VANCOUVER — The Calgary Stampeders left it all out on the field until the final seconds, but ultimately fell to the BC Lions in the Western Semi-Final despite a massive second-half effort.
Vernon Adams Jr. threw for 334 yards, but it wasn’t enough to beat the Lions in their home den, with Sean Whyte coming up clutch as the clock ran out, kicking a game-winning walk-off field goal.
“It’s a tough one,” said head coach Dave Dickenson. “I think we deserved a better fate, but you know, we still lost and they made the extra plays.
“I thought we were the better team in the fourth quarter. Had our chances, didn’t get the job done and they did.”
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The Stampeders returned to the playoffs after missing in 2024 following a last-place finish, but had a streak of 18 consecutive playoff appearances before that.
The Stamps clinched a top-three spot in the West this season.
“It’s just a great group of teammates, great group of people in that locker room, great coaches Unfortunately, you gotta think about more than just that,” said Dickenson.
“It’s a rough one for our guys but I really have a lot of respect and I’m proud of my guys.”
Adams Jr., in his first season in Calgary after playing the previous two seasons for the Lions, did everything in his power to bring the Stamps to the Western Final.
“Obviously, it hurts, it sucks,” said Adams Jr. “Someone had to lose, someone had to win. It’s a good team over there. We fought our butts off. I think, as an offence, we just started slow in the first half.”
“Maybe we pick it up a little bit more and get seven on one of those field goals,” Adams Jr. added.
For Calgary, a team that last won the Grey Cup in 2018, the standard for excellence remains high, and this loss will be a point for improvement in 2026.
“We poured our hearts into it, poured our souls into it, and sometimes you come up short,” said Derrick Moncrief.
“You just gotta look forward to next year.”