B.C. Lions: ‘We’re never the underdogs’

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Even paper Lions can give you some cuts.

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Coming into the season, the B.C. Lions receiving corps, on paper, was a fearsome fivesome. The ink was barely dry on the contract extensions signed by Alexander Hollins and Keon Hatcher, both of whom flirted with the CFL receiving lead in 2023 before finishing second and fourth, respectively.

Justin McInnis had proved that year he was more switchblade than a Swiss Army knife, becoming a lethal big-catch machine. There were promising newcomers like Philadelphia Eagles record-setter Travis Fulgham and Ayden Eberhardt, and the ever-present matchup nightmare of Jevon Cottoy in the slot.

Hollins and McInnis exploded out of the gates. ‘Batman’ Hollins had 656 yards and four touchdowns in his first five games. McInnis had five TDs and 723 yards by the end of Week 6.

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But Fulgham only lasted three games. The drop issues that curtailed his NFL career followed him north, as he made six catches for 98 yards and one touchdown on 16 targets. Hatcher didn’t make it back until August as he recovered from off-season Achilles surgery, and is slowly returning to the game-breaking form he had in 2023.

Injuries to Cottoy curtailed his production, and Eberhardt has produced far beyond what was hoped (639 yards, two TDs), but those pre-season paper Lions haven’t come together. Yet.

“I feel like we’re there now,” said McInnis.

And just in time for the playoffs. The Lions travel to Regina for a showdown with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the West Semifinal on Saturday.

McInnis, who had a monster 243-yard, one touchdown game against his former ‘Riders teammates in July, had back-to-back 100 yard games to become the first Canadian to lead the CFL in receiving since Andy Fantuz did it with Saskatchewan in 2010.

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Hatcher closed out the regular season with his first triple-digit outing, pulling in 117 yards against Montreal.

Cottoy, key to the team’s blocking schemes and a big-bodied receiver over the middle, is back in the lineup after missing three games with an ankle injury.

Hollins is also getting back up to speed after a 2 3/4-game absence because of a shoulder injury, and confident he can find his old form again. He had 656 yards in the first five games, but just 281 in the 10 games he played after. He did find the end zone against Montreal in their season finale, on three catches for 39 yards.

“I’m feeling great about this game,” he said. “I’m feeling great about this week’s preparation, how we came here in practice, the energy, the level of execution … We’ve been working hard this week and now it’s time to put it on tape.”

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It was a combination of on- and off-field issues, he said, that saw him lose his focus, but his teammates never lost faith. Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. wouldn’t even entertain the idea that Hollins’s year was a rocky one.

“I wouldn’t say he has had an up-and-down season. A lot of things go into different things,” he said. “He’s a great receiver, one of my favourite receivers I’ve ever played with, and I know he’s going to bring his ‘A’ game. He brings that energy, big-playmaking ability, and I have the utmost faith in him.”

The ‘Riders will test that faith and the rest of the B.C. offence.

Their defence is ranked as the CFL’s best, with a ball-hawking Rolan Milligan Jr. (eight interceptions) leading the way for a unit that’s given up the third-fewest points and second-least net yards. The ‘Riders also boast the second-most picks in the league, corralling 24 to B.C.’s CFL-low 11.

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Few are giving the Lions a chance in Regina, with most lines favouring the ‘Riders by a field goal or more.

McInnis isn’t buying it.

“I feel like we’ve got the best receiver group in the whole league. So as long as we go out there and do our job, we’re a problem for anyone we’re going against,” he said. “I never feel like we’re the underdogs. I know the potential this group has, and I know we haven’t lived up to it (yet) this year. It’s the playoffs. It’s a different season. Everyone’s 0-0. No one has a record right now. It’s all about going and getting one win at a time.”

LIONS-ROUGHRIDERS SEMIFINAL HISTORY

The Lions and ‘Riders have faced off six times in the West Semifinal, with each game being played in Regina.

Nov. 11, 1973: 33-13, Roughriders. George Reed rushed for 133 yards. Steve Molnar ran for two short TDs.

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Nov. 10, 1974: 24-14, Roughriders. Ron Lancaster threw TD passes to Rhett Dawson and Bob Pearce.

Nov. 13, 1988: 42-18, Lions. B.C.’s Tony Cherry rushed for 184 yards and three TDs.

Nov. 8, 2008: 33-12, Lions. B.C.’s Stefan Logan ran for 153 yards.

Nov. 14, 2010: 41-38, Roughriders. Jason Clermont caught a game-winning, 24-yard TD pass in overtime.

Nov. 10, 2013: 29-25, Roughriders. Darian Durant rushed for 76 of his game-high 97 yards as the ‘Riders rallied from a 25-16 fourth-quarter deficit.

The teams first met in the playoffs in 1963, when B.C. won a best-of-three Western Conference final that went the distance. The deciding game was played on Nov. 23, 1963, one day after U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

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— Source: riderville.com

jadams@postmedia.com

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