BC Lions let victory slip away in final minutes

JEN FIELD/ GATG

On Sunday, July 27, 2025, the BC Lions, sitting fourth in the Western Division, hosted the second-seeded Hamilton Tiger-Cats at BC Place for their 1,200 club game. 

The Tigercats came into the match on a 4 game win streak and were looking to add a fifth win, which would be the first time since 2019. The Lions running back James Butler would also be facing his old team for the first time since his departure from the Tigercats.

The Lions came out strong and capitalized on the momentum right from the opening kickoff. Quarterback Nathan Rourke connected on a series of short passes that moved the chains for a first down. 

Although the Lions were soon forced to punt on a third down, their defensive back Travian Blaylock caused the Tigercats receiver to fumble the ball. He was able to recover it, giving the Lions another shot at their drive. 

James Butler soon put up the first points on the board, punching in a 3-yard rushing touchdown to open the scoring against his former team.

The Tigercats responded by scoring a field goal, but the Lions responded right back when receiving the kick off. Butler continued to dominate and was able to pick up multiple rushing yards and score his second touchdown of the quarter. At the end of the first, the Lions held a strong lead.

Second-quarter started with a Tigercats possession deep in Lions territory on their second yard line. The Lions defense was able to stop the Tigercats quarterback. While the Lions’ defense initially stopped quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell on the third down at the 1-yard line, Hamilton eventually broke through for a short rushing touchdown, narrowing the score to 14–10. 

With just under 2 minutes left on the board, the Lions were able to add another field goal thanks to a kick from Sean Whyte. 

Just before the half the Lions were able to add a field goal from Sean Whyte to bring their lead to 17-10. With just over a minute remaining, Hamilton was threatening a touchdown again, until Lions defensive back Robert Carter Jr. made what could be the highlight of the season. 

While Mitchell attempted a 39 yard pass to receiver Brendar O’leary-Orange, the 5 '9 defensive back leapt into the air and made a stunning one-handed interception, coming down clean with the ball. Giving the Lions the possession back.

In the third quarter, Mitchell was able to connect with his receivers for a touchdown. However, the Lions were only able to get a field goal. Leaving a narrow gap in the score while heading into the last 15 minutes of the game.

The fourth quarter opened with a field goal from the Tigercats. The Lions responded with a 45 yard field goal of their own from Whyte. With just 4 minutes remaining, the Lions backup quarterback Jeremiah Masoli ran in a 2-yard touchdown to extend the Lions’ lead to 33–23.

But the game was not quite over yet. 

With minutes remaining in the game, the Tigercats were able to respond with a 44 yard touchdown throw, bringing it to a one score game. Then, in a stunning final drive with just 16 seconds left, Mitchell found Kiondre Smith wide open in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown, completing a dramatic 37–33 comeback for the Tiger-Cats.

The loss was especially difficult for the Lions, who had built what felt like a secure 10-point lead with 3 minutes remaining.

“We had fans leaving the game thinking, ‘Oh, this game’s over,’” said defensive back Robert Carter Jr. “I would definitely say this is a devastating loss.”