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The Future Just Aint What It Used To Be....The Streak Ends!!

By 250 News

-by John Goodwin

Eskimos 37-BC 20

Commonwealth Stadium was packed to the rafters as 48,048 fans watched their Edmonton Eskimos kick the stool out from under the league leading, undefeated BC Lions to end what was almost a surreal time in it’s franchise history.

BC comes into this one first in league scoring with 372 points (an astounding average 33.8 points per game)with a game in hand on the Esks. The Lions are 2nd overall with just 253 points given up.

Edmonton has scored 321 points and currently sit just behind the Argos and the Lions at 3rd overall having allowed 268.

This one had all the makings of a wild West shoot out.

Game notes:

The Esks played the game with desperation as they’d been falling like a rock in the season points standings winning only one of their last five and soon to looking up at the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Calgary Stampeders who were picking up momentum and had just deadlocked each other in a three way tie for second in the West.

The Leos on the other hand had been winning alright but sometimes just getting by their opponents and a fall back to earth was a sure possibility if they didn’t re-focus and bring a better performance to the field as they were capable of doing.

The Lions got off on the wrong foot when in the first BC set of downs the Esks DB Kelly Wiltshire intercepted Dave Dickenson (only his 4th of the season) on the BC 30 yard line.

Ricky Ray, who was a weapon of mass destruction in this one, went right at the depleted BC line- backing corps, and the drive ended at 3:16 with a touchdown by Ron McClendon. Sean Fleming converted...7-0 Esks.

At 7:30 Fleming who carried an anemic 56% FG completion ratio into the game would once again hit the score sheet with a single coming out of another missed three point attempt.

At 0:35 of the second quarter BC’s Duncan O’Mahony finally put the Lions on the board with a 17 yd. three pointer (hitting 8 of his last 10)...Esks 8 Lions 3.

At this point in the contest Dickenson was not sharp and the Esks had pressure on almost every play.
The Eskimos who are known for the leagues worst penalty record would play under control (relatively speaking) this game while the Lions were the ones who uncharacteristically were tagged nine times.

Ricky Ray who had a lot of room in the Lion’s backfield continued to exploit the opportunity and finished the first half with a TD to a wide open Jason Tucker beating corner-back Dante’ Marsh with a 13 yarder. Ray had gone 85 yards in 8 plays to the score.

Meanwhile Dickenson dialed long distance to Jason Clairmont for a 69 yard pass and run play for the TD with a stunning double fake on a play action pass which most of the Eskimos bit on.

Duncan O’Mahony kicked a single and a safety to round out the BC scoring and the half ended 17-11.

Dickenson ended the half with 219 yards passing, not bad considering the heat the Esks were bringing on each play.

O’Mahony and Fleming would trade scores in the third with a single by the BC kicker while Fleming booted a FG from the Leo’s 21...20-12 Esks.

BC would add another point to their total early in the final frame off their kicker’s toe until 6:15 when Dickenson would find a wide open Jason Gavadza for the major and a tie score...20-20.

The Resulting Lions kickoff was returned 86 yards by Tony Tompkins to the end zone, on at least one missed assignment on special teams and was to my mind the game killer, seeming to demoralize the Lions, putting them into the tank...27-20 Eskimos.

At 12:24 of the fourth Fleming splits the uprights for another Edmonton 3 points at which time the Lion’s game came unraveled and the Esks would add a 13 yard exclamation point for the night with another major by Ron McClendon just a minute and a half later.

BC still have one more shot at this team before season’s end, think they’ll be up for it??! 

Mark your calendars.

More stuff:

Losing bites but a little humility should be good for the Leos who can now re-group and re-focus.

I didn’t feel the team came into this game with a lot of emotion, and from what I observed, while sportsmanship and seeing the old friends again make for warm fuzzies, (couldn’t you just taste the love) it was a game and in any sport, emotion along with hopefully an edge tends to bring out the
best in people.

Would think Wally Buono might meet with his coaches in private and discuss their lack of mental preparation.

Fans will be looking to see how these guys bounce back against a charged up Saskatchewan Roughrider football team in their next game at BC place....

7:00 PM Pacific time Sat. Oct. 1st.


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