Photo courtesy: Steven Chang/B.C. Lions
The B.C. Lions’ backups exceeded expectations early in their third annual preseason trip to Vancouver Island, but failed to finish as the game progressed, falling 34-16 to the Edmonton Elks in front of 6,126 fans at Starlight Stadium in Langford.
Here are my thoughts on the game.
Cannon fodder
If you were hoping to use Saturday’s contest as a gauge for the Lions’ prospects in 2026, think again. As they have for the past several years, B.C. elected to use their first preseason game as an audition for new players and youngsters clawing to make the roster. The experience gap predictably showed on the scoreboard.
33 players were left on the inactive list, including reigning M.O.P. quarterback Nathan Rourke. Of the athletes who did suit up, I’d set the over-under for Week 2 starters – the Lions are on bye to open the regular season – at 2.5, and that’s only if you include punters.
That’s not to say that this game was meaningless. The pared-down lineup that the Lions deploy provides an extended look at those battling for depth roles and allows for a fairer evaluation, putting them in a scenario that more closely resembles a real game. The team is likely to trim its roster over the next few days in order to make the final decisions easier, but nobody who played in this one can claim they didn’t get a fair shake.
There is a much clearer picture after this game of the two dozen players who will make up the end of the roster and practice squad. It just didn’t allow observers to glean anything about how the real team will fare next month.
Brice for impact
As a well-established Chase Brice skeptic, I have to admit that I was impressed by what I saw on Vancouver Island. In roughly a quarter-and-a-half of action, he commanded the offence with the authority of a veteran and handled pressure well, delivering a couple of throws with a defender in his face. The 28-year-old finished eight-for-10 for 77 yards and a touchdown before retreating to the sidelines, perhaps for the first time convincingly demonstrating why B.C. has so doggedly invested in him.
The question is whether that is enough to feel comfortable with the quarterback room going forward. Brice is entering year four as a Lion. He is a seasoned hand with an intimate knowledge of the Canadian game and should look capable in a preseason setting against a second-team defence. Will that equate to success when the stakes are real?
I worry that the decision on backup quarterback has been predicated on the idea that the devil you know is better than the one you don’t. That, despite unsuccessfully seeking upgrades in the form of Tre Ford and Dustin Crum this offseason, the trust that Brice has built from simply sticking around has made him impossible to unseat.
You can see that dynamic at play in the limited deployment of Jarret Doege since his arrival, a player who has actually started CFL games and shown greater flashes than Brice. Doege didn’t see the field until midway through the fourth quarter, going six-of-10 for 67 yards. It is still early days, but I have not gotten the impression that there is an actual competition for the number two job, which seems problematic even if Brice is the best player for that position.
Settling for a backup QB doesn’t matter until it does. And in the CFL, it will always matter sooner or later. At some point this season, Brice will have to step up, and I hope he’s actually ready for that moment.
Demontagnac demonstration
It’s always a good day when your first-round draft pick looks as advertised. Receiver Nate Demontagnac made a big first impression in his Lions debut, twisting his body to snag a tremendous back-shoulder catch in tight coverage from Jaaron Joseph on a fade route. The play drew oohs and aahs from the assembled crowd and wound up being the longest offensive play from B.C. on the day at 25 yards.
The Lions may have reached ever so slightly to select Demontagnac with the seventh overall pick, but the North Dakota product was clearly the best receiver available this year and would not have lasted until their next pick. The Lions don’t expect him to step into the starting lineup right away, but he is the future at the position and proved on Saturday that the jump in competition won’t be too much for him.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t all good news for the Mississauga native. After collecting two catches for 39 yards, Demontagnac was seen wearing a sling on one arm after the game, potentially as the result of a diving attempt to snag an overthrown ball from Kaidon Salter. Head coach Buck Pierce did not appear particularly concerned post-game, but said that the team had yet to determine the seriousness of the injury.
Kem as you are
Demontagnac wasn’t the only draft pick to make a splash. Fourth-rounder Pierre Kemeni saw extended action at safety, a position with which he is largely unfamiliar, and secured the team’s only takeaway with a second-quarter interception. He ran the route for Edmonton receiver Jalon Calhoun before smoothly breaking in front.
A journeyman transfer who struggled to consistently find a role at cornerback in college, Kemeni will probably never play safety in the CFL. He’s operated a lot as the nickel in training camp and may even move to weak-side linebacker down the line. However, the fact that the youngster has already become comfortable at a variety of spots that he’s never played before is a very good sign. He’ll be a core special teams contributor this season, and the Lions love his future upside.
Battling as billed
If there was one legitimate starting battle playing out in Langford, it was at Canadian receiver. In order to accommodate their plan to start four Americans along the offensive line, the Lions are preparing to deploy three homegrown pass catchers. Justin McInnis and Jevon Cottoy will obviously occupy two of those spots, but the final one is up for grabs between Kieran Poissant and Hergy Mayala.
Both players made big plays early on. Poissant drew a massive cheer for corralling a tipped ball and tapping his toes along the sidelines. It was a deceptively difficult catch, though the reception from the crowd likely had more to do with his status as a former Westshore Rebel, the CJFL team that calls Starlight Stadium home. He finished with two catches for 35 yards in those familiar confines.
Mayala, who has, by all accounts, been impressive in training camp, answered with B.C.’s only touchdown a few plays later. The 30-year-old former first-round pick went over the top of Jaaron Joseph to snag a back-shoulder ball in the end zone. He added two more catches, finishing with 24 yards.
No matter who wins the job, it will be a feel-good story. Poissant has carved out an improbable career by doing things the right way and has unquestionably improved by leaps and bounds. Entering his third season, he’s built strong chemistry with Nathan Rourke, in large part because he is one of the few who can match the franchise quarterback’s work ethic. Mayala is trying to resurrect his career for what feels like the third or fourth time after finishing last year on the practice roster, but he has a history of proven production in the CFL. Both players will be needed at some point this year.
Bad news backer
The Lions have been extremely high on a pair of young American linebackers in training camp, Ralen Goforth and Parker McKenna. Both lived up to the hype in their first CFL action, as Goforth led the team with seven defensive tackles and McKenna wasn’t far behind with five.
It was the latter who flashed most frequently to my eyes, fighting off a block to bat down a pass that held Edmonton’s starting offence to a field goal early and tracking down a few ball carriers in space with good closing speed. However, he also committed a bad roughing the passer penalty that erased a B.C. interception in the endzone and got into a scuffle late in the game that drew an unnecessary roughness flag.
McKenna is clearly a talented player, but those are the types of preventable infractions that cost jobs when the tough choices are made on cutdown day. The Washington State product has one more week to prove they are an anomaly, not a trend.
Taken with a grain of Salter
With Brice seemingly entrenched as the backup quarterback, the Lions could go developmental with the third-string role. Newcomer Kaidon Salter generated some buzz early in camp, and the team gave him a long look through the second and third quarters.
The former Conference USA MVP’s performance was a mixed bag, as he showed off easy arm talent and a willingness to throw into tight windows, but struggled to stay accurate, going seven-of-14 for 67 yards. He also flashed the ability to make plays with his legs, turning one botched snap into a memorable first-down run, but held onto the ball too long and took a couple of bad sacks.
Salter’s skillset is well-suited for the CFL game if the Lions can get the best out of him — something that Coach Prime, Deion Sanders, wasn’t able to do last year at Colorado — but he has a long way to go before he’s ready to see meaningful action. Hopefully, B.C. doesn’t dismiss the potential too early.
Crispy, charred cover men
The Lions are on the lookout for their next generation of defensive backs, as lockdown cornerback Garry Peters and franchise legend T.J. Lee age out of their roles. Unfortunately, if Saturday’s performance is any indication, they’ll need to keep looking.
Lorando Johnson, a Baylor product, has seen a lot of action in place of Peters through training camp, but he got soundly cooked on a double move from Austin Mack that resulted in Edmonton’s opening touchdown. That was, mercifully, his only egregious bust of the afternoon, though it seemed as if a lot of balls were being caught in his vicinity. Tyson Russell, B.C.’s other leading corner candidate, had a better outing, though he was lucky to rip the ball out late on what could have been a big catch from Carter Kettyle.
The most frequent victim of the Edmonton offence was halfback D.K. Kaufman, whose struggles seemed to multiply as the game went on. He lost Jalon Calhoun coming across the field on a 41-yard touchdown in the third quarter, then got cooked late by Kettyle on a 58-yard score in the fourth. There was also an early hiccup on special teams, as he jumped on a near-perfect punt from Carl Meyer and gave the Elks free field position with the no-yards flag.
Pre-Emani-ent performances
One of the best performances of the night came from a player who has almost no chance to make the active roster. Running back Emani Bailey consistently looked dangerous with the ball in his hands, despite some suspect blocking in front of him. He finished with 10 carries for 54 yards, breaking at least a dozen tackles in the process.
The two-headed rushing attack of James Butler and Zander Horvath isn’t going anywhere. In fact, the Lions seem more excited about Horvath this year than they were in 2025, which could indicate an even larger role. If the team wants to keep Bailey, it will have to be as injury insurance on the practice roster.
Trailing the TCU back by a single yard, the Lions’ second-most-productive offensive player was receiver Jayden Williams. Listed at just five-foot-nine and 186 pounds, the Texas State product played much larger and absorbed some big hits to keep control of his three catches. He could be worth a longer look next week.
Dying for consumption
I was only able to make it up to Kamloops for a single training camp practice this week, but T.J. Burke was undoubtedly the player who flashed the most. It is tough to assess how much stock to place in that, though, given that the defensive tackle was a late addition with fresh legs going against players already dragging from 10 days of wear and tear.
Though he was held entirely off the stat sheet, I thought Burke had some more positive moments on the Island. He got into the backfield on one play and narrowly missed a tackle for loss on Isaiah Knight, with Goforth cleaning up the play for no gain. The Lehigh product generated noticeable pressure on several plays and obliterated Cole Snyder on his touchdown pass to Calhoun, though the coverage bust made it a moot point. He also delivered a couple of forceful blocks as part of the kickoff return unit, knocking poor Jaaron Joseph into next week.
I desperately hope that his strong play continues and that the rookie can record a sack next week, if only so I can write that a quarterback succumbed to TJ-Burke-ulosis.
Luck of the Irish
It was no doubt frustrating for fans at Starlight Stadium to watch the Lions’ offence come up short so frequently in their rare opportunity to view the team live, but the chip-shot kicks weren’t meaningless. They gave converted Gaelic footballer Mark McNamee a chance to work his new craft in a live game.
The longest of his three makes was just 30 yards, but that’s a pretty big deal when you’re from Ireland and still trying to master consistently getting it through the uprights. While he did send a kickoff illegally out of bounds early, it was a positive performance overall for the long-term kicking project.
Elsewhere on special teams, former NFL Draft pick Jaelon Darden had a strong outing in the return game, busting a 40-yard punt return. Former Texas speedster Silas Bolden also added a 53-yard kickoff return. It will be interesting to see if either player can further their case to make the roster next week, as incumbent return man Seven McGee has gotten a sizeable amount of reps on offence.
Get used to it
The trek out to Victoria and back is a long one, but this annual preseason showcase continues to be a wonderful event. The intimate atmosphere at Starlight Stadium makes it a unique venue in which to watch a professional game, and the fan response is awesome. While the Lions are the overwhelming draw, the stands had plenty of jerseys from other franchises — even the Atlantic Schoners were represented! I sincerely hope the tradition continues.
This year’s game also served as an effective teaser for what is to come. If you like seeing the Lions serve the entire province by parachuting onto a BCFC team’s field, just wait for the end of June. B.C.’s two games in Kelowna at a temporarily expanded Apple Bowl should be a blast and have me far more excited than any event being played under the umbrella of the international soccer cartel that has forced the team’s eviction from BC Place.
In the meantime, the Lions will have one more preseason game to evaluate their incoming talent. They’ll take the field on Friday, May 29, in Winnipeg, before the final roster takes its shape the next day.
