Photo courtesy: BC Lions / Paul Yates
When we all look back at the 2022 season, few fans will remember the 41-6 non-televised preseason that the BC Lions suffered Saturday at the hands of the Calgary Stampeders. For players, it will last considerably longer.
When Calgary defender Titus Wall threw a hell of a hit at Lions quarterback Kevin Thomson with just over four minutes to go in the fourth quarter, leading to a selection of six from rookie Josiah Schakel, he added a injury to the line of insulting statistics. Thomson remained in the field for a considerable period of time and was moved to the locker room with obvious discomfort.
Although the team would not speculate on Thomson’s condition, head coach Rick Campbell said after the game that he would probably be taken to hospital. In the eyes of his main competitor for the job of reserve quarterback, Michael O’Connor, the defensive play call that caused the potentially devastating injury was totally unnecessary.
“I’m praying it’s okay. Let’s just say we won’t forget,” said a visibly annoyed O’Connor after the game. “In the fourth quarter of a preseason game to send MIKE and SAM into a zone blitz? Hey, we’re competitors at the end of the day, but let’s just say that won’t be forgotten any time soon.”
The impact on Wall seemed to be clear, but the extra pressure was far from necessary in a game that was well played and meaningless in terms of the result. Knowing that their opponents were outnumbered, the Stampeders took the house anyway in search of another outstanding play.
When asked if he thought the play was dirty, O’Connor hesitated.
“I can’t say, to be honest. After all, it’s football and they’re trying to evaluate their players the way we are,” he said. look good. Let’s just say that. “
Bringing a full-fledged backup staff to Calgary, BC was expected to be difficult against a veteran-laden Stampeders team. In addition to their playing experience, Alberta’s labor laws during the recent CFL strike gave Calgary the advantage of four more days of training than the rest of the league.
As a result, disparity was expected on the scoreboard and injuries were inevitable. Although he was not as angry about Calgary’s final play as his quarterback, Campbell had concerns about his opponent’s competitive advantage.
“They have to do what they have to do,” he said irritably. “They did zero several times, if they want to do it, I guess they have more power. I think it’s a little insecure when they’ve done nine or ten more practices than us. Anyway, that’s what it is.”
Initially, it seemed that talking about the advantage of the Stampeders was exaggerated. The Lions’ unadapted B team kept the home team goalless during the first quarter and essentially chased starter Bo Levi Mitchell off the field with a couple of interceptions, keeping the former MOP just 3 out of 10 going through. 37 yards in the afternoon. .
The wheels fell at the end of the second quarter when Calgary receiver Shawn Bane scored the first major of the game on a 74-yard return with 27 seconds left for the half. Lions receiver Jamarius Way responded with a spectacular touchdown catch from O’Connor after the break, but BC did not touch the end zone again.
Dedrick Mills, Tommy Stevens and Rasheed Tucker added quick touchdowns for the Stamps in addition to Schakel’s defensive marker, but it was poor teams’ poor play that sealed BC’s fate. Rookie Canadian Mark Milan missed his field goal attempts and an extra point, while also having a point blocked by Brad Cowan to set up a touchdown.
“We’ve played with a lot of guys who are playing in their first CFL game,” Campbell said. “It’s a steep learning curve. I’m proud of how they competed. There were some guys who did really good things. We were fighting. Obviously it came out at the end of the game, but our number one goal in this game was to evaluate and make sure we don’t lose good players. “
“There’s no doubt, regardless of the score, that there were some guys who did good things.”
Highlights included receiver Montay Crockett, who had five catches for 80 yards, and defender Tyneil Cooper, who posted five tackles and an interception, but it was the battle for quarterback work that really stole. the show.
Canadian pivot O’Connor looked calm and in control throughout, completing 17 of 23 passes (73.9 per cent) for 151 yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Thomson, who would have impressed on the training ground, finished 9th out of 20 (45%) for 129 yards and an interception. The former Big Sky offensive player of the year, an award also won by Calgary Bo quarterbacks Levi Mitchell and Jake Maier, struggled with early nerves, but looked like he had come into play at the end of the game. , before Wall’s hit ended his night and potentially his. hopes to win the job.
A frustrated O’Connor made no excuses for the attack after the game.
“We competed a lot, but we didn’t get the job done. In the end, we have to put more points on the board as an infraction “, he underlined. “I’m not happy right now. We had some good plays, yes, a lot to build on, but if you want to win this league, you have to be on point every play. You can’t make a play. You can’t make a mistake, especially as the offense “.
“We have to be better in general, but I’m proud of these guys and how they competed. We will definitely have a bad taste in our mouths after this. “
This sour taste of defeat pales in comparison to his concern for his teammate, but the Lions will not be able to linger long on any of the emotions. The team must reduce its roster to 75 players, plus the non-counters, Sunday at midnight, Eastern Time, before the remaining ones concentrate on next Friday’s preseason final competition against Saskatchewan.