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Calgary Stampeders defeat BC Lions at Touchdown Kelowna party, 41-33 Saturday Stamps spoil Lions party The opening weekend of Touchdown Kelowna was an unequivocal success and should only intensify as the week goes on.
Not even a brief downpour during the opening night Alan Doyle concert could dampen the spirits of Kelowna partygoers.
It was a perfect script leading into the crown jewel the CFL game at the Apple Bowl between the BC Lions and the Calgary Stampeders.
But, in front of what is believed to be the largest crowd to ever witness a single event, sporting or otherwise, in Kelowna, the Stampeders authored a script of their own.
The sell-out crowd of 19,108 mostly orange clad Lions supporters left disappointed after the Stamps won the battle of 0-2 teams 41-25.
In the end, it was self-inflicted wounds that decided this one.
An offside penalty on a third down punt led to the first score of the game, a fumbled kickoff return led to a score just before halftime, missed tackles allowed Tyriek McAllister to return a punt 90 yards for another major and a Nathan Rourke interception at the Calgary goal line snuffed out a promising Lions drive.
Certain opportunities to make plays werent made, but definitely a sense of we kind of hurt ourselves in situations that really gave them some momentum and took some things away from us, said Lions head coach Buck Pierce.
The opening kickoff set the tone for the kind of game it might be for the Lions.
The Stampeders landed the ball well short of the return men but the up men didnt react quickly enough.
During the ensuing scramble for the loose ball, it was initially determined Calgary had touched it last, however a video review determined it was, indeed the Lions.
Disaster avoided, but not averted.
Following the third-down offside midway through the first, Vernon Adams Jr.
hit running back Dedtrick Mills in the left flat who made a few defenders miss on the way to a 20-yard touchdown.
The Lions tied it in the opening minute of the second when Rourke capped off a seven-play, 49-yard drive with a 14-yard strike to Zander Horvath his first of two majors on the day.
After a Jude McAtamney 57-yard field goal put the Stamps up three, Rourke engineered a five-play, 94-yard drive, culminating in a 17-yard strike to Jermaine Jackson.
Adams got that one right back with 90 seconds left in the second quarter.
The game really turned for good when the Lions fumbled the ensuing kickoff, giving Calgary the ball at the Lions 35, leading to a one-yard Quindey Vaughn dive into the endzone and a 24-14 Stampeders lead at the half.
But, the real back breaker came late in the third quarter when a deep ball from Adams deflected off Tevin Jones fingertip, off a Lions defender and back into Jones hands who sprinted untouched for a 57 yard touchdown, putting the Stamps up two scores.
The Lions made it close with two late touchdowns.
I think we did a really good job answering at times, said Rourke.
Ultimately we didnt do it consistently enough and hats off to V.A, they played very well and obviously we had to do a better job finishing drives.
I thought we left some things out there.
More football to come The Lions, to the surprise of Rourke, put up 200 yards more in total offence than the Stamps, but it was those self-inflicted wounds that came back to haunt them.
Theres a handful of guys that have been in this situation before, Ive been in this situation before, said Pierce of the 0-3 start in which the team has surrendered 113 points.
A lot of good can come out of these if you are willing to allow yourself to have the right mindset.
Obviously disappointing but you have to get back to work.
The team was also assessed more than 100 yards in penalties.
Youre not going to win with that.
We have to be mentally tougher.
The 57-yard field goal from McAtamney tied the record for the longest field goal ever at the Apple Bowl.
Okanagan Sun placekicker Steve Schott booted a 57-yarder back on Oct.
3, 2012.
That still stands as the longest ever field goal in Canadian Junior Football.
The game was halted for a few minutes while security chased down a streaker and escorted him off the field.
The Lions will remain in Kelowna for the week before hosting the 3-0 Edmonton Elks back at the Apple Bowl next Saturday.
Only a handful of tickets are left for that game.
Click here for a full listing of events taking place over the next seven days of Touchdown Kelowna.
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