B.C. Lions

Nathan Rourke proves his mettle, while running back James Butler ties a team record in dominating opening-game win.

I think the kids love it. I think we will. James Wendell, who coaches flag football and builds custom houses with his company Firestar Homes, had around 100 of his players, friends and family at the game. For all the talk about second-year players and free-agent signings, it was a rookie who did all the flexing on the defensive line. He powered through arm tackles and jersey tugs, and out-legged defenders to the end zone. It’s never happened in the modern CFL era. He ran it in two plays later, finishing with two rush touchdowns. Their 59 points was the third-most in team history, and most in 17 years. Article content The B.C. Lions rolled over the Elks with quarterback Nathan Rourke (25-of-28, 272, three passing touchdowns) and running back James Butler (17 carries, 108 yards, four combined TDS) mashing the turbo button in the first half. Article content Article content

After a dismal 3-11 season in 2021, the Edmonton Elks will turn the page on Saturday night as they begin the 2022 CFL season in Vancouver against the B.C. ...

Starting defensive end Tobi Antigha is on the one-game injured list with a groin injury. Costigan, despite not being an every-week starter, finished the 2021 season as the Elks’ leader in quarterback sacks with six. Plus, hear analysis from two-time Grey Cup champion and former Edmonton offensive lineman Blake Dermott. He will look to reclaim the magic which led the Elks to their last Grey Cup title back in 2015. Starting half-back Aaron Grymes has been placed on the six-game injured list with a knee injury while starting corner Nafees Lyon is on the one-game injured list with an illness. The Elks will have a busy road schedule to start the season with the first three of four games on the road, including Saturday’s contest in Vancouver.

Tickets for the opener are a hot commodity in Vancouver, so much so that the Lions opened up select seats in the upper bowl at BC Place.

The Elks will need to do all those things if they hope to be successful in front of a packed house at BC Place on Saturday night. Making his Elks debut, Arbuckle will surely be looking downfield for another Edmonton newcomer in receiver Kenny Lawler, who chose to sign with the Green and Gold in free agency. The Elks meanwhile are trying to improve on a 2021 season which saw them finish with a record of 3-11. Edmonton’s 2022 first-round pick, Tre Ford, is listed on the depth chart the No.2 boundary wideout. However, towards the end of last season they seemed to have found their stride with running back James Butler who accounted for 101 of those carries. Burnham earned the No.8 spot on the list with Whitehead coming in just behind him at No.9.

Canadian quarterback Nathan Rourke proved he's ready for the starter's spot, connecting on 26 of 29 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns. The Victoria ...

But the play set up yet another scoring drive for B.C., with Rourke finding Hatcher on the goal line with a six-yard pass. NOTES: Elks linebacker Wesly Appolon went down with an apparent leg injury after the first play from scrimmage and was taken off the field on a cart. Edmonton settled for a 30-yard field goal and whittled its deficit to 42-15. … O’Connor acted as Rourke’s backup, marking the first time in the CFL’s modern era that a team has fielded a Canadian quarterback duo. Rourke briefly appeared to chalk up a massive rushing touchdown but the play was called out of bounds. The Iowa product evaded the Elks’ defence and sprinted 21 yards into the end zone for his third TD of the night. Edmonton went for the two-point convert, but Arbuckle’s pass to Jones fell incomplete. His touchdown was quickly called off, with officials ruling the ball was dead at Edmonton’s 42-yard line. Whyte added an extra point and the Lions took a 7-0 lead less than five minutes in. Canadian quarterback Nathan Rourke proved he’s ready for the starter’s spot, connecting on 26 of 29 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns. Rourke delivered a massive toss early in the quarter, sending a 31-yard bomb to Hatcher near the far sideline. Rourke and the Lions worked the ball up the field and Butler escaped traffic to streak 36 yards into the end zone for another TD. The extra point from Whyte gave B.C. a 14-3 cushion heading into the second quarter.

OneRepublic was the pre-game headliner. For the main event, that distinction clearly belonged to James Butler. Itching to make a big-time impact to start ...

It’s a nice surprise,” said Rourke of the blowout. Case in point: his 17-yard touchdown run on a bootleg in the third quarter. And he was a mere yard away from a fifth touchdown in the fourth quarter. Newcomer Sione Tehuema had a pair of sacks as the Lions were outstanding on both sides of the line of scrimmage in this one. We knew it was going to be a packed house in BC Place. We definitely wanted to give the people a reason to come back and we wanted to execute. Obviously, it’s more fun to play defence while you’re ahead but the interceptions that they made were good interceptions,” said Campbell. We had some new guys make plays and then those DBs that got the interceptions. TJ Lee had two of the interceptions with the others coming from Loucheiz Puriofy and Garry Peters in the late stages. “Just preparation and the team having faith in me. They were blocking their butts off,” said Butler of the overall performance. What will they get out of the running game this season? OneRepublic was the pre-game headliner.

The B.C Lions began the 2022 season just as they ended 2021, demolishing the Edmonton Elks in a 59-15 blowout that was historic in more ways than one.

“The Manny Show” was one of the greatest pass catchers in franchise history when he was with the Leos, amassing 556 catches for 8,169 yards and 55 touchdowns in eight seasons. In particular, I thought veteran left tackle Joel Figueroa made the play of the game on Butler’s 36-yard touchdown scamper when he pulled inside to deliver a vicious trap block and widen the hole by several feet. That coincided with the Lions axing the bulk of their running game playbook in favour of a simplified inside zone attack. There would be no slowing the offence on this night, as they massacred an inexperienced Elks’ defence in a way that must have violated the Geneva Convention. As my colleague J.J. Adams pointed out on Twitter, the 42-point onslaught was the highest-scoring first half in team history and it was fully deserved. After attracting so many people into the building, it was essential for the Lions to put on a show worthy of a return ticket. Teams across the CFL would be wise to emulate whatever lightning in a bottle the Lions captured this weekend because for the first time in nearly a decade this organization has proven itself to be the class of the league. Canadian quarterback Nathan Rourke could not have begun his tenure as the team’s face of the franchise in a more spectacular fashion, executing a masterful nine-play touchdown drive to open the game that showcased the very best of the B.C. offence. The throws were quick and on time, the scheme stressed the defence by frequently moving the team’s most explosive athletes across the formation, and Rourke got the ball in their hands in space with plenty of designed screens. People were packed shoulder to shoulder on Robson Street to take in the pre-game festivities and the atmosphere was positively electric. I’ve been coming to Lions’ games since my family moved to the Lower Mainland when I was eight and I remember what it used to be like in this city. On a beautiful Vancouver night, the roof was open and there were fans in the upper deck. For the first time in eight years, there were more than 30,000 people in the stands at BC Place — 34,082 to be exact.

VANCOUVER — The BC Lions played host to the Edmonton Elks to close out the first Saturday night doubleheader of the season. The matchup saw both teams feature ...

With an opportunity to put his pads on his former team, Betts made his presence felt in the fourth quarter. Rourke continued his best rendition of a Butler impersonation in the third quarter. They will host the Toronto Argonauts in Week 3 as they look to build on their impressive season opener. The Lions defence didn’t stop there, on the very next drive they were able to force another turnover. However, Lions rookie Tuehema brought Arbuckle down for his second sack of the night. On the goal line, Rourke called his own number, scoring on a two-yard keeper. The play from Butler seemed to provide a spark for the Orange and Black defence, which came out strong on the ensuing series. The Lions wasted no time taking advantage of the turnover. This time getting things done on the ground with a 36-yard touchdown run for his second major of the opening quarter. On the following drive, Rourke showed off his speed with a 33-yard dash to push his team into scoring territory. With Arbuckle and the Elks driving downfield, he looked to Lawler for a big play, connecting for an 18-yard pick up. Butler’s three touchdowns to start the game matched his season total from 2021.

The B.C. Lions opened their Canadian Football League season in dramatic fashion Saturday, trouncing the listless Edmonton Elks 59-15.

But the play set up yet another scoring drive for B.C., with Rourke finding Hatcher on the goal line with a six-yard pass. Edmonton settled for a 30-yard field goal and whittled its deficit to 42-15. Backup QB Michael O'Connor came in late for the Lions and added a rushing touchdown of his own. "Going into a bye week we knew, like, empty the tank. Rourke briefly appeared to chalk up a massive rushing touchdown but the play was called out of bounds. The Iowa product evaded the Elks' defence and sprinted 21 yards into the end zone for his third TD of the night. Edmonton went for the two-point convert, but Arbuckle's pass to Jones fell incomplete. His touchdown was quickly called off, with officials ruling the ball was dead at Edmonton's 42-yard line. But at the same time, that's what you're going to see is that type of player, just the way he executes and plays the game with great energy and great passion and all those things." Kicker Sean Whyte added an extra point and the Lions took a 7-0 lead less than five minutes in. He's very consistent in how he is," the coach said. The Victoria, B.C., native added two more rushing TDs.