CFL SIM: LIONS CLINCH FINAL PLAYOFF BERTH!

HAMILTON – Faced with a must-win scenario in their Friday Night Football CFM SIM game at Hamilton, the BC Lions punched their ticket to the playoffs with a 16-11 win over the Tiger-Cats.

In a computer-simulated game on Doug Flutie’s Maximum Football, BC quarterback Mike Reilly threw for 306 yards, one touchdown and one interception. His top receiver was Shaq Johnson who caught six passes for 122 yards including a 62-yard touchdown.

The Lions led 3-1 after the first quarter, trailed 8-5 at halftime, and the game was tied 11-11 going into the fourth quarter.

Hamilton’s Dane Evans threw for 240 yards and a 28-yard touchdown pass to Jaelon Acklin in a losing cause. Running back Maleek Irons chipped in 66 yards rushing. Rookie Ticats kicker Matthew White was 1/1 on field goals. His counterpart Sergio Castillo of BC went 2/3.

BC’s win capped their record at 9-9 and clinched the sixth seed in the CFL SIM Top 6 playoff format. The outcome rendered the Week 21 game between the 8-9 Winnipeg Blue Bombers and 5-12 Montreal Alouettes moot. The Bombers can do no better than a tie in the standings with BC, and the Lions hold the crossover.

With the loss the Tiger-Cats finished the season at 6-12 and will miss the playoffs.

The lone remaining Week 21 game features Edmonton (9-8) at Toronto (9-8).

The CFL SIM divisional round of the playoffs goes next weekend and the 3-versus-6 and 4-versus-5 games will be broadcast in a doubleheader Saturday, November 7 on Facebook Live on The Rod Pedersen Show Facebook channel beginning at 5:00 pm ET.

(Doug Flutie’s Maximum Football/Nelson Hackewich)