Latest news with #SeanWhyte
CTV News
4 hours ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Whyte kicks walk-off field goal as Lions rally to beat Alouettes 21-20
B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke throws a shovel pass during first half CFL football action against the Montreal Alouettes in Montreal, Saturday, July 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes The Montreal Alouettes celebrated Super Hero Night on Saturday at Percival Molson Stadium. However, when the game clock struck zero, it was B.C.'s star quarterback and veteran kicker who saved the day. Sean Whyte's 43-yard field goal on the final play of the game lifted the B.C. Lions to a stunning come-from-behind 21-20 win over the Montreal Alouettes. 'I'm just so proud of these guys,' said Whyte. 'We really needed a win. We needed to get the ball rolling and get some momentum. We finally got it. It's really cool. I'm so happy.' Whyte's walk-off winner, his third field goal of the CFL contest, was aided by Montreal lineman Pier-Olivier Lestage's late 15-yard penalty, shortening the field for Whyte and the Lions to rally. 'Anything they say to you, anything they do to you, cannot result in an action that would get a 15-yard penalty,' said Alouettes head coach Jason Maas. 'He's remorseful about it. I know he's been very good about that and trying to be a disciplined football player, but he just let the emotions get the best of him in that part.' Trailing 17-12 as time wound down in the fourth quarter, Lions' quarterback Nathan Rourke connected on a 46-yard touchdown pass to Stanley Berryhill the Third to put the Lions ahead 18-17. The Alouettes responded with a 24-yard field by Jose Maltos with 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter to go ahead 20-18. The Lions quickly moved the ball downfield on the ensuing kickoff, setting up Whyte for his last-play heroics. Rourke was making his first start for B.C. since June 12 after missing his team's last two games with an oblique injury. He went 22-for-36, throwing for 352 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 43 yards and a touchdown. 'No one works harder than Nathan Rourke,' Whyte added. 'I'm so proud of him as well. Mistakes are going to happen, but he clutched up at the end to put a drive like that together and get us into range to score points. That was a full team win and I'm just so happy for the whole team.' The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Lions, who improved to 2-3. McLeod Bethel-Thompson, starting his second straight game at quarterback in place of the injured Davis Alexander, completed 15 of 23 pass attempts, good for 192 yards and two touchdowns. 'It's a loss,' said Bethel-Thompson. 'There's no individual performance. It's just a loss. 'There's a lot of big plays we left out there, a lot of inches that we couldn't quite accomplish. If we don't kick ourselves in the foot, we should be pulling away with these games.' Alouettes running back Sean Thomas-Erlington, who played in his 100th career CFL game, collected 76 yards and scored his first receiving touchdown of the season. It marked the Montreal native's fifth career non-rushing touchdown and his first since 2023. Tyson Philpot also scored his team-leading third touchdown of the season for Montreal. The Alouettes (3-2) enter their first of three scheduled bye weeks of the season on a two-game losing skid. The loss was also their fifth straight loss against the Lions dating back to July of 2023. Montreal has yet to win a game against B.C. under current head coach Jason Maas. 'We stick together and we work,' said Maas. 'That's what we've got to continue to do. I want them to enjoy the bye week, too, because that's what's on our schedule right now. When we come back, they better be willing and ready to work. We've got to learn some lessons from this game and continue to grind.' B.C.'s 43-yard offensive drive to start the game was quickly negated by the Alouettes. Rourke's long down field pass attempt to Keon Hatcher in the Lions' end zone was intercepted by Alouettes' defensive back Kabion Ento. Montreal quickly took advantage of the B.C. turnover. Bethel-Thompson found running back Thomas-Erlington for consecutive first-downs, good for 35 total yards. On just the third play of the drive, Bethel-Thompson's short pass to Philpot resulted in a 45-yard touchdown run by the wide receiver that gave the Alouettes an early 7-0 lead. Rourke then led his team on a 72-yard drive, capped off by his two-yard run into the end zone during the opening minute of the second quarter. Whyte's convert attempt was blocked by the Alouettes' Shawn Oakman to preserve Montreal's 7-6 lead. Maltos' 44-yard missed field goal attempt on the Alouettes' ensuing possession opened the door for Rourke and the Lions' offence to pick up right where they left off. The B.C. pivot orchestrated a 12-play, 64-yard drive, resulting in a 24-yard field goal by Whyte at 12:22 of the second quarter to give the Lions their first lead of the game. That lead would be short-lived, however, in large part thanks to B.C.'s lack of discipline. The Alouettes took advantage of a pair of infractions by the visitors, including an illegal contact penalty on defensive back Robert Carter that gave Montreal a first down at B.C.'s 14-yard line. Bethel-Thompson's pass to Thomas-Erlington on the next play put Montreal back in front 14-9, a lead they would take into halftime. Despite his team's victory, Lions head coach Buck Pierce knows his team can still be a whole lot better. 'Obviously, it feels good to win, but there's a lot of mistakes that we've got to fix,' said Pierce. 'We'll be happy tonight, but we have a lot of room for growth and that's the exciting part about this group.' UP NEXT Lions: Visit the Edmonton Elks on Sunday, July 13. Alouettes: Host the Toronto Argonauts on Thursday, July 17. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 5, 2025. Jordan Stoopler, The Canadian Press
National Post
17 hours ago
- Sport
- National Post
Sean Whyte kicks walk-off field goal as B.C. Lions rally to beat Alouettes 21-20
MONTREAL — Sean Whyte's 43-yard field goal on the final play of the game lifted the B.C. Lions to a stunning come-from-behind 21-20 win over the Montreal Alouettes in front of 21,144 Percival Molson Stadium spectators on Saturday night. Article content Trailing 17-12 as time wound down in the fourth quarter, Lions' quarterback Nathan Rourke connected on an 46-yard passing play to Stanley Berryhill the Third for the 18-17 go-ahead score. Article content Article content Article content Rourke failed on the ensuing two-point conversion attempt, allowing Montreal to retake a 20-18 lead on a Jose Maltos 24-yard field goal with 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Article content The Lions quickly moved the ball downfield on the ensuing kickoff, setting up Whyte for his last-play heroics. Article content The Lions snapped their three-game losing streak and improved to 2-3. Article content Rourke went 22-for-36, throwing for 352 yards and one touchdown. He was making his first start for B.C. since June 12 after missing his team's last two games with an oblique injury. Article content Justin McInnis had 6 receptions totalling 109 yards to pace the Lions, his first 100-plus yardage game of the season. Article content McLeod Bethel-Thomspon, starting his second straight game in place of the injured Davis Alexander, completed 15 of 23 pass attempts, good for 192 yards and two touchdowns. Article content Article content Alouettes running back Sean Thomas Erlington, who played in his 100th career CFL game, collected 76 yards and scored his first receiving touchdown of the season. It marked the Montreal native's fifth career non-rushing touchdown and his first since 2023. Tyson Philpot also scored his team-leading third touchdown of the season for Montreal. Article content Article content The Alouettes (3-2) suffered their fifth straight loss against the Lions dating back to July of 2023. Montreal has yet to win a game against B.C. under current head coach Jason Maas. Article content B.C.'s 43-yard offensive drive to start the game was quickly negated by the Alouettes. Rourke's long down field pass attempt to Keon Hatcher in the Lions' end zone was intercepted by Alouettes' defensive back Kabion Ento. Article content Montreal quickly took advantage of the B.C. turnover. Bethel-Thompson found running back Sean Thomas Erlington for consecutive first-downs, good for 35 total yards. On just the third play of the drive, Bethel-Thompson's short pass to Philpot resulted in a 45-yard touchdown run by the wide receiver that gave the Alouettes an early 7-0 lead. Article content Lions' defensive lineman Christian Covington's sack of Bethel-Thompson at his own 25-yard line late in the first quarter offered an opening for B.C.'s offence, which Rourke quickly took advantage of. The 27-year-old subsequently threw four passes good for at least 12 yards each. He would cap off the 72-yard drive himself with a two-yard run into the end zone just 57 seconds into the second quarter, his second rushing major of the season.
CTV News
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Legendary rapper Snoop Dogg performs ahead of B.C. Lions home opener
Snoop Dogg performs before the Edmonton Elks and the B.C. Lions play a CFL football game in Vancouver, on Saturday, June 7, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns VANCOUVER — Snoop Dogg was a B.C. Lions fan on Saturday — if only for one night. The legendary rapper donned a Lions jersey with the number 20 and his name emblazoned on the back as he took the stage for a concert at B.C. Place before the Lions hosted the Edmonton Elks in their first game of the CFL season. Over the course of a 35-minute set, Snoop Dogg sang several of his hits, including 'P.I.M.P.,' 'Gin and Juice,' and 'Drop it Like it's Hot,' plus abbreviated versions of songs he has featured on, such as Katy Perry's 'California Gurls' and the explicit version of Akon's 'I Wanna Love You.' His dancers and backup singers also donned Lions gear for the show. B.C. previously announced more than 50,000 fans were expected to take in the show. Several hundred danced and sang in the end zone below the elevated stage, while thousands more stood in their seats. A few Lions players and staff — including kicker Sean Whyte and defensive back Patrice Rene — took in parts of the show from the sidelines. Snoop Dogg has been making music for more than three decades and has seven platinum records, 20 Grammy Award nominations, and multiple BET Awards and MTV Movie Awards. He has become a pop culture icon known for working with a variety of entertainers from rapper-producer Dr. Dre to television personality Martha Stewart, and was a roving correspondent for NBC at last summer's Paris Olympics. The 53-year-old musician closed his set Saturday by signing several footballs and handing them out to kids in the end zone. 'You've got to promise to grow up to be a B.C. Lion,' he said to one. 'You getting good grades in school?' he asked another. Before leaving the stage, Snoop Dogg signed yet another football, removed his trademark sunglasses and the gold, bejewelled Wu-Tang Clan ring on his pinky, and handed off his gold microphone. He then launched the ball into the upper deck of the stands. He formed his hands into a heart and clapped for the crowd, then left before the game got underway. Big concerts have become an annual tradition for the Lions. Last year, the team launched its season with a performance by rapper 50 Cent that drew an announced crowd of 53,788. This report by Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press, was first published June 7, 2025.
