B.C. Lions earn 1st win of CFL season, dumping Edmonton Elks 36-24 in Kelowna

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The losing skid is over.

James Butler rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns, leading the B.C. Lions to a 36-24 win over the Edmonton Elks in CFL action Saturday at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna.

It was the first win of the season for the Lions (1-3), who have played their last two ‘home’ games in Kelowna with soccer’s World Cup taking precedence at BC Place.

Quarterback Nathan Rourke tossed for 320 yards and a TD for the Lions. Zander Horvath also had a pair of touchdowns, one on the ground and another through the air. Sean Whyte booted three field goals and three extra points.

QB Cody Fajardo three for 395 yards and three TDs for the Elks (1-3) but also had three interceptions. Kaoin Julien-Grant caught two touchdowns and Austin Mack another and Vincent Blanchard added a field goal and an extra point. T.J. Luther also chipped in with a two-point conversion.

The Lions opened the scoring 7:13 into the opening period when Horvath bulled his way into the end zone from one yard out. Whyte’s conversion made it 7-0 for B.C.

Edmonton answered just under three minutes later, after Rourke was intercepted by Dariel Djabome, who carried it down to the B.C. eight-yard line. Two plays later, Fajardo found Julien-Grant for a touchdown but the convert failed, leaving B.C. up 7-6.

After a long run by Butler (who had 76 yards on the ground in the quarter), B.C. settled for a 16-yard field goal from Whyte to boost their lead to 10-6 after 15 minutes.

In the second quarter, Edmonton made use of a pass interference penalty to move deep into B.C. territory. Fajardo then hooked up again with Julien-Grant for a four-yard TD at 1:40. They went for two points and Fajardo found Luther for a successful try and took a 14-10 lead.

The Lions reclaimed the lead just over seven minutes into the quarter when Butler carried in from three yards out, capping off a 10-play, 86-yard drive. The convert was blocked, leaving B.C. with a 16-14 lead.

Butler powered in for his second touchdown, from four yards out, with 2:36 left in the half and Whyte’s ensuing convert upped the B.C. margin to 23-14.

On the first play after the kickoff, Fajardo was intercepted by Jackson Findlay, giving B.C. the ball at Edmonton’s 31. They settled for another Whyte field goal, this time from 33 yards out, to lead 26-14.

A questionable pass interference call late in the quarter gave Edmonton another shot deep in B.C. territory and Fajardo capitalized, finding Mack in the end zone from 24 yards out with 41 seconds left. Blanchard booted the extra point to pull the Elks within five.

Whyte added a 40-yard field goal as time expired in the half to make it 29-21.

The Lions outgained the Elks 313 yards to 139 in the first half.

In the third quarter, on Edmonton’s first drive, Fajardo was picked off by B.C.’s Ronald Kent Jr., but the Lions immediately gave the ball back after a two-and-out.

With four minutes left in the quarter and Edmonton driving, the Lions forced another turnover, with Justin Rankin fumbling and B.C.’s Casey Sayles recovering. B.C. ended the scoreless third maintaining their eight-point margin.

Just 24 seconds into the fourth, Horvath caught a ball from Rourke and carried down to the one-yard line, then got pushed in for the major by his teammates. Whyte converted to make it 36-21 for the Lions.

Blanchard hooked in a 45-yard field goal at 2:38 to pull Edmonton within 12 at 36-24.

Whyte had a chance to put B.C. up by 15 with slightly more than eight minutes to play, but missed a field goal for the first time this season.

With seven minutes to play, a high hit on Fajardo from B.C.’s Mathieu Betts was penalized, negating an interception by C.J. Coldon.

Several plays later, Betts scooped up a loose ball at midfield and rumbled into the end zone for an apparent touchdown, but it was called back after the play was ruled as an incomplete forward pass.

With the Lions driving and looking to put away the game, B.C.’s Justin McInnis bobbled a Rourke pass and it was picked off by Edmonton’s Joel Dublanko, keeping Edmonton’s hopes alive.

With 2:30 to play and Edmonton inside B.C.’s 10-yard line, Lions linebacker Darnell Sankey intercepted Fajardo to seal the deal for the home side.

NOTES: B.C.’s defence played a solid game, forcing four turnovers, after having surrendered 41 points in back-to-back games… Keon Hatcher led the Lions receivers with 94 yards on five catches… Deontai Williams paced the Lions defence with seven tackles, while Hayden Harris had their only sack… The Lions have a bye next week, returning to action July 17 in Edmonton.

READ MORE: B.C. Lions practise at Kelowna’s Apple Bowl ahead of Saturday’s game