Garry Peters has been looking back through his phone.
Specifically, for videos he鈥檚 taken in the B.C. Lions鈥� locker room, starting back at training camp in Kamloops in May and through the season.
鈥淚 was going through my phone, I take videos walking around the locker room doing goofy stuff all day,鈥� the defensive back said. 鈥淔rom camp to during the bye weeks when we鈥檙e all taking trips together, to now it鈥檚 the end of the year.
鈥淭o see where we鈥檝e started, to see how we鈥檝e grown as men, as football players and to see now its all coming to an end, it鈥檚 a sad moment.鈥�
After a season of talking of getting over the hump of 鈥渙ne more game,鈥� the Lions鈥� 2023 CFL campaign ended like it did in 2022 鈥� with a loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on a snowy IG Field in the West Division final.
鈥淩ight now, we鈥檙e just trying to figure out how to beat the Bombers,鈥� said Neil McEvoy, B.C.鈥檚 co-general manager and director of football operations.
鈥淟et鈥檚 call it what it is. They are the upper echelon football team in the Canadian Football League. We are trying to beat them and as we unfortunately saw on Saturday, we鈥檙e not there yet.鈥�
B.C. quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. was sacked nine times Saturday in the 24-13 division final loss and was 13-of-25 passing for 221 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions.
It marked a dip in form for the high-flying Lions offence which saw Adams throw for 4,769 yards and 31 touchdowns over the course of the season.
鈥淚鈥檓 just disappointed that I couldn鈥檛 get as many points on the board for the team. Disappointed I couldn鈥檛 get going and give us a spark, yeah, that鈥檚 it. I just feel a little bit disappointed,鈥� said Adams on Monday reflecting on the loss.
The Lions game plan was also affected by the loss of receiver Keon Hatcher and defensive back T.J. Lee, both with Achilles injuries.
Hatcher finished the season tied with fellow receiver Alexander Hollins with 78 receptions, but finished top of the receivers chart with 1,226 yards.
B.C. head coach Rick Campbell said Monday during the team鈥檚 end of season media availability that the players were meeting with doctors today to determine whether surgery would be needed.
Vancouver will host the Grey Cup next season, but Campbell said that doesn鈥檛 change the pressure he faces.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 mean anything as a football coach. If someone ever said 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to try harder because the Grey Cup is in Vancouver,鈥� then I鈥檇 say 鈥榃hat the hell were we doing the previous years?鈥� That鈥檚 where it comes from,鈥� he said.
鈥淒o I think it鈥檚 going to be special that it鈥檚 in Vancouver? Absolutely. Would we want to play in it? One hundred per cent, but I hope we have that attitude every year.鈥�
Capmbell acknowledged the failure to get by the Blue Bombers for a second straight season, and said his team鈥檚 mentality is focused on getting over that hurdle.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be in the mode of know we鈥檙e knocking on the door, but we need to knock the door down,鈥� he said.
Peters called the 2023 Lions squad the closest he鈥檚 ever played on and he knows that will change next season as players leave and new arrivals are brought in.
Campbell said coaching staff have started end of season interviews with players and he鈥檚 hopeful of bringing back the majority of the core that led his team to a second placed finish in the West Division.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to try to bring a lot of people back, try to have as much continuity as we can. There鈥檚 going to be changes, there always is,鈥� he said.
Defensive lineman Mathieu Betts set a new Canadian record for sacks this past season, but his contract is up.
The Montreal native said he鈥檇 like to stay in Vancouver, having established himself as a top-tier defensive player, but said he hasn鈥檛 yet discussed an extension.
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