Calgary Surge use third-quarter surge to power past Edmonton Stingers in CEBL playoff opener
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Something for the stars on which to hang their Air Jordans.
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But a championship for Greg Brown III, Jameer Nelson Jr., Sean 'Rugzy' Miller-Moore & Co.?
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That has the attention of the Calgary Surge.
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Forward Brown is up for the CEBL's Defensive Player of the Year.
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So, too, is guard Nelson.
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And clutch veteran Miller-Moore, also a guard, is on the short-list for the CEBL's Canadian Player of the Year.
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Brown, who finished third in league points with 483, was one of the nation's top blockers, as only the Saskatchewan Rattlers' Jaden Bediako — with 49 — finished with more than Brown's 41.
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American Nelson has been stellar for the Surge all over the court, after finishing second on the team in scoring in the regular season, while his 57 steals meant a new single-season CEBL standard.
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Miller-Moore put up 427 points to finish fourth in league scoring but is best known for his timely play as a third-year Surge vet with immense savvy and leadership.
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Winners of all the CEBL Awards, including coach of the year and clutch player of the year for most target-score winners posted, will be announced next Thursday to kick off the CEBL's 2025 Championship Weekend in Winnipeg.
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Also on the docket during the awards night at the Metropolitan Entertainment Centre is the naming of the all-CEBL first, second and Canadian teams and the Fox 40 Officiating Recognition Award.
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Then it's onward into CW25, with six teams still in contention for the championship, including the Surge.
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WHAT'S THE ROAD AHEAD?
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Thursday's triumph means the Surge now just need three wins in as many games to capture their first-ever CEBL crown.
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• Up next is the West semifinal against the conference's top finisher, the Vancouver Bandits (19-5), in a one-game winner-move-on contest Saturday on the West Coast (1:30 p.m. MT).
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Vancouver Sun
42 minutes ago
- Vancouver Sun
Lions 36, Alouettes 18: Nathan Rourke threw for 382 yards, with four touchdowns
The Montreal Alouettes fell 36-18 to the B.C. Lions on Saturday and lost yet another quarterback in the process. Caleb Evans connected on 3-of-4 passing attempts for 32 yards and was sacked three times before leaving the game with an apparent leg injury in the second quarter. He was replaced by James Morgan who amassed 211 passing yards, making good on 20 of his 33 attempts with one touchdown — the first of his CFL career — and one interception. Tyler Snead drove in the lone major for Montreal and kicker Jose Maltos Diaz made four field goals, including one for 41 yards, as the Als (5-5) dropped a third straight game. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Lions QB Nathan Rourke threw for 382 yards, going 26-for-34 with four touchdowns and one interception. Receiver Keon Hatcher chalked up two TDs for B.C. (5-5), while Justin McInnis and Stanley Berryhill III had one apiece and Sean Whyte booted three field goals, with his longest sailing 46 yards through the uprights. The Lions opened the scoring with a 23-yard field goal from Whyte, then got to work on defence. B.C. defensive lineman Jonah Tavai sacked Evans on his second snap of the game and his teammate, Sione Teheuma, followed suit minutes later, hauling down the QB once again. Whyte made a 30-yard field goal to give the Lions a 6-0 edge at the end of the first quarter. Another sack by Teheuma left Evans on the turf at B.C. Place , grasping at his left leg. Trainers came out to take a look and he eventually walked off the field gingerly with help from his teammates. The 27-year-old American then sat on the sidelines without pads before heading to the locker room in a cart with crutches by his side at halftime. He was replaced by the untested Morgan. The 28-year-old American is the fourth quarterback to play for Montreal this season, coming after No. 1 David Alexander and backup McLeod Bethel-Thompson both landed on the six-game injured list. The Als shook off the loss of their QB by getting on the board with a 41-yard field goal by Maltos Dias and the Lions responded with a 46-yard strike from Whyte that preserved their 9-3 lead. Yet another field goal from Montreal — a 21-yard kick — cut the advantage to three points midway through the second quarter. B.C. strung together a series of plays and made it into the red zone, where Rourke dished off to McInnis for a five-yard touchdown. Whyte made the conversion and the Lions went up 16-6. Another field goal from Maltos Diaz whittled the home side's advantage to seven points at halftime. The kicker attempted to add to the Als' total early in the third quarter, but sent his 24-yard kick pinging off the upright. Late in the frame, the Lions once again found themselves deep in Montreal territory and Rourke capitalized, firing a pass to Hatcher just over the goal line for an eight-yard major. Whyte made the convert and Montreal was called for pyramiding, gifting the Lions an extra point that brought the score to 23-9. The Als opened the fourth quarter with a 40-yard field goal and the Lions were quick to respond. Rourke delivered a 49-yard bomb to Ayden Eberhardt, setting B.C. up with a first down at Montreal's 21-yard line. Hatcher followed up by reeling in an 18-yard pass from the QB, then evaded a tackle to step into the end zone. Another convert from Whyte gave the Lions a 30-12 lead. The Lions weren't done yet. With nearly six minutes left on the game clock, Rourke sent an arching 29-yard toss to Berryhill in the end zone for another major. The Als blocked Whyte's convert kick, but the home side went up 36-12. The Als clawed some points back late in the frame when Morgan dished off to Tyler Snead, who deked around the B.C. defence and raced into the end zone for Montreal's first TD of the night. The visitors went for a two-point convert, only to see the pass picked off by Lions linebacker Micah Awe and the scored was sealed at 36-18. NOTES An announced crowd of 23,318 people took in the game at B.C. Place , including Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart, who was shown on the big screen wearing a Lions hat. … B.C. announced that former linebacker Solomon Elimimian will have his No. 56 retired on Oct. 4 when the Lions host the Calgary Stampeders. UP NEXT The Lions visit the Toronto Argonauts (2-8) on Saturday, Aug. 23.
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Montreal Alouettes lose another quarterback in lopsided 36-18 loss to B.C. Lions
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Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
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VANCOUVER – Montreal Alouettes quarterback Caleb Evans left a game against the B.C. Lions on Saturday with an apparent lower-body injury. The 27-year-old American was sacked by Lions defensive end Sione Teuhema in the second quarter and struggled to get back to his feet. Trainers came out to look at his right leg on the field before he walked off with some help from teammates and entered the injury tent on the sidelines. Evans connected on 3-of-4 passes for 32 yards and was sacked three times before exiting the game. He was replaced by James Morgan, an untested 28-year-old American. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The Alouettes were already without their No. 1 quarterback David Alexander and backup McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who are both on the six-game injured list. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2025.
