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Of all the one-on-one battles that make up any Calgary Stampeders-B.C. Lions showdown, theirs has been the most one-sided: the receiver against the cornerback, with the pass-catcher winning every time.

It's been that way for Ken-Yon Rambo from late June to late August to early November. Three times, the Stampeders and Lions have met this season, and each time Calgary has triumphed with Rambo dominating at his position.

With 16 catches and 323 yards in those games, Rambo has continually got the best of B.C. cornerback Dante Marsh, who is hardly a slouch when it comes to shutting down most of the league's top receivers. Today, the two CFL all-stars meet again in Rambo 4, with the winning team heading to Montreal and the 2008 Grey Cup game.

According to the Stampeders, they're not about to do anything differently on offence, having scored an average of 35 points a game against a B.C. defence that ranked first in sacks (68) and in interceptions (27). It'll simply be more of what's worked to this point: quarterback Henry Burris spreading the ball to his squadron of pass catchers while making sure Rambo gets the lion's share.

"We'll go after them and not change up anything," Rambo said yesterday after the Stamps' walk-through practice. "They play a lot of man [pass coverage]. They have great athletes, but we'll challenge them."

Asked to assess his rival, Marsh, Rambo spoke highly of the fifth-year pro who gives up three inches in height to his Calgary nemesis but little in terms of ability.

"I play on the boundary [the short side of the field], he's a boundary cornerback," Rambo noted. "He's a great athlete with great feet. He knows his position."

Rambo finished the regular season with 100 receptions and a league-leading 1,473 yards, just as the coaches had hoped he would. Before training camp opened, the 6-foot-1, 207-pound import met with head coach John Hufnagel and offensive co-ordinator George Cortez and was told they wanted to make him a focal point of the passing game, the deep threat to offset Nik Lewis and Jeremaine Copeland.

The plan worked to perfection, with Burris using Rambo's speed to spread defences, then burn them long.

"We have so many guys who can make plays that it makes my job a lot easier," Burris said. "I know I can count on Ken-Yon the way I can count on all the other guys to produce when they get the ball."

Not that it's going to be easy thumping B.C. for a fourth time. The Lions were a loose and happy bunch during their practice here and are coming off a confidence-building win in the West Division semi-final over the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

In that game, Lions running back Stefan Logan was a dynamic force, while quarterback Buck Pierce performed in an error-free manner. The defence jumped into the action by forcing seven turnovers and scoring the back-breaking touchdown.

Little wonder Hufnagel had trouble identifying which aspect of the Lions' game concerned him the most.

"You can't point to one thing," he said. "They have great skill, a great defence and they're very well coached by probably the best coach in CFL history [Wally Buono]. Besides that, not much."

Rambo added there's one other factor in the Stampeders' favour: their three consecutive playoff losses dating back to 2005. Instead of viewing those defeats as a negative, Rambo says the team has learned from its mistakes and developed a thicker skin.

"Last year, we started off bumpy then we played better but we messed up an on-side kick at the end. It was frustrating. Too late, too little," he said. "We've got to get going early and get the jump on those guys. We're a confident group but getting off to a good start is important. We know that."

The last time the Stampeders hosted a West final game was in 2000. The Red and White haven't won a playoff game since they captured the 2001 Grey Cup — in Montreal.

"Two weeks ago [when the Lions played at McMahon and lost] things for us didn't go as we'd hoped," Buono said. "To get another game of this magnitude, I'm happy."

Five things to watch:

1. Henry Burris

Watch his body language. If the Stampeders quarterback has success early, he will settle into a productive groove. Rattle him, and the ghosts of playoffs past may return to haunt him.

2. Cameron Wake

The Lions' sack master was at his best the previous time B.C. and Calgary met. Don't be surprised if Stamps slotback Nik Lewis throws a crack-back block to keep Wake honest.

3. Joffrey Reynolds

The Stamps need more than a hint of a ground attack to augment their passing game. Reynolds may not get many carries, but needs to establish himself as a threat.

4. The kickers

Both Calgary's Sandro DeAngelis and B.C.'s Paul McCallum are battle-proven and pressure-treated. DeAngelis is the better long-range field-goal kicker, and that's an advantage.

5. Game-breakers

The Stamps have their share, but the Lions can counter with one man — Stefan Logan, who had a combined 339 yards in three games against Calgary and was a force in the West semi-final.