Kadie Smith
With just two days of practice left before the BC Lions head home to Vancouver, and three until their matchup against the Calgary Stampeders, the guys are making the most of the limited time they have to prove they belong in orange.
Friday marks the BC Lions first game at home, and although it’s a preseason game, it’s the game of their lives for many of the young rookies that have put in the heart and the work here at training camp. It’s a final chance to showcase their talents before cutdown day.
For the vets, Friday will be the first chance they have to put on a show for their home-crowd fans, as many did not make the trip for the game against the Edmonton Eskimos last week. As coach Mike Benevides reminded his team in the post-practice address: “these final days matter.”
Of Note For Day 16:
Offence: 
Kevin Glenn looked like the creditworthy vet that he is today, consistently finding receivers when they could not create separation. He has incredible trajectory on his throws and is able to arc touch passes over the middle of the field, seemingly placing them at will. When pressured from the defence, Glenn remained calm in the pocket, not hesitating to run with the ball.
Courtney Taylor had several key catches today in the team periods, diving low to snag a ball that was just short of the the intended spot, and darting downfield to nab a long pass from Glenn for a sure TD.
Tim Brown was everywhere for the offence today, finding gaps between a solid defensive line that at times seemed impenetrable. He also gets the nod for play of the day, skying over two defenders twice his size to grab a soft lob from John Beck who was under serious pressure from Khalif Mitchell and Eric Taylor.
Defence:
T.J. Lee had a strong practice today. He had a pass break up earlier in the day, blocking a toss from Glenn, and finished the day with an interception intended for Kito Poblah, returning the ball deep into offensive territory.
Mitchell and Alex Bazzie were lethal for the defensive line today, using their strength to get past blocks in the one-on-one periods and getting under their coverage in the team periods. Chris Olson had another strong day. The defensive end uses speed to beat his blocks and makes up for his smaller stature with a keen ability to read the play and make a quick decision, adjusting his rush accordingly and keeping everything to the inside.
Adam Bighill continues to display the skill and strength that make him one of the top outside linebackers in the league. Bighill provided strong defence against the run in the team periods, blasting through gaps and stopping up the QB on short yardage attempts.
Watching:
Shawn Gore (shoulder), Emmanuel Arceneaux (hand), Matt McGarva (knee), Alex Hoffman-Ellis (ankle), Marco Ianuzzi (hamstring), and R.J. Dill (hamstring) did not participate today.