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Yeah … it’s a receiving group that can stress a secondary vertically and physically.

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But the Stampeders secondary feels more ready for it then it did back in Week 3, when it surrendered 479 yards despite a 41-33 victory at Touchdown Kelowna.

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“The Lions have gotten better, too. I mean, defensively for sure, they they’re doing a lot of different things. Same type of thing. I think quarterback that makes the the league go, and I think when they’ve got Nathan back, I do believe that they have a lot of confidence coming into this game.”

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The Lions won 27-24 over the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Week 10 to make it two straight triumphs since Rourke returned from injury.

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Meanwhile, the Red and White are coming off a successful three-game road trip that saw them finish 2-1, with last week’s 33-30 loss to the host Toronto Argonauts the heartbreak of time away from home.

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“I think things are just starting to click a little bit more,” Labrosse said. “We’re on the same page on the defence, and you feel the energy, too, on the field. So it’s definitely nice to see.

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“I feel we’re ready to play,” added Dickenson. “You know … we kind of had that three-game stretch, and it did feel like it kind of took a little wind out of our sails, especially with a tough loss. But we’ve bounced back this week and been competing, practising hard and understanding against the conference opponent — the one that’s right below us — we need to beat the BC Lions in order to get to where we need to get to and and start protecting our house.

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“We only have one win here at McMahon. We need to we need to start winning at home and making sure that teams that come in here leave with a loss.”

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WHAT HAS IGNITED LABROSSE?

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Labrosse, 26, dealt with ankle surgery after his first CFL season and then with a hamstring issue last year.

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Both injuries robbed him of training time and rhythm in his bid to be a starting corner.

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“It wasn’t the foot; it was hamstring, but it was in part due to the foot,” Labrosse said. “I got surgery after my first season on my ankle, and then I wasn’t able to train much in the off-season, so that was a big setback.

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“I’ve never had to deal with that. Every off-season, I’ve been going into it almost 100% and just being able to work through the whole off-season, so that really threw me off big time.”

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It threw him off his projected track to a professional starting gig, after the Stampeders selected Labrosse in the first round — fourth overall — of the 2024 CFL Draft.

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“There’s definitely pressure, regardless of if you’re first round or last round,” said the Montreal native.

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“There’s always pressure to get back on the field. No one likes to be on the sideline when everyone else is playing.”

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Labrosse’s football journey started long before McMahon Stadium. He began playing at age four in the South Shore area of Montreal, at Greenfield Park, and stayed there for 16 years. He then went to Vanier College, where he built a reputation as a ball-hawking defensive back before moving on to Syracuse and then McGill.

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At Syracuse, his NCAA numbers were modest — 10 games over two seasons, 14 tackles and no interceptions.

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But at McGill, he found the ball again, earning U SPORTS RSEQ all-star honours in 2022 after recording 35 tackles, three interceptions and one pass breakup in eight games.

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Before that, at Vanier, he had 11 career interceptions.

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So the ball skills have always been there.

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The body just needed to catch up.

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“I don’t really think too deep into it,” Labrosse said of the interception run. “I just kind of take the opportunity when it comes. But I wouldn’t say it comes as too much of a surprise. I’ve always been a bit of a ball-hawk in my past years, so I’ve always had good hands.”

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The Stamps are seeing that now.

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In 2024, Labrosse played 14 regular-season games, started nine at field halfback and had 34 defensive tackles, two special-teams tackles, one fumble recovery and four knockdowns. In 2025, he appeared in eight games and had five defensive tackles and two special-teams tackles.

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Career-wise, he’s played in 31 regular-season games with 49 defensive tackles, five special-teams tackles and five interceptions.

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The difference now is the impact plays.

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The pick-offs.

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The confidence.

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And the willingness to go get the football.

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“His ball skills and his confidence and his willingness to go try to make a play — I think all that’s been helping our team a bunch,” added Dickenson. “He’s still got a long way to go and areas to improve. He knows that.

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“We’re going to keep working and making sure he improves.”

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