Printers leads Lions to OT win over Ticats
Former Hamilton pivot shocks big crowd in Steeltown with 360-yard day
Last Updated: Sunday, November 15, 2009 | 8:05 PM ET
By Malcolm Kelly, CBC Sports
B.C. quarterback Casey Printers (1) leaps to celebrate his touchdown with fellow quarterback Travis Lulay (14) during first half action on Sunday. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press) Of all the people for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to lose a playoff game to, did it have to be Casey Printers?
He's the same guy who left after almost two seasons in Steeltown amid talk the only person in the dressing room who liked him was the quarterback himself?
There was Printers on Sunday afternoon, leading the B.C. Lions to a 34-27 overtime victory over the hometown Cats in the CFL's crossover semifinal game.
"I'm so cool with that," Printers said of being portrayed as Public Enemy No. 1 in Steeltown. "To be honest with you, man, I'm so thankful for Hamilton.
"Because of all the turmoil and all the ups and downs, I'm able to be here and lead these guys and not get shaken up. I was booed heavily when I was playing [for Hamilton]. It was tough from that perspective, but I learned so much. And because of all that, I'm telling you, I'm able to flourish today."
With the victory, the Lions move on to Montreal next Sunday for the "East" final — and the winner to the Grey Cup. B.C. earned the crossover by having more points (16) in finishing fourth in the West than Winnipeg did (14) finishing third in the East.
Printers completed 24-of-35 passes for 360 yards and also rushed for a touchdown in his return to Ivor Wynne Stadium.
He hit Ian Smart on an eight-yard touchdown pass for the winning score on the Lions' second play in the extra session following a 27-yard Martell Mallett run.
Glenn came so close
Hamilton then tried to match the Lions' score, handing the ball off to Deandra' Cobb, who was little used on the game.
Cobb gained a couple yards, Kevin Glenn was sacked on the next play and his desperation toss to keep things going fell short, ending the contest and what had been a renaissance year for the Cats.
It was a rotten way to end such a heart-pounding day for Glenn, who took over late in the year from Quinton Porter and led Hamilton to its first home post-season game since 2001.
Trailing by eight points in regulation and starting from his own end with less than two minutes to go, Glenn set off on a drive that had most of the 27,430 people in the stands — 2,000 short of a sellout — nearly hysterical.
With 25 seconds left and sitting on the B.C. nine-yard line, Glenn found hometown hero Dave Stala in the end zone for his second major of the game and the Cats trailed by a pair, 27-25.
The quarterback then hooked up with rookie Marquay McDaniel for the two-point conversion, sending the match to overtime.
Glenn finished with 31-of-51 passes for 437 yards and two majors and said Hamilton was simply outplayed.
Where was Cobb?
Cobb, the first-year running back who had scorched the Lions for 267 yards on the ground in two previous meetings, carried just seven times for 34 yards on Sunday against a Lions defence that allowed a CFL-high 138 yards rushing per game in the regular season.
Other than one Glenn scramble, that was it for the Hamilton running attack.
"We called a lot of runs but they forced us to pull the ball and get on the edge with it and they put extra people in the box," Tiger-Cats head coach Marcel Bellefeuille said. "That was OK because we knew we could throw against them."
BC. didn't run much more but the threat of Printers taking off every time he rolled out of the pocket kept the Cats' linebacker trio in tight much of the game and opened the passing lanes for Printers.
Printers on fire early
The big surprise of the first half wasn't that the Lions lead 16-6, but that they weren't up by much more.
Printers was a dynamic 13-for-15, 178 yards and no interceptions in the opening 30 minutes but found the end zone just once — doing the job himself by hoofing it in from 12 yards out late in the half.
Three other good drives came up short, forcing Paul McCallum to contribute field goals of 15, 36 and 43 yards.
Glenn struggled early and could not get anything going until late in the opening quarter. He would head for the dressing room 11-for-19, 144 yards and only six points, thanks to kicks from Nick Setta.
With files from The Canadian Press
