Lions Eye Grey Cup Berth, Canadian Bowl Hits Victoria in Packed Weekend of BC Football

There’s a National Championship on the line this weekend in Victoria, while both the BC Lions and UBC Thunderbirds are intent on keeping their championship aspirations alive in their respective playoff games. 

The stage is set for an action-packed weekend on the gridiron around British Columbia. Sports Page BC dives into what you need to know.    

High School SEASON WRAPS UP UNDER Friday Night Lights

The regular season of BC High School Football officially wraps up Friday night, save for a lone Saturday game in Vernon where the Westsyde Whundas attempt to complete an undefeated regular season when they line up against winless Pleasant Valley. The other 15 contests scheduled across the province will take place under the lights Friday night and will feature several rivalry games ahead of next weekend’s opening round of the playoffs. 

The AAA Game of the Week features a first-place showdown in Chilliwack between Fraser Valley foes Robert Bateman (4-1) and host GW Graham (4-1). In the AA/AAA tier, the annual Barsby-Ballenas Border Battle takes centre stage in Nanaimo as the unbeaten John Barsby Bulldogs (4-0) welcome the Ballenas Whalers (2-1) from Parksville.  

For all 16 matchups, check out the BC High School Football website, which will also reveal the postseason bracket for both tiers this weekend once the seeding committee formalizes the playoff picture on Saturday.     

High Stakes Saturday With BC Lions, UBC Thunderbirds in Pivotal Battles

Hardy Cup Semi-Final: UBC Thunderbirds vs. Manitoba Bisons

When: 1:00 p.m. PCT

Where: Thunderbird Stadium, Vancouver

How to Watch: Canada West TV 

The UBC Thunderbirds (6-2) enter the U Sports postseason ranked No. 5 in Canada and have earned home-field advantage throughout the Canada West Hardy Cup Playoffs after ripping the regular season crown away from the Saskatchewan Huskies a week ago. 

The Thunderbirds have won three straight overall and are seeking the program’s first playoff victory since 2023, when they advanced to the Vanier Cup before 16-9 against the powerhouse Montreal Carabins. 

That lengthy playoff run began with a win over  Manitoba, a feat UBC will look to replicate Saturday afternoon. The Thunderbids and Bisons haven’t met since late September in Winnipeg, where UBC rolled to a 31-6 victory in the rain.  

While both teams boast impressive defences, UBC has a decided advantage offensively thanks to a balanced attack that features playmakers on the ground and through the air. 18-year-old freshman Marvyn Larozar led the country with 891 rushing yards despite missing UBC’s season finale, while quarterback Drew Viotto and receiver Trey Montour were one of the most prolific passing duos in Canada West this season. 

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CFL West Final: Edmonton Elks vs. BC Lions

When: 4:30 p.m. PCT

Where: Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton

How to Watch/Listen: TSN, CKNW 730 

For the fourth time in five years, the Lions find themselves a win away from their first Grey Cup appearance since 2011. On the other side of the ball, the Edmonton Elks haven’t played a playoff game since 2019 and haven’t hosted one in nearly a decade.    

The teams split their season series with each holding serve in their home province, but they haven’t played head-to-head in nearly four months. Edmonton has been resting the bulk of their starters since clinching the top spot in the West on Oct. 15, while BC is coming off a thrilling 33-26 playoff win over the Saskatchewan  Roughriders at BC Place that saw Nathan Rourke throw for 366 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to fellow Canadian Jevon Cottoy.  

The game will feature strength-on-strength matchups that will determine which team dictates the terms of engagement. The Elks’ top-ranked run game is defined by its most dangerous offensive weapon and the CFL’s leading rusher, Justin Rankin, who is equally as difficult to contain in the passing game. Limiting Rankin will be priority one for the Lions' league-best run defence, anchored by the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year, Darnell Sankey.   

Edmonton’s defence was outstanding in nearly every statistical category, including its pass defence, which allowed the fewest passing yards this season and forced 27 interceptions, also leading the CFL. BC counters with a passing game that ranked third in yardage, led by quarterback Rourke, who threw for more than 300 yards in all but two of the 16 games he played start to finish.     

The game won’t kick off until after 5:30 pm Alberta Time in Edmonton, but there is no precipitation in the forecast, and the temperature will remain above freezing, so the weather shouldn’t play much of a role in determining which team travels south to Calgary to represent the West in the 113th Grey Cup on Nov. 15.      

National Championship Sunday on Vancouver Island

Canadian Bowl: Regina Thunder at Westshore Rebels

When: 1:00 p.m. PCT

Where: Starlight Stadium, Langford

How to Watch: CJFL.org

BC’s phenomenal football weekend culminates in Langford, where this year’s Canadian Junior Football champions will be crowned.  

The Regina Thunder are seeking a second national title after winning the Canadian Bowl in 2013, while Victoria’s Westshore Rebels are looking to make franchise history. The Rebels finished on the wrong side of the scoreboard in both the 2016 and 2023 Canadian Bowls, which they also hosted.   

Westshore’s path to this Sunday’s game was a difficult one that saw them march through the mainland. The Rebels upset the Okanagan Sun 39-32 in Kelowna before pulling off another road upset in the BCFC Final, outlasting the favoured Langley Rams 35-28.  

By contrast, Regina cruised to two comfortable playoff victories at home over Calgary and Saskatoon, winning each game by at least 25 points. The only game the Thunder have dropped this year was their regular-season finale, when they rested several key players ahead of the postseason.  

The Rebels will hope the current forecast of 12 degrees and cloudy with no rain holds up, as it will improve their chances of unleashing First-Team All-Canadian receiver Zion Brown against a stingy Thunder defence. Brown led the country with 908 receiving yards on 47 receptions and was instrumental in Westshore’s upset of Langley, hauling in five passes for 136 yards and a touchdown. He’s been the favourite target of quarterback Anthony Cancellare, who has thrown for over 400 yards in each of the Rebels' playoff wins.  

Regina led all CJFL teams with six players named First-Team All Canadians earlier this week, including the nation’s leading rusher, Peter Boersch, who ran for 1221 yards on 162 carries in just seven games. The Thunder also feature a top receiver in Tanner Donovel, who averaged 90 yards a game and scored six touchdowns in the regular season.  

With both teams armed with so much firepower, the Thunder and Rebels could deliver the kind of fireworks befitting a national championship and put an exclamation point on a sensational three days of football around the province. 

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