Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca
We’re just days away from 2024 CFL Semi-Final Saturday with a pair of outstanding matchups on tap.
It starts in the East Division with Ottawa visiting Toronto after the two teams split the season series. Also splitting their season series with one win each were BC and Saskatchewan, with the latter hosting the Western Semi-Final on Saturday afternoon.
With that in mind, and with some big moments in store for us this weekend, here are some of the most notable highlights from recent Semi-Final weekends!
2024 CFL PLAYOFFS
» O’Leary: 3 storylines to watch in the Eastern Semi-Final
» Costabile: 3 storylines to watch in the Western Semi-Final
» Buy Semi-Finals Tickets: Ottawa at Toronto
» Buy Semi-Finals Tickets: BC at Saskatchewan
2021 – THE WILDEST OF FINISHES
The final minutes of 2021’s Western Semi-Final between the Stamps and Riders will go down as some of the craziest in recent memory. Eventually culminating in a 33-30 overtime victory for Saskatchewan, this game’s wild swings of momentum probably deserve individual moments of their own.
Trailing 24-20 with less than three minutes remaining, the Roughriders started the late game ping pong match when Cody Fajardo finished off a touchdown drive with a one-yard quarterback keeper to give the home side a four-point lead.
But with Bo Levi Mitchell at the helm, Calgary put together a clutch scoring drive of their own. After a couple big completions, Rene Paredes tied the game by just sneaking a 47-yard field goal though the left upright for a 27-27 tie and extra time.
Both teams nailed easy field goals on their first overtime possessions to set up a dramatic finish. Future Hall of Famer Paredes stunningly missed a 44-yarder to put the Stampeders on the back foot. Sask moved the ball into field goal range on their ensuing possession, which allowed Brett Lauther to walk it off with a 34-yard strike for a thrilling 33-30 win at Mosaic.
2015 – MEDLOCK WALKS IT OFF
Justin Medlock drilled a 47-yarder right down the middle to help Hamilton to a 25-22 win in the 2015 Eastern Semi-Final (Dave Chidley CFL.ca)
After Toronto kicker Swayze Waters hit a 34-yard field goal with less than a minute remaining, it felt like the 2015 Eastern Semi-Final was headed to overtime, too. But Justin Medlock, Jeremiah Masoli, and a roughing the passer penalty allowed Hamilton to have different ideas.
Taking over with less than 50 seconds to go, Masoli helped get the Ticats into a makeable spot for Medlock with double zeroes on the clock. Not surprisingly, one of his era’s most accurate kickers drilled a 47-yarder right down the middle to help Hamilton to a 25-22 win at an elated Tim Hortons Field.
2016 – JENNINGS BRINGS ‘EM BACK
The BC Lions looked done and dusted as they entered halftime at the 2016 Western Semi-Final. Trailing Winnipeg 25-12 after two quarters, the Lions cut the deficit slightly by outscoring the opposition 7-3 in the third quarter. Still down by two scores going to the fourth, though, it felt like the BC Place faithful were set to go home disappointed.
Quarterback Jonathon Jennings had a different plan, though. In perhaps his crowning moment with the Lions, Jennings got the home side back within five points when he hit Terrell Sinkfield Jr. with a six-yard touchdown pass with less than seven minutes to go. But Jennings saved the best for last.
Trailing 31-26 and at the nine-yard line, Jennings escaped pressure once, evaded a tackler as he busted the ball outside, and leaped over another at the goal line to complete an electrifying touchdown run to give BC a late lead. With time remaining, the Blue Bombers weren’t able to score again as the Lions walked away with a thrilling 31-32 win.
2018 – HAMILTON’S DYNAMIC DUO
Addison caught five passes for 124 yards in the 2018 Eastern Semi Final (Geoff Robins CFL.ca)
While the 2018 Eastern Semi-Final wasn’t necessarily a thriller and certainly didn’t come down to the wire, it did feature a couple stellar performances from Hamilton receivers. Bralon Addison and Luke Tasker were outstanding six years ago as the Tiger-Cats took a convincing 48-8 win over the crossover BC Lions.
It was Addison’s CFL arrival moment, as he had joined Hamilton a couple months prior as a free agent. Addison finished with five catches and 124 yards and would have his breakout campaign the following year. Tasker, on the other hand, caught a pair of touchdown passes and finished with 70 receiving yards in one of his last banner performances with the Tiger-Cats.
2023 – BIG PLAY VA HAS A DAY
We’ll finish this list with last year’s Western Semi-Final and one of the best afternoons in the career of Vernon Adams Jr. In his first full year as BC’s starter, Adams Jr. helped his team to a 41-30 win over Calgary to earn a second straight Western Final showdown with the Blue Bombers.
In perhaps the greatest performance of his career, especially considering the stakes, Adams Jr. threw for 413 yards and two touchdowns while also adding 54 more yards on the ground and three rushing touchdowns.
