No wins and five losses. Now, the biggest win of them all.
The Lions were in the basement of the Canadian Football League three months ago but Sunday night at B.C. Place Stadium, they showed they were the best football team in Canada.
Playing for a sellout hometown crowd bathed in orange, the B.C. Lions never relinquished the lead and beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 34-23 to win their sixth Grey Cup in franchise history.
This is every bit as high as those lows were low, said B.C.s quarterback Travis Lulay, his wife by his side as white and orange paper continued to flutter from the rafters.
Lulay, the CFLs most outstanding player, threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns. He completed half only 11 of 22pass attempts in the first two quarters and said he wasnt always perfect or even pretty. But he didnt have to be.
He said he felt great.
I felt like I saw the field really, really well tonight. I just missed a couple throws. I was on the move, I didnt have my feet set. We just keep fighting and fortunately we made the plays we needed to in the second half.
The Lions scored first and led all night, even doubling the Bombers late in the third quarter.
Andrew Harris, who was recognized as the top Canadian player of the game, opened scoring in the first quarter to complete a 45-yard drive by the B.C Lions. He rushed for 19 yards, cutting a swatch through the centre of the Bombers defense.
Paul McCallum stretched the Lions lead and Winnipeg could only answer with two field goalsincluding one that clanged off the up-right to bounce through the postsand draw within five points to close the first half 14-6.
McCallum later hit an upright of his own, but his kick bounced out.
In the second half, Lulay connected with Kierrie Johnson for a 66-yard long-bomb that sent the rookie on a path for his first career CFL touchdown.
He said he could feel the defensive back chasing his heels. So I just took off. To score my first touchdown in the CFL in the Grey Cup, its so special.
The play granted the Lions a 23-9 lead and broke open the gameif not the spirit of the visiting Winnipeg team.
A would-be interception by Bombers Odell Willis with what seemed an unobstructed, sunlit path to the goal line would have changed the game. But the Bombers defensive end couldnt hang on to the ball.
Winnipeg quarterback Buck Pierce passed for 250 yards and in the fourth quarter he threw two touchdowns to close the gap 31-22. A 45-yard pass found Greg Carr and two minutes later, his connected with Terrence Edwards for a 13-yard toss.
The Lions had built their lead and didnt relinquish momentum. A final field goal from McCallum nudged them farther ahead and into the history books as the 99th Grey Cup champions.
This is the fourth time the Grey Cup has been won at home. The Lions did it once before at B.C. Place Stadium in 1994.
Twitter: @MHStewart
