March 25, 2020

The 2019 season review: September 6, a defence that never backed down!

Our 2019 season review continue with the home game against the Lions!

 

Friday September 6 2019,
Final score : 21-16

 

Our Alouettes are entering the second half of the season on Friday, September 6, as they welcome the B.C Lions, another team who’s been navigating through some choppy waters this season. Wishing to the break losing streak, the Lions are coming in with a new and (hopefully) improved o-line to better protect star QB Mike Reilly.

Despite our opponent’s losing record, our men aren’t taking this battle lightly; They’re hungry for another fight and another win to get closer to secure their spot in the playoffs.

After a slow first quarter for both teams, Vernon Adams Jr. and his crew speed up the pace in the second with two quarterback sneak touchdowns. 14-0 Alouettes. Our offence has finally found their groove, our defence is very solid, and it’s looking like it’s going to be an easy win. If there’s one thing we’re about to learn here, it’s that it can be very hazardous to count your chickens before they’re hatched…

Less than 2 minutes before halftime, Mike Reilly and his crew respond with a 40-yard touchdown pass from Mike Reilly to Bryan Burnham. Adams Jr. and his team make another offensive push before the break, but our QB gets picked off by Garry Peters in the final seconds and we have to make do with a 14-7 lead.

This interception seems to have shaken up our men, who won’t be able to make a first down for a full quarter. Luckily, the defence did an amazing job holding off the Lions, who still managed to get a field goal, thereby reducing the gap by one point. At the end of the third, it’s 14-13 Alouettes.

It may not be Adam Jr.’s best game ever, but him and his crew are able to snap out of it and turn things around at the right time. Our next possession ends with our men crossing 75 yards on a 10-play offensive push. VA gains four first downs through the air before finishing the drive off with a touchdown pass to Quan Bray and a convert kick from Bede. Just like that, we gain 8 points. The Lions don’t let themselves get defeated and retaliate with a field goal, thereby reducing the gap to 5 points. With a little over two minutes to go, Posey passes the ball to the VA, who once again get very close to the end zone, but fumbles the ball on a missed QB sneak. The Lions get the ball back on offence with less than thirty seconds to go and a sack from John Bowman is enough to stop then in their tracks and seal the deal.

Big game for our veteran… he just played his 224th game with the club and is now on a par with the one-and-only Ben Cahoon for 4th with most games played in Alouettes history AND he just earned the title of the player with most sacks in Alouettes history (130).

The game concludes with the mark of 21-16 Alouettes. It’s a third consecutive big W for us and another an emotion-filled matchup for our fans.