Around the CFL: Lions not losing sight of Grey Cup goal

By Fred Williams Nov 18, 2006, 6:15 GMT

Winnipeg, MB - They were the CFL's most dominant team during the regular season and at the league's awards banquet.

All that's left for the B.C. Lions to win now is the Grey Cup.

The Lions were the class of the league this season, registering a CFL-best 13-5 record to finish first in the West Division standings. And to show that was no fluke, B.C. dismantled a pretty good Saskatchewan Roughriders team, 45-18, in the West Division final last weekend.

Then on Thursday, the five Lions nominated for CFL individual awards all emerged victorious, with defensive end Brent Johnson leading the way by capturing the league's outstanding defensive player and top Canadian awards. The six-foot-three, 265-pound Johnson, who is from Kingston, Ontario, and played his college football at Ohio State, led the CFL in sacks with 16 and helped B.C.'s defense finish first in the league in fewest yards allowed, averaging 299 per game, and sacks, with 59.

Teammates Geroy Simon (outstanding player), Rob Murphy (top lineman) and Aaron Hunt (top rookie) and won awards, making the Lions the first CFL team ever to have five individual winners.

'You always know when you have something special and you can feel it every day when we go to practice,' Johnson said after collecting his awards. 'They've got the chemistry right, it's magical.'

Simon also received the Fans Choice award while defensive back Mark Washington received the Tom Pate Memorial award, given annually to the player who performs outstanding community service.

Simon was expected to claim the outstanding player award after leading the CFL in receiving with 105 receptions for 1,856 yards and 15 TDs. The six-foot- five, 310-pound Murphy claimed the lineman award in his first CFL season. The former Ohio State standout helped B.C.'s offense lead the league in passing (292 yards per game) and passing touchdowns (36).

The six-foot-three, 270-pound Hunt is also in his first season with the Lions and registered nine sacks, 14 tackles and a forced fumble this season. However, all the individual accomplishments won't mean a thing unless the Lions can follow up all their success to date with a win over Montreal in the Grey Cup on Sunday.

'This has been a dream season, we just have to finish it off,' Simon said. But the quartet isn't the only group of Lions to have excelled this season. B.C. led the CFL in passing this year even though the club had to play three different quarterbacks due to injuries. Veteran Dave Dickenson will get the start Sunday, but suffered through a variety of injuries that allowed the Lions to give backup Buck Pierce and Jarious Jackson some playing time. Dickenson completed over 70 percent of his passes this year and had 22 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. His 3,032 passing yards left him ranked seventh among CFL starters.

Joe Smith, who replaced incumbent Antonio Warren at running back early this year, rushed for 831 yards on just 166 carries for an impressive 5.3-yard average. He also scored nine touchdowns. Simon is the leader of a speedy receiving corps that also features Paris Jackson (51 catches for 634 yards and four touchdowns) and Ryan Thelwell (53 catches for 625 yards and four touchdowns).

As good as Murphy played, though, the B.C. offensive line did give up a CFL- high 56 sacks this year. Still, the Lions come into the game solid seven-point favorites after beating Montreal in their two meetings this season. In their last game, which the Lions won 36-20, they tied a club record with 12 sacks against Montreal.

B.C. is appearing in its third Grey Cup since 2000 and is looking for its second victory. The Lions beat Montreal 28-26 in the 2000 final.

'I'm jacked up and ready to play so Montreal had better look out,' said linebacker Carl Kidd. 'This is what you go to training camp for.'

Wally Buono, the Lions head coach and general manager, allowed his players to be their own watchdogs this week, choosing against putting down a curfew. 'My comment to them (players) was the game is important,' Buono said. 'If winning is important to you then curfews aren't that important at all because the whole thing we've preached all year is it's on the players.'

© 2006 The Sports Network