Lionbackers.com

1971
A major off-season restructuring saw Parker elevated to the General Manager post, and former Saskatchewan coach Eagle Keys named the eighth Head Coach in club history. Don Moorhead was recruited at quarterback, and a total of fifty-three different players put on a Lions uniform in a year of change, including now movie/TV personality Carl Weathers. The final 6-9-1 record left the club still in fourth place.

Western Football Conference Team GP W L T PF PA Pts
Calgary Stampeders 16 9 6 1 290 218 19
Saskatchewan Roughriders 16 9 6 1 347 316 19
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 16 7 8 1 366 349 15
British Columbia Lions 16 6 9 1 282 363 13
Edmonton Eskimos 16 6 10 0 237 305 12

Eastern Football Conference Team GP W L T PF PA Pts
Toronto Argonauts 14 10 4 0 289 248 20
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 14 7 7 0 242 246 14
Ottawa Rough Riders 14 6 8 0 291 277 12
Montreal Alouettes 14 6 8 0 226 248 12

Western Semi-Finals Winnipeg Blue Bombers 23 Saskatchewan Roughriders 34
Eastern Semi-Finals Ottawa Rough Riders 4 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 23

Western Finals - Saskatchewan Roughriders 21 Calgary Stampeders 30
Western Finals - Calgary Stampeders 23 Saskatchewan Roughriders 21
Calgary wins the best of three series 2-0. The Stampeders will advance to the Grey Cup Championship game.

Eastern Finals - Toronto Argonauts 23 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 8
Eastern Finals - Hamilton Tiger-Cats 17 Toronto Argonauts 17
Toronto won 2 game total-point series by 40-25. The Argonauts will advance to the Grey Cup Championship game.

Grey Cup Championship
November 28

59th Annual Grey Cup Game: Empire Stadium - Vancouver, British Columbia
Western Champion Eastern Champion
Calgary Stampeders 14 Toronto Argonauts 11
The Calgary Stampeders are the 1971 Grey Cup Champions
Wayne Harris (LB), Calgary Stampeders - Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player.
Dick Suderman (DE), Calgary Stampeders - Grey Cup's Most Valuable Canadian.

When it comes to worst BC Lions QB losses, everyone thinks of Doug Flutie but I think another loss that almost ranks in the same level would be the release of Tom Wilkinson. Wilkinson spent one season for the Lions in 1971 before he was released. He was then picked up by the Edmonton Eskimos and the rest is history as he went on to win three all-stars, one MOP, and five Grey Cups.

I guess the Lions were counting on Don Moorhead instead. Other Lions on that team were Bill Whisler, Jim Evensen, and Larry Nels.

To be a rivet counter, Larry Nels and Tom Wilkinson each appeared in only one game for the 1971 Lions. Bill Whisler played for the Alouettes in 1971, so that photo is mis-identifed.

Jim Evenson had his best season for the Leos in '71, with 260 Carries for 1237 yards and 8 TDS. A real fullback.

Good call, PGSSS74.

Many of these pics were taken in the club's last preseason game that year in Ottawa. Wilkie played in that game. He is handing off to AD Whitfield but Whitfield was released afterward and they went with rookie Josh Ashton Jr. Same story for Bill Whisler. Played for us in 1970 but was released after training camp in 1971.

The Don Moorhead/Evenson pics were taken in the Labour Day game in Regina (where we got demolished 35-14). I believe the Larry Nels pic may have been taken in the Ottawa game on October 9. Note the helmet. Look how little padding is inside!


DH

Ah yes, pre-season games. The season stats wouldn't show those in the official GP for each player.

Wilkinson's stats in his one regular season game with BC were 11 of 19 for 236 yards and 1 TD, 3 carries for 10 yards.

Josh Ashton only managed 6 games as a Leo; might have been better to stick with Whitfield.

PGSSS74 wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 25, 2021 4:32 am

Ah yes, pre-season games. The season stats wouldn't show those in the official GP for each player.

Wilkinson's stats in his one regular season game with BC were 11 of 19 for 236 yards and 1 TD, 3 carries for 10 yards.

Josh Ashton only managed 6 games as a Leo; might have been better to stick with Whitfield.

Surprisingly, Ashton quit the team mid-season (1971) to head back to Tulsa, OK. He went home to deal with some personal problems at home and felt he had to leave, deciding he didn't want to play football anymore (this wouldn't be the case as he went on to play for the NFL's Patriots from '72-'74 and Cardinals '75).

He saved his best game for last that season. The Leos faced the might Argos on August 29 and Ashton ripped off a 54-yard TD scamper as well as 4 catches for 50 yards.


DH

Correct me if I am wrong but wasn't Larry Highbaugh another player who somehow didn't managed to stay with the Lions and went on to a stellar career with the Elk's. (Had to retype that one).

Larry played 12 games with the Leos after joining part way through 1971.
In 1972 he got in 10 games before heading for glory with 3 games for the Eskimos. Another 11 seasons with them and 3 All CFL All-Star selections. Yes, he was a good 'un.

Maybe one of the biggest mistakes in club history. Not sure what Eagle Keys had against Highbaugh. It couldn't have been performance-related as the speed demon made an immediate impact as a receiver and kick returner in 1971 (if I recall he was signed in August on a 6-day trial and went on to replace receiver John Love who was released. They do appear together in the 1971 team photo). I believe he converted to DB in '72 but the club almost didn't know what to do with him. Despite his durability, he was waived and claimed by the Esks.


DH