Mathieu Betts is on Davis Alexander’s mind

The Montreal Alouettes' victory over the British Columbia Lions left its mark. And it would be surprising if Davis Alexander and Quebec native Mathieu Betts had felt like sharing a meal after such an intense evening.

Even though nearly 5,000 kilometers separate Montreal from Vancouver, an increasingly fierce rivalry seems to be taking root between the two teams. The first game of this series ended Friday with a 37-30 victory for the Alouettes, but the second game will take place next Saturday in British Columbia.

The tension was particularly palpable between Alexander and Betts. The two players engaged in a battle that was as physical as it was verbal during the game. After the game, when the Montreal quarterback was asked if there was truly any animosity between him and the Quebec defender, Alexander chose to play it safe.

“I have nothing to say, sorry,” he simply replied, clearly still riding the adrenaline from the game.

This rivalry, however, is nothing new. The Alouettes have consistently struggled against the Lions, and Jason Maas had yet to defeat the British Columbia team since taking over as Montreal's head coach in December 2022.

This time, the Alouettes withstood several surges by their opponents and managed to turn around a game that had initially looked bleak.

The Alouettes Are Already Looking Ahead to Vancouver

Geoffrey Cantin-Arku summed up the mood in the locker room by highlighting the team's resilience. With this victory, Montreal also secured its 10th win of the season and officially clinched a spot in the playoffs.

But no one wants to stop there. The Alouettes know another showdown awaits them very soon against Nathan Rourke's Lions.

Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund expects a completely different challenge in Vancouver, particularly with the cross-country trip and the Lions' return to play in front of their home crowd. In his view, this kind of adversity will help the Alouettes improve, especially since the Grey Cup will be played in the West this year.

Tyler Snead was once again invaluable in the clutch, earning praise from his teammates.

Despite the rivalry, respect remains strong. Several Alouettes went to warmly greet their former teammate Darnell Sankey, who recorded nine tackles.

The evening ultimately ended on a friendly note when Cantin-Arku joined his friend Tyrice Beverette after his game-changing interception—proof that, despite the rivalry, camaraderie remains one of the Montreal locker room's greatest strengths.

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