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B.C. Lions’ Robert Carter Jr. claims superiority over Bombers’ Ontaria Wilson in CFL play of the year debate

Many a political front-runner south of the border has seen their ambition thwarted by an October surprise — a late-stage event or revelation that flips a November outcome. This year, the long-decided race for CFL play of the year may have witnessed one of its own.

B.C. Lions’ defensive back Robert Carter Jr. was destined for that crown after he went airborne in Week 8 against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, going viral for a leaping one-handed interception in the end zone. The jaw-dropping play went unchallenged as the season’s top highlight for 11 weeks, until Winnipeg’s Ontaria Wilson captured international attention for an improbable juggling touchdown catch last Saturday.

While momentum and recency bias are now on Wilson’s side, Carter isn’t ready to concede defeat just yet.

“That’s a really good play, but I feel like mine was more pure athleticism,” the rookie DB told 3DownNation this week. “Playing a coverage, going to get the ball, doing my job. I think his was more — I don’t want to call it luck because he had to concentrate on the ball, 100 percent — but I feel like it wasn’t like a routine play. I feel like mine was more like a routine play that’s not normal to see.”

The Blue Bombers trailed by two touchdowns with less than two minutes remaining in their Week 19 clash with the Edmonton Elks when Zach Collaros targeted Wilson in the end zone. The ball was underthrown into double coverage, but bounced off two defenders before the second-year receiver dove over the pile and twice tipped the ball away from the turf with an outstretched hand before reeling it in.

B.C. head coach Buck Pierce, who served as Winnipeg’s offensive coordinator during Wilson’s rookie season, couldn’t hide a smile when asked about the play.

“I’ve seen it. It’s a heck of a play,” he grinned. “To highlight our players in this league on an international scale, I think is fantastic. Pokey is a great athlete, fantastic receiver, good teammate. Happy for him to make those plays, but it doesn’t surprise me.”

Carter doesn’t dispute any of those points, but does believe the spectacular nature of Wilson’s catch had as much to do with chance and circumstance as it did actual skill.

“That was definitely a lucky bounce, because that ball could have been dead at any moment,” he insisted. “Because of the DBs not wanting to pick it off, honestly, he just got a chance to keep concentrating on the ball. It’s a really good play, but it’s not a routine play at all.”

In his mind, the more impressive feat is not the one that would be nearly impossible to replicate, but rather the one that dozens of players have the opportunity to make every week, yet are physically unable to copy. The interception, which he has dubbed “The Catch,” is an expression of pure skill that is still unattainable to most.

Carter believes that he is among the few players in the world who can make up that much ground in a single leap and still control the ball, something evidenced by the fact that he made an eerily similar play at Robert Morris University.

“I will do that again,” he said. “I’ve done it twice. I don’t think I’d be shocked to do it a third time.”

Pierce doesn’t doubt his charge’s ability to back up that talk, as he witnesses it firsthand every day at practice.

“Robert’s an incredible talent,” he said. “He makes plays like that all the time, so I see it all the time.”

Unsurprisingly, Pierce would lean towards his current player’s accomplishment if forced to pick a defining play of the 2025 campaign, but cautions that there is a lot of football left to be played. With two weeks left in the regular season, plus playoffs on the horizon, anything can happen.

“This league is filled with exceptional, world-class talent. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more spectacular plays made this year,” Pierce said.

“As a fan of football, it’s awesome. So exciting to see in what I think is a league that’s filled with superstars.”

In the end, play of the year is nothing more than an honorary title rewarded by top billing on end-of-season highlight reels. Carter and Wilson have both succeeded in raising the CFL’s profile, while giving fans fodder for debate in the months ahead.

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J.C. Abbott is a University of British Columbia graduate and high school football coach. He covers the CFL, B.C. Lions, CFL Draft and the three-down league's Global initiative.

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