Guess what? The B.C. Lions are in the 99th annual Grey Cup against Winnipeg
By The Nelson Daily Sports
The rags to riches story continues for the B.C. Lions.
Travis Lulay, and a suffocating B.C. defence, sparked the Lions to a 40-23 rout of the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL Western Final Sunday before 41,313 fans at B.C Place in Vancouver.
The win advances the Lions to the 99th Grey Cup next Sunday in, once again, Vancouver at B.C Place against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The Bombers dumped the Hamilton Tiger Cats 19-3 in the Eastern Final in Winter Peg.
The Lions, starting the season with a unthinkable 0-5 mark — a record that had some calling for the firing of head coach Wally Buono — reeled off wins in 11 in the remaining 13 games to finish the season on top of the Western Division with an 11-7 mark.
Sunday the Lions broke open the game with a quick striking offence as Lulay connected with Geroy Simon and 14-yard strike to Andrew Harris during a 20-point second quarter.
Despite allowing Edmonton to score majors in the second half, Lulay sealed the game with a 61-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. The major is the longest run in franchise history during the playoffs.
The Lions are the first team since the 2008 Montreal Alouettes to play a Grey Cup at home. The last team to win a Grey Cup on home turf was the 1994 B.C. Lions, who beat Baltimore 26-23.
Sunday was only the second time in seven meetings B.C. beat Edmonton in a Western Final. It was also the first time in three games the Lions won at home.
Game time Sunday is approximately 3 p.m. PST.
Notes: The Lions wore the letters DR on their helmets in memory of Dylan Reichelt, the son of B.C. trainer Bill Reichelt who was killed last week in a car accident. . . . Immediately after Geroy Simon scored his touchdown, his first move was to sign the ball and present it to the Lions trainer.
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