The B.C. Lions were defeated by the Edmonton Elks on Saturday, ending their season and missing their first Grey Cup appearance in fifteen years. The Western Final was tightly contested until late, with neither team scoring a touchdown until the third quarter. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke opened the final frame with a rushing touchdown to even the score, setting the stage for an exciting finish. The Elks ultimately took charge when quarterback Cody Fajardo completed a touchdown pass to Austin Mack with just shy of seven minutes left. The final score was 16-28. In an update on X after the game, TSN analyst Farhan Lalji said credit goes to Fajardo and the Elks for their play. “In games like this, big-time players have to make big-time plays, and Cody Fajardo, when games are close and games are on the line, he knows how to win,” he said. “Winning is a skill, and Cody Fajardo has it in spades.” Lalji said Lions fans must feel disappointed after this one and compared this year’s team to B.C.’s 2011 Grey Cup-winning squad. “This was the team; they played so well,” he said. “Started one and five, finished on a roll.” Lalji said the Lions’ defence had a great season but has had better days than their Western Final showing. “You can make the case that they’ve been carrying this team all year and couldn’t do it one more time,” he said, pointing to moments in the game that led to the Elks scoring points. “Some of that is not just performance, but it’s also discipline.” Looking at Rourke, Lalji said the Lions quarterback will have to “wear this for another year.” “There’s going to be some big picture questions that have to be asked of the Lions,” he said. “You didn’t get it done. All that talent, all that notoriety, and everything like that, you got to get it done” Lalji added that he’s curious to see if Lions management alters the team’s core. “They haven’t been able to get this over the finish line,” he said. “They’ve had opportunities in the last couple of years where they were talented enough. They couldn’t finish the deal, so we’ll see where it goes.” Earlier this week, Lions linebacker Darnell Sankey was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player, a title he statistically backed up with two sacks and eleven tackles in the Western Final. Rourke is signed through 2028, and Sankey will have until the free agency period in February to come to terms with the Lions on a new contract. He joined the team before this season after a lengthy tenure with the Montreal Alouettes. The Elks will face the Alouettes, who topped the eastern standings in the regular season, next Sunday at McMahon Stadium in Calgary. The Alouettes, led by quarterback Davis Alexander, dispatched the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the East Final on Saturday, taking the lead in the first quarter and holding it the entire match.
