VANCOUVER — Even after setting a CFL record, B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke saw room for improvement.
The 24-year-old native of Victoria, B.C., threw for 436 yards on Saturday, powering the Lions to a dominant 44-3 victory over the Toronto Argonauts.
It was the most passing yards a Canadian quarterback has ever put up in a CFL game, eclipsing the 427-yard mark set by Gerry Dattilio in 1981.
“I’m just a distributor of the football out there. Those guys are getting in the right positions and they’re making big plays,” Rourke said after the win.
“There were a couple throws today, especially the first half where I wasn’t nearly as accurate as I need to be. But those guys made some plays for me and made me look good out there.”
The performance was no surprise to veteran Lions defensive back Gary Peters.
“When you come into the facility, he’s the first one there. And I’m one of the last people to leave. He’s literally there after me, walking eating a peanut butter jelly sandwich, trying to find something to do. He’s always working no matter what,” he said.
“He’s trying to perfect himself. He’s a young guy, but you can see in his eyes that he’s really hungry.”
Rourke completed 39 of 45 passes on Saturday, including four touchdowns. He was sacked once.
Dominique Rhymes hauled in two majors for B.C. (2-0), while Bryan Burnham and Jevon Cottoy each had one. Fullback David Mackie scored a rushing TD late in the fourth quarter. Kicker Sean Whyte chipped in with three field goals, including a 50-yard strike.
B.C.’s defence smothered the Argos (1-1), holding McLeod Bethel-Thompson to 178 passing yards. The Toronto quarterback connected on 15 of 21 attempts, threw one interception and was sacked twice before being replaced late in the fourth quarter.
Chad Kelly came on in relief and threw for 26 yards, completing two of four attempts. He was sacked once and threw one interception.
The Argos’ only points of the night came off a 23-yard field goal from Boris Bede early in the second quarter.
“I’m totally embarrassed. That was a horrible display of football,” said Toronto head coach Ryan Dinwiddie. “That was a tough loss. It sucks. I hate it. But we can’t let it ruin our season. We’ve just got to go back to work and find ways to get better.”
The Lions were coming off of a bye week but showed no rust early in Saturday’s game, kicking it off with an eight-play, 68-yard scoring drive.
Rourke scrambled out of a collapsing pocket to pick up 11 yards and a first down, then capped the drive with a crisp 19-yard pass to Burnham in the end zone. The veteran wide receiver bowed twice to the crowd after tallying his first touchdown of the season.
B.C.’s defensive unit was tested on Toronto’s first possession of the night, with DaVaris Daniels powering through a tackle and Bethel-Thompson finding Dejon Brissett on the Lions’ one-yard line.
The Lions stood strong and denied the visitors all three times they attempted to sneak into the end zone. Toronto turned the ball over on downs.
“And then it just snowballed and we couldn’t get nothing going,” Dinwiddie said. “And we get a little bit going in the third quarter then we fumble. I mean, everybody had a hand in it. It’s just It’s upsetting, but we’ve got to find ways to get better.”
Early in the second quarter, B.C. cornerback Delvin Breaux knocked down a long toss from Bethel-Thompson to Brandon Banks and Dinwiddie challenged the call, arguing defensive pass interference. On review, officials agreed and Toronto was awarded a first down at the B.C. 21-yard line.
Lions defensive lineman David Menard sacked Bethel-Thompson on the next play, but the Argos still managed to score on the drive, with Bede booting a field goal that cut Toronto’s deficit to 10-3.
Rourke increased the Lions’ cushion midway through the half, finding Rhymes in the end zone with a 19-yard bullet to cap a nine-play, 70-yard scoring drive.
B.C. headed to the locker room up 20-3 after Whyte hit a 44-yard field goal to close out the second quarter.
A rash of injuries swept through B.C.’s lineup late in the first half, though, with linebacker Bo Lokombo, running back James Butler and Burnham all heading to the locker room with game-ending injuries. Receiver Lucky Whitehead appeared to suffer an ankle injury too but stayed in the game.
“A couple of people went down but it just makes us stronger,” Rhymes said. “And it just shows the versatility we have on offence. When one man goes down, that’s our brother, so we want to make sure we only pick it up for him.”
Lions head coach Rick Campbell said Burnham went to the hospital to have further tests done and the team won’t know his status until Sunday. Lokombo and Butler may be available to play next week.
Midway through the third frame, Wynton McMannis hauled down Rourke around centre field for a seven-yard loss. The Lions remained undeterred, though, and sent Whyte out for a 50-yard field goal attempt. He made the kick, giving B.C. a 23-3 lead.
Lions defensive end Obum Gwacham seemed to exact some revenge on the next possession, sacking Bethel-Thompson.
Rourke’s arching 29-yard toss to a wide-open Cottoy deep in the red zone set up B.C.’s third TD of the night late in the third quarter. Cottoy took a couple of quick steps into the end zone and tallied his first major of the season.
The final frame saw Rourke again connect with Rhymes, this time with a 24-yard toss. Stationed just outside of the end zone, Rhymes easily completed the touchdown and the Lions took a 37-3 lead.
Peters added to Toronto’s woes midway through the fourth quarter, picking off Bethel-Thompson’s pass.
Mackie — filling in at running back for the injured Butler — muscled the ball over the goal line late in the fourth for his first CFL touchdown. A successful convert from Whyte gave the home side a 44-3 lead.
Kelly came on for Bethel-Thompson to close out the game and was quickly sacked by Menard.
The Lions will be back in action on Thursday when they tackle the Redblacks in Ottawa. The Argos will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on July 4.
FOOTNOTES: The victory gives B.C. a 2-0 start to the season for the first time since 2016. … Argos offensive lineman Jonathan Zamora limped off the field after being injured on a play midway through the fourth quarter. Saturday marked the 100th all-time meeting between the two teams. B.C. holds a 60-38-2 edge in the series.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.
The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.
Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.
There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.
Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.
But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.
The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”
The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.
Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.
Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.
“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”
“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.
Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.
Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.
The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.
Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.
Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.
Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).
Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).
Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).
—
Follow @NeilMDavidson on X platform
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
