Playoffs on the line as Lions host Redblacks
SURREY – The B.C. Lions and Ottawa Redblacks have had very different seasons.
While both teams stumbled early, the Lions recovered from a 1-5 start in dramatic form, and now have wins in eight of their last nine games.
The Redblacks (0-15), meanwhile, are still desperately searching for their first win of the campaign.
A 34-16 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last week saw Ottawa make bleak history. The team now holds the record for most losses to open a CFL season, surpassing the 14 straight defeats the Shreveport Pirates posted in 1994.
That doesn’t mean the Redblacks have relinquished all hope, though, said running back Daniel Adeboboye.
“Even though we have the record that we have, we still have phenomenal practices,” he said this week. “Guys still come out with good energy; guys in the locker room are still doing what they have to do. We still all understand that there’s something to play for.”
Adeboboye proved last week that he’s still fighting hard. The 27-year-old Canadian rushed for 74 yards against Hamilton, including a season-high 55-yard gain.
The Redblacks know they won’t be competing for the Grey Cup this season, said Adeboboye, but giving up isn’t an option.
“We see the turnover in professional sports — the second that they sense that (you’ve given up), you’re gone. So we have that to play for,” he said.
“The nature of this business, they’re not afraid to let go of guys and pick up new guys. They’re scouting for next year and we have to do our job to make sure we’re on the team next year.”
The Redblacks will have another opportunity to prove themselves on Friday when they visit the surging Lions (9-6).
The home side will have extra ammunition for coming away with a win — a victory would punch B.C.’s playoff ticket.
The Edmonton Elks (11-4) are the lone team in the West Division currently holding a post-season berth.
Friday will be the second meeting between the two sides this season, coming after the Lions took a 45-24 win in the nation’s capital on Aug. 30.
5News aggregated this summary from the outlet’s public feed. The full article, with all the context, is on globalnews.ca — the content belongs to Global News.
