Sun Bombed Out By Raiders

Chris Stanford, Kelowna.com

The Vancouver Island Raiders Andrew Harris rushed for 116 yards, including one touchdown and had another pair on two receptions to lead his team to a 43-3 crushing of the Okanagan Sun in their last home game of the regular season at the Apple Bowl Sunday afternoon.

The Sun came into the game needing a win this week at minimum to finish second in the BCFC and get home field for the first round of the playoffs, but with the loss it looks like they may well start the post-season on the road and their opponents may be the Raiders themselves.

Unbeaten in nine games now this year, the Raiders were kept in check by the Sun for much of the first half, allowing them only one touchdown and keeping within sight with their own field goal. That was until four minutes left in the second quarter when the Sun, with the ball on the Raiders 21, couldn't get to paydirt and missed the field goal attempt.

"That was a momentum-killer there, but I thought we played great in the first half" said a subdued Sun head coach Pete McCall.

That proved to be the turning point as Vancouver Island took over and immediately drove some 80 yards, capping it off with Andrew Harris' first TD to make it 14-3 at the half.

The second half could be summed up this way - all Raiders and not much Sun - as a Derek Mann interception from the Sun 53 yard-line led to Harris' second TD. Shortly after the talented back rambled for his third, and by the time Raiders starting quarterback Jordan Yantz called his own numberlate in the third quarter it was 35-3 Raiders and just about done at that point.

"The second half we were riddled with some mental errors and they got on a roll there and they put up those points in the second half that we just didn't answer," said McCall.

One more TD from Jordan Botel was merely academic as the Raiders remain solidly atop the BCFC standings with one game to go against Chilliwack next weekend.

The Sun on the other hand, have to take on the Big Kahuna Rams next Saturday in South Surrey to finish off their regular season.

The Sun now fall to 5-4 and sit tied with the Victoria Rebels with 10 points in third place. The Rebels had a bye this week, and will play the Vancouver Trojans in their last game with playoff position on the line.