?
Horvath sparked the a scoring drive, plowing his way toward the Ottawa end zone for a 33-yard gain.
asserted
Horvath → spark → 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.
asserted
He → finish → season
Whyte’s convert put the Lions up 28-18.
asserted
convert → put → Lions
It took B.C. just moments to regain possession.
asserted
It → take → possession
Casey Sayles sacked Bethel-Thompson and Sankey jumped on the loose ball for a turnover.
asserted
Sankey → sack → turnover
His teammates took advantage, with Rourke tossing an eight-yard dart to Jevon Cottoy for a touchdown.
asserted
Rourke → take → touchdown
The Lions pulled away midway through the fourth quarter thanks to a pair of big runs by Butler.
asserted
Lions → pull → Butler
The speedster took the ball from Rourke and took off, getting 55 yards up the field before being felled by Kahzir Brown.
asserted
speedster → take → Brown
Butler later accepted another handoff from his QB and dashed 14 yards for a touchdown.
asserted
Butler → accept → touchdown
This time, Whyte made the convert and B.C. took a 41-20 lead.
asserted
B.C. → make → lead
Kaidon Salter replaced Rourke at quarterback in the final minutes of the fourth but did not throw a single pass attempt, opting instead for multiple handoffs to Horvath and Butler.
asserted
Salter → replace → Horvath
UP NEXT
Redblacks: Host the Toronto Argonauts on Friday, Oct. 16.
Lions: Visit the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday, Oct. 17.
asserted
Lions → host → Saturday
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2026.
asserted
report → publish → Press
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