LIONS ADVANCE TO GREY CUP

Sunday, November 12, 2006 - 09:00PM

VANCOUVER (CP) - Paris Jackson did what he could and it was good enough to help the B.C. Lions earn a trip to the Grey Cup.

The Lions wide receiver hauled in two pretty catches for touchdowns, while slotback Jason Clermont was all muscle as B.C. mauled the Saskatchewan Roughriders 45-18 Sunday to win the CFL West Final.

"We have different receivers that can do different things," said Jackson, who finished the game with five catches for 66 yards. "I just try and do what I can do."

Lions quarterback Dave Dickenson methodically shredded the Rider defence, completing 27 of 37 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns, exciting a loud crowd of 50,084.

"We had a really good feeling," said Dickenson, who also kept a drive alive with a plodding 26-yard run, his longest of the season. "We feel like it's our year. We feel we are the best team.

"You have to finish it. It doesn't mean anything if you don't win it."

The Lions will play Montreal next week in Winnipeg. The Alouettes beat the Toronto Argonauts 33-24 in the East Final.

Jackson, who grew up in Vancouver, gracefully made touchdown catches of 14 and 35 yards as the Lions outscored Saskatchewan 26-1 in the second quarter.

Clermont, who was born in Regina, made some clutch grabs across the middle to sustain drives, then bowled over tacklers for extra yards. He finished with nine catches for 98 yards.

Running back Joe Smith, who rushed for over 100 yards, scored on a six-yard run late in the game. He also had a five-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter.

The Riders, who trailed 29-4 at half-time, rallied with a pair of Kenton Keith touchdowns in the third quarter.

Rider coach Danny Barrett said the his team was outgunned.

"They've got a lot of weapon," said Barrett, whose future with the Riders remains unclear.

"I thought Jackson and Clermont, they stepped up their play well today. I thought Dave threw the ball outstanding."

Quarterback Kerry Joseph hit Keith on a 38-yard scoring play. Keith then scored on a four-yard run after Lions slotback Geroy Simon had fumbled.

The Lions defence pressured Joseph all game, sacking him five times and making him hurry throws. With his receivers often covered, Joseph was forced to run with limited success.

The ear-piercing noise in B.C. Place Stadium also resulted in Saskatchewan taking several time-count and procedure penalties.

Jackson scored the game's first touchdown early in the second quarter. He stretched out in the endzone, diving to catch the ball, and still managed to drag a knee.

With just 21 seconds left in the half, Jackson outleaped Saskatchewan cornerback James Johnson at the goal line to grab a 35-yard pass from Dickenson.

Lions kicker Paul McCallum had field goals of 18, 20, 21, 37 and 41 yards. The win helped ease the pain of the 2004 West Final when he was a Rider.

Saskatchewan's Luca Congi kicked a 40-yard field goal and earned a single when he missed on a 22-yard attempt. He also conceded a safety.

A cold rain poured outside but the fans were warm and noisy under the dome. Sprouts of Rider green could be seen in the fields of Lion orange in the stands.

Gainer the Gopher was greeted with boos when he led the Riders onto the field. The Rider mascot had been banned from the sidelines during last week's West semifinal in Calgary.

The Lions (13-5) finished first in the West for the third consecutive season. They lost the 2004 Grey Cup to Toronto and were beaten by Edmonton, at home, in last year's West Final.

The Riders (9-9) finished third in the West, then upset Calgary last week in the West semifinal.

The game was a rematch of the 2004 West Final which B.C. won 27-25 when McCallum missed a chip-shot field goal in overtime.

LIONS PAWS - Dickenson's mother Sue, a Democrat, was re-elected as a Montana state representative in Tuesday's U.S. elections. ....Former Lions quarterback Casey Printers watched the game from the sideline. ...There was a delay in the first quarter when a fan ran onto the field and had to be taken away by security. ... ...The mother of brothers Aaron and Reggie Hunt was unable to attend the game but will be in Winnipeg for the Grey Cup.