The Edmonton Elks and host BC Lions each will try to wrap up the season on a positive note when they meet Friday night in Vancouver.
Both teams are out of the playoff picture, but they plan to compete as if the stakes are high.
“The last few weeks, it’s just playing our best football we possibly can,” said Lions running back James Butler, who racked up 125 yards from scrimmage (89 rushing, 36 receiving) in his most recent game, a 33-23 loss against the Calgary Stampeders. “(We are) just trying to switch that narrative that we’re not capable of running the football.”
The Lions (4-9) opened the season with four wins in their first six games, but they have slid toward the bottom of the West Division standings because of a seven-game losing streak. Surprisingly, they are 1-5 at home but 3-4 on the road.
Meanwhile, Edmonton (3-10) sits one game behind BC for last place in the division. However, the Elks are in better spirits after hanging on for a 13-7 win over the Toronto Argonauts during their most recent game Tuesday night.
It was the first victory as a starter for Elks quarterback Taylor Cornelius, who completed 15 of 32 passes for 160 yards and three interceptions. He added 32 rushing yards and a touchdown as part of a well-balanced ground game that included James Wilder (nine carries, 56 yards) and Walter Fletcher (11 carries, 55 yards).
Edmonton head coach Jaime Elizondo said that a win was a win, even if it was not pretty.
“(It’s good) just to get that winning feeling back in the locker room,” Elizondo said. “I told the team if you want to become a winning team, you’ve got to figure out how to win the close ones, and we took a step in that direction. Definitely not our best football, but really proud of the guys. …
“I told them, we’ve got one more shot to get this feeling again (in the season finale). Let’s go do it. And let’s have some fun doing it.”
–Field Level Media
