BY HARPREET PANDHER

Broadcaster on Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi and

BC Lions Football Punjabi

IG/X/TikTok: @harppandher

THE BC Lions opened their two-game Touchdown Kelowna series at Kelowna’s Apple Bowl on Saturday, June 27, but came away with a disappointing 41-33 loss to the Calgary Stampeders.

Both teams entered the contest looking for their first victory of the season at 0-2, but it was Calgary that capitalized on key mistakes and left the Okanagan with the win.

The Stampeders opened the scoring after a BC special teams offside penalty by Riley Pickett kept their opening drive alive. Quarterback Nathan Rourke made the Lions pay, connecting with Dedrick Mills on a three-yard touchdown pass.

The Lions responded in the second quarter as Rourke found Zander Horvath for a six-yard touchdown. Rourke later connected with Jermaine Jackson on another six-yard scoring strike to keep BC within striking distance. Calgary added points of its own, and the Stampeders carried a 24-14 lead into halftime.

The third quarter proved to be the turning point. Sean Whyte kicked a field goal for the Lions, but Calgary answered with a touchdown pass from Vernon Adams Jr. to Tevin Jones. The biggest blow came on special teams when BC punter Carl Meyer had a punt returned 90 yards for a touchdown by Tyreik McAllister, extending Calgary’s lead to 38-17.

The Lions mounted a late comeback. Horvath scored his second touchdown of the game on a one-yard run, while Hergy Mayala hauled in a touchdown reception with just 29 seconds remaining. BC recovered hope with an opportunity for an onside kick, but there simply wasn’t enough time left to complete the comeback.

Special teams proved to be the difference, as costly mistakes directly contributed to Calgary’s victory.

The loss dropped the Lions to 0-3 for the first time since 2019, and the organization responded quickly. On Monday, the club announced it had parted ways with special teams coordinator Corey McDiarmid following the unit’s difficult start to the season. The Lions will be looking for an immediate improvement in that phase of the game after special teams played a major role in Saturday’s defeat.

The challenge doesn’t get any easier. The Lions remain in Kelowna for the second game of the Touchdown Kelowna series, where they will face the surprising Edmonton Elks. Edmonton enters the matchup with the CFL’s only undefeated record at 3-0 after several difficult seasons, making them one of the league’s biggest early-season success stories.

BC will be looking to earn its first victory of the year, but it will need a much cleaner performance in all three phases of the game.

Fans can catch all the action in Punjabi on Sher-E-Punjab Radio 600 AM, with Harpreet Pandher and Raman Bains once again providing live play-by-play coverage. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, with the pregame show beginning at 3:30 p.m.

Sports fans can enjoy a full day of action, as Canada’s FIFA World Cup match against Morocco kicks off earlier in the day at 10 a.m., allowing fans to watch both events without any scheduling conflict.

Tune in to BC Lions Football Touchdown on Sher-E-Punjab AM600 

Edmonton Elks at B.C. Lions Saturday, July 4 at 4 p.m. at Save on Foods Field at Apple Bowl Stadium in Kelowna.

Pre-game show: 3:30 p.m. Countdown to Kickoff: 4 p.m. https://listen.streamon.fm/ckspam