HAMILTON B次元官网网址� Jeremiah Masoli threw three first-half TDs to lead the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to a lopsided 48-8 East Division semifinal win over the B.C. Lions on Sunday afternoon.
Hamilton advances to the East Division final next Sunday against Ottawa at TD Place. The Redblacks swept the regular-season series 3-0.
Not the way we wanted it to end.
B次元官网网址� BC LIONS (@BCLions)
Thanks for the support all season long Lions fans. We appreciate you.
And thank you Wally. 馃檹馃従
Masoli, the East Division nominee for the CFLB次元官网网址檚 outstanding player award, helped Hamilton emphatically snap a three-game losing streak. The Ticats were the last team to reach the East final after losing their final three regular-season games, doing so in 2015.
Masoli finished 14-of-19 passes for 259 yards and three TDs before giving way to Dane Evans in the fourth.
B.C. reached the East Division playoffs as a crossover team after finishing fourth in the West with a 9-9 record. But the Lions ended their season with three straight losses, an unceremonious end to head coach Wally BuonoB次元官网网址檚 illustrious CFL career.
The 40-point playoff loss was also the worst in LionsB次元官网网址� history. No crossover team has reached the Grey Cup since the rule was adopted in 1996.
HamiltonB次元官网网址檚 Frankie Williams ended B.C. starter Travis LulayB次元官网网址檚 day with a 39-yard interception return TD at 9:22 of the third. After completing 8-of-17 passes for 103 yards with a pick and lost fumble, Lulay was replaced by Jonathon Jennings on the LionsB次元官网网址� next possession.
B.C. drove to the Hamilton one-yard line late in the third but Tyrell Sutton couldnB次元官网网址檛 handle a high snap. Ticats linebacker Simoni Lawrence recovered and returned the ball to the LionsB次元官网网址� one-yard line, where Evans scored to put the home side up 44-0 at 13:55.
The Lions finally broke HamiltonB次元官网网址檚 shutout bid with JenningsB次元官网网址� 30-yard TD pass to Shaq Johnson at 2:15 of the fourth. Jennings then found Bryan Burnham for the two-point convert.
Retired wrestler Ric Flair whipped the announced Tim Hortons Field sellout of 23,911 into a frenzy by leading the pre-game Oskee-Wee-Wee chant.
The legendary leads in the Oskee Wee Wee! |
B次元官网网址� Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats)
The first half looked much like the first two quarters of HamiltonB次元官网网址檚 40-10 home win over B.C. on Sept. 29. The Ticats had a 28-0 half-time lead Sunday after leading 30-3 advantage at the half back in September.
Hamilton opened with three straight touchdown drives, the first time any team had done so in a CFL playoff game since the Ticats on Nov. 17, 1985 in a 50-26 win over Montreal.
Masoli opened with 10 straight completions for 177 yards and two TDs and finished 13-of-16 in the first half for 245 yards and three touchdowns. Masoli had 189 passing yards on 18-of-26 attempts for three TDs in the September victory.
Youngster Bralon Addison had an outstanding first half, registering five catches for 124 yards while Luke Tasker caught two of MasoliB次元官网网址檚 TD strikes. Hamilton had 305 net offensive yards through two quarters.
Masoli and Co. had every answer for a B.C. defence that finished tied for the CFL lead in sacks (45) and interceptions (21). But the Lions were a dismal 2-7 on the road this season.
The game was halted at approximately 11 a.m. for a moment of silence to commemorate Remembrance Day. The CFL also honoured veterans during the pre-game coin toss and were scheduled to do the same before the Winnipeg-Saskatchewan West Division final in Regina later Sunday.
In addition, players sported poppy decals on their helmets.
RELATED:
Kevin Palmer and Sean Thomas Erlington also had touchdowns for Hamilton. Lirim Hajrullahu booted six converts, a field goal and single. The remaining points came on a safety.
Tasker gave Hamilton its 28-0 half-time lead after hauling in MasoliB次元官网网址檚 25-yard touchdown pass at 10:48 of the second. About the only thing to go wrong for the Ticats in the first half was Hajrullahu missing a 39-yard field boot on the halfB次元官网网址檚 final play.
B.C.B次元官网网址檚 offence mustered just 101 total yards and had the ball for just over 10 minutes in the opening half. Lulay, making his first playoff start since the B次元官网网址�13 West semifinal, was 6-of-12 passing for 84 yards.
Masoli hit Thomas Erlington on a nine-yard TD pass at 3:11 of the second to put Hamilton ahead 21-0. It came after Long missed a 41-yard field goal try.
Hamilton opening against the 15-kilometre-an-hour wind but led 14-0 before the contest was 10 minutes old. The Ticats opened with a nine-play, 90-yard scoring drive that Palmer capped at 6:20 of the first, recovering EvansB次元官网网址� fumble on third-and-one in the end zone.
Then after Adrian Tracy recovered LulayB次元官网网址檚 fumble at the B.C. 42 on the LionsB次元官网网址� first play from scrimmage, Masoli found Tasker on a 14-yard TD strike at 9:34.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
