Lions earn first win by handing Elks their first loss in 36-24 decision

B.C. Lions' James Butler (20) runs past Edmonton Elks' Richard Jibunor (96) during first half CFL football action in Kelowna, B.C., on Saturday July 4, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Steve Dunsmoor

KELOWNA — James Butler and the B.C. Lions won the ground battle while grinding out their first victory of the CFL season, beating the previously undefeated Edmonton Elks 36-24 on Saturday in front of another sellout crowd at the Apple Bowl.

Butler rumbled for 135 yards and two touchdowns, outshining league-leading rusher Justin Rankin on another sunny evening in the Okanagan — the Lions’ home away from home after being punted out of BC Place Stadium in Vancouver by the FIFA World Cup.

“It feels good to get in the win column. To be able to get one in Kelowna is great but just to get one overall is good,” said Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke, who again passed for more than 300 yards.

“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. That’s a team that was 3-0 and they had won three close games. They were playing with a lot of confidence and we definitely saw that today. I just thought we fed off the energy of the crowd. We bounced back.”

Led by Butler, who scored consecutive touchdowns in the second quarter to turn a 14-10 deficit into a 23-14 advantage, the Lions head into a bye week with some confidence.

“It was awesome to see. We know that he’s capable of doing those things all the time,” said Rourke. “He ran extremely well behind the offensive line. They did a really good job setting the tone for the game. They opened up those holes for him.

“We want to be balanced as an offence. We want to do a lot of different things. We want to get the ball to different people. Him and Zander (Horvath) are doing a really good job of running the rock for us. It certainly makes my job easier.”

Horvath also scored twice, on the ground in the first quarter and through the air in the fourth, and Sean Whyte kicked three first-half field goals for the Lions (1-3). Whyte was good from 16, 33 and then 40 yards on the final play of the second quarter for a 29-21 lead at the halftime break.

“Very impressed with what we were able to do in running the ball,” said Lions head coach and offensive coordinator Buck Pierce. “And I thought our defence played hard. Rankin’s going to make his plays. He’s one of those type of guys that you should buy a ticket to go watch. But, coaching-wise, they did a great job devising a game plan to take him out.”

Cody Fajardo countered with three touchdown passes for the Elks (3-1), twice connecting with Kaion Julien-Grant before finding Austin Mack in the end zone in the final minute of the first half. Fajardo also threw three interceptions, with Vincent Blanchard’s lone field goal in the fourth quarter accounting for Edmonton’s only offence of the second half.

The teams combined for 50 points in the first half — including three majors each — to deliver another high-scoring, highly entertaining contest that concluded the Touchdown Kelowna festivities on a high note for more than 19,000 boisterous fans.

The Lions lost the opener of their two-week stint here, falling 41-33 to the Calgary Stampeders in a battle of winless teams last Saturday. But they held on this time, with several players stepping up on defence and special teams to support Butler, Rourke and the rest of the offence for an all-around impressive triumph.

“It’s huge that we finished here with a win,” said defensive back Jackson Findlay, who had a first-half interception for the first of B.C.’s four turnovers. “We really enjoyed our time here. Great weather, great people, and we had a lot of fun.

“We left a lot on the table those first three games. We know we’re a better team than that … and I think we showed that today,” added Findlay. “So we’re super excited to be going to the bye week with a win.”

Key moment

The Lions opened the scoring on their second possession to fire up the fans, marching down the field thanks to four straight completions from Rourke before Horvath punched it in from the one-yard line.

Darnell Sankey’s interception at B.C.’s goal line late in the fourth quarter was another key moment, snuffing out Edmonton’s comeback bid and getting the capacity crowd roaring again.

Key stat

Rankin only had four carries in the first half, resulting in a loss of three yards. He finished the game with 19 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving. He also fumbled for a turnover and didn’t factor into the scoring. He entered the game as the Elks’ leading rusher and receiver through three games.

Up next

Elks: Host the Ottawa Redblacks (0-4) on Thursday.

Lions: Visit the Edmonton Elks on Friday, July 17.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2026.

Larry Fisher, The Canadian Press