The latest of the cotillion balls for Travis Lulay continues on at BC Place today, the Lions starting quarterback who has seen his star rise through the season can take another step towards the upper reaches of the CFL's players lists today with a Lions victory and berth in next weeks Grey Cup.
Lulay who has had a meteoric rise in the last half of the CFL regular season has been receiving the praise and accolades as the Lions reversed a woeful start to enter the Finals as the CFL's hottest team, in from the cold reaches of Northern Alberta however is a cold front desiring to bring an end to the party on the west coast as the Edmonton Eskimos, themselves a pretty good story this CFL season seek to gain the Western berth for next week's grand national finale.
The Eskimos have made believers of many this year, Kavis Reed's stellar handling of a team that was supposed to be in a rebuilding phase, has been a thing to watch. He clearly has the respect and attention of his squad and with it has built a cohesive group that have Edmontonians once again reflecting back on the days when it was just natural that an Eskimo team would be deep into the playoffs.
He goes up against one of the legends of CFL football today in Wally Buono, who never lost faith in his team in the early going when the losses rolled along one after the other until August when the Lions finally clicked and began their remarkable march to the playoffs.
That success coincided with the arrival of Lualy as a CFL quarterback, a confident leader that just seems to make things happen, add on a string of all star calibre receivers, hard running backs and a strong defensive squad that doesn't seem to like to give up points and Buono's team today probably is the one he planned to put together in the spring.
Still, there is one spot where the Lions failed and the Esks excelled and that was coaxing out a season long performance from running back Jerome Messam, he left the Lions under a cloud deemed not one to be part of the team picture, under the guidance of Reed, Messam became one to the major stories of the past regular season. Gathering up yardage at a record clip, scoring highlight reel touchdowns and announcing his arrival as one of the league's most exciting players.
That was all Reed, who found the right combination to spur Messam on to more, normally that would set up a pretty good sub plot today's game, the spurned running back coming back to show his old team what a mistake they made, however, this year that's a storyline that won't develop, Messam, injured in last weeks semi final with Calgary won't be in the line up today, his season done with injury.
Still, he most likely will factor into the game somehow, the Eskimos in a final for the first time since 2005 will be feeding off his energy and adding in their own in the quest to become the representatives of the West next week, taking over the Lions locker room as home team at BC Place for the Grey Cup.
The Western Final will also provide us with a look at Ricky Ray's encore performance, lost in the Eskimo slide of the last few years, Ray, now surrounded with hard working and motivated team mates has once again been among one of the key leaders on a very confident Eskimo team.
The quiet, studious quarterback led his team through the early season to victory after victory, weathered the rough patches mid season and now with a championship shot but one win away seems more than focused on taking his team on to the final game of November.
Eskimo - Lions games of the past have provided for much in the way of entertainment, a study in coaching strategy and outstanding player performance, you have a feeling we won't be disappointed by the end of the game today.
Game Time 1 PM PT ( 2MT, 4 ET) TSN
Pre Game
Vancouver Province-- First win over Eskimos turned season around
Vancouver Sun-- CFL West final on Lions players' backs, not Buono's
Edmonton Journal-- Now it's down to Eskimos, Lions players
Edmonton Sun-- 'I hate Edmonton': Buono
Globe and Mail-- Kavis Reed: The Eskimos' gridiron doctor
National Post-- Lions veterans can leave legacy by turning success into ring
Quick Snaps BC Lions
Quick Snaps Edmonton Eskimos
Post Game
Edmotnon 23 at British Columbia 40
Attendance-- 41,313
Vancouver Province-- Lulay, Harris carry Lions to home Grey Cup
Vancouver Sun-- BC Lions roll to 40-23 win in CFL West Final
Edmonton Journal-- Reed proud of what his young team accomplished this season
Edmonton Sun-- Leos crush Eskimos 40-23
Globe and Mail-- Lions crush Eskimos in West final
National Post-- Lions Stomp Eskimos, will host Winnipeg in Grey Cup
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