Coming off a bye-week, the Raiders returned to the gridiron in emphatic fashion. Their 42 first quarter points set a new Canadian Junior Football League record, while their 85 total points is fourth most in the BC Football Conferences history. Despite the lopsided victory, Blokker insisted the team wasn’t looking past their adversary.
“We aren’t looking past the Huskers,” assured Coach Snoop prior to the contest. “They’re a good team, but we know we have a tough last half to the season – and we still have a lot of work to do.”
Whether the V.I. Raiders looked past the Huskers or not, the team showed up on the grid. The only drama came in the fourth quarter, when the Huskers had a chance to ruin the shutout with a 25-yard field goal, but the attempt was blocked by Erling Skuggedal.
By scoring 21 points in just over two minutes, and 70 in the first half, Blokker was able to give playing time to his entire roster.
The scoring started early, when tailback Andrew Deleon scored a 78-yard rushing touchdown on the very first play from scrimmage. Deleon would finish with two touchdowns and 140 rushing yards.
Star quarterback Jordan Yantz was able to preserve his arm, playing in only half the game, going 5-for-7 with 136 yards. He had two TD passes, one rushing touchdown, and even caught a touchdown on a nifty play set up by Dustin Pederson.
Taylor Flavel had two running touchdowns, while Marshall Cook, Mike Schaper and Pederson all caught touchdowns, respectively. Wide Receiver Whitman Tomusiak was the top receiver with 70 yards.
On defense, Shane Stonehouse forced two fumbles, returning one for a TD. Him and Tremaine Apperley had two sacks, while Ash Gayat, Brendan Neverson, and Cam Rossetto also had sacks. Defensive back Ariel Fabbro also caught an interception, returning it for a touchdown.
In a game that was cut short due to the BCFC’s mercy rule, head coach Blokker liked what he saw from his team. However, the Raiders (4-0-1) know that the last half of the season will be the toughest test.
V.I. will finish the season by playing the Okanagan Sun, who the Raiders beat by only one point, and the Langley Rams, who tied the Raiders earlier this season. They will play both those teams twice, before finishing the season against the tough Westshore Rebels.
The coaching staff feels the team needs some fine-tuning before the final tough haul, but if Saturday’s record-setting contest is any indication – the Raider’s are ready.
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