B.C.’s Geroy Simon able to catch clinching TD versus Riders
By KEVIN CLIVE
Riderville.com Editor
As much as Saskatchewan Roughrider fans don’t want to hear it, read it or even speak it right now, at least we’re in the playoffs.
The Green and White entered tonight’s game against the B.C. Lions needing a win in order to host the CFL’s Western Division semi-final at Taylor Field on November 7. Instead, a frustrating 40-38 loss to the Lions means the Riders must take care of business on the grass playing surface of Commonwealth Stadium versus the Edmonton Eskimos.
That’s because the Riders have now finished the 2004 campaign tied with the Eskimos with nine wins, but because the two teams are also tied in the point spread from the season series, the Eskimos win the tie-breaker because of a better record versus Western opponents.
Regardless, the Green and White had tonight’s ball game in hand – even after they started out on the wrong foot – only to see it slip through their mitts on the last play of the game.
After coming back from a 18-point deficit, the Roughies were unable to stop the Lions when it counted the most as Geroy Simon hauled in his third major of the night to win the game with no time on the clock.
Ah the clock. It – or should we say the person maintaining (insert laugh here) the clock – played a rather large factor in the overall outcome as the Simon touchdown play likely wouldn’t have been able to take place as time would have ran out.
But what matters now is the Roughriders are still on the dance card in the Western semi in Edmonton on Sunday, said a disappointed head coach Danny Barrett.
"I’m proud of the way our players fought back and kept believing in each other," said Barrett. "But it’s very disappointing for our fans, for us and the entire organization. We had an opportunity to knock the ball down though. And yes it’s unfortunate they (the timekeepers) had to be a factor in the ball game. It’s very disappointing, very frustrating…
"We can’t let this affect what we need to do to get back over here though."
The Lions wasted little time in declaring that this game was important to them as well as to the Riders; even though B.C. has the Western Final game to look forward to already. On the opening kick-off, B.C. receiver Aaron Lockett returned the ball 90-yards to paydirt to make it 7-0 Lions just 23 seconds into the first quarter. The Lions added a field goal courtesy Duncan O’Mahoney from 37-yards out to make it 10-0 BC after one frame.
However, in the second quarter, the Riders responded and scored a touchdown thanks to quarterback Henry Burris’ four yard toss to Matt Dominguez to make it 10-7 before O’Mahoney notched another three-pointer to make it 13-7 Lions with just over 10 minutes in the quarter.
But the Riders maintained their collective composure and rebounded to tie the game thanks to two straight field goals from McCallum (46- and 20-yds) to end the half at 13-13.
In the third quarter, the defences of both squads continued to perform. That is until the Roughriders blew coverage on a deep ball to Lions’ receiver Chris Brazzell, who hauled in a Casey Printers pass for a 73-yard touchdown bomb to give B.C. the lead at 20-13 with 4:40 to go. The Riders could only muster a field goal in response as McCallum nailed a 32-yarder to make it 20-16 after three quarters.
Although only down by four, the Riders could ill afford to give up the next major, but that was the case when Printers found Simon from 13-yards out to make it 27-16 midway through the final session. The Lions continued to pour it on defensively as Mawuko Tugbenyoh picked up a Burris fumble caused by a hit from Brent Johnson and ran it in from four yards out to make it 34-16 B.C.
However, the Riders wouldn’t give up the dream of hosting a playoff game that easily and marched down the field and finished off the drive with a Chris Szarka one yard touchdown run followed by a Burris to Jason French two-point conversion to make it 34-24 Lions.
But just when it looked like the Green and White were finished, the aspect of the team that has kept them afloat during the recent winning streak came through again as the defence sacked backup pivot Spurgeon Wynn, allowing rush end Daved Benefield to pick up the loose ball and scamper into the endzone untouched to put the Green and White within three points. Then, on the Riders next offensive series, Burris hit Dominguez along the sidelines and watched as Big D took the ball 50 incredible yards for what looked like the winning touchdown to make it 38-34 Saskatchewan.
Then it happened. A misguided time-keeper at B.C. Place didn’t start the clock three times during a Lions’ offensive series and eventually, the additional time allowed B.C. to look one last time to the endzone. With both safety Darnell Edwards and defensive back Santino Hall in coverage, Simon went up and successfully came down with a 13-yard touchdown pass with no time on the clock to win the game 40-34 and crush any hopes Rider fans and players had for the first playoff game at Taylor Field since 1988.
The loss brings a halt to the Roughriders’ five game winning streak and gives Saskatchewan a 9-9 record on the season.
The Riders will return to the practice field on Tuesday to prepare for the Eskimos, a team they have handled at home but not so much at Commonwealth Stadium.
"I’m at a loss right now but I am proud of the club for not quitting," said Barrett. "We have to find a way to get back here."
Receiver Jason French said the team is not hanging its heads because they battled hard to get back into tonight’s game.
"Yeah everybody’s pretty upset – but we need to keep the morale of the team up because we need to go into Edmonton and put on a good show," said French, whose two-point conversion was crucial to the Riders even having a shot at winning tonight. "We wanted to give the fans a home playoff game but we plan on being back here in two weeks.
"The sweetest revenge is success."
