Despite the fact that the CFL Western Final between the Calgary Stampeders and the BC Lions featured two great defenses, the other side of the ball was oft times left unattended by both teams, and for much of the afternoon the teeth gnashing ineptitude would be likened to death by a thousand cuts. When the Lions had finally run out of rabbits, the Stamps had survived a last second Hail Mary play to come away with a 22-18 win and Stampeder’ QB Henry Burris would end the day with the dubius distinction of not having played as badly as BC’s Buck Pierce.

 

Saturday’s game was the Lion’s 5^th consecutive Western Final, the record now standing at 2 and 3. Coach Buono was quick to tell a Vancouver sports reporter this week that his playoff record away from home was better than when he held the advantage of home field, so he didn’t mind at all playing in the cold and unfriendly confines of what would likely be a sell out crowd of 36,000 fans at McMahon Stadium.

 

In peeling away the layers of the onion, the Stamp’s offense were held to just 7 points after two frames, Calgary managing a 22 yard TD, Burris to Rambo, beating Dante’ Marsh with a minute left in the half, making the score 12-9 Lions going into the break. Buck Pierce on the other hand moved the ball well in the first half dominating Calgary with 243 yards of offense to their 89, but fell on his face any time he took his charges into or close to the opposition red zone. He failed for the second week in a row at being able to capitalize on several chances gifted him by his super charged defensive machine. BC first downs were 14-4 and Pierce went 10 for18 and 127 yards to that point.

 

The second half featured more of the same for the impotent Lions, but the Stamps began showing brief periods of success against a defense that were fatigued, as with every two and out Pierce and company left them twisting in the wind. The BC lack of offensive production would finally give way to the Stamps take over as front runners late in the third quarter, never again having to chase the Leos for the lead..

 

Had RB Stephan Logan not put on a dazzling display of angle grinding his way through the flailing outstretched arms of stampeding Stampeder tacklers from the league’s #2 defense, and had Kicker Paul McCallum not hit all five field goal attempts, the result would have been much less entertaining for Lion faithful as the BC offense could accurately be described as offensive, after 60 minutes of being “shut out” on the scoreboard.

 

In the Eastern final the Montreal Alouettes defeated an overwhelmed Ricky Ray led Edmonton Eskimo team 36-26 Saturday, on yet another superb performance by Montreal QB Anthony Calvillo.

I like this season’s version of the Als who are well rounded in all categories and their chances next week end in the big game are enhanced by the fact they are playing in Montreal.

That said however, the Als will come up against a determined, deeply talented, well coached team in the Stampeders, who have beaten stiffer competition on their way to their best season in years, sporting a league leading 13-5 record.

 

Grey Cup Champions, thy name is Stampeder.