Raiders repeat as national champs

Michael Rhode, Daily News

Quarterback Jordan Yantz threw for five touchdown passes to lead the Vancouver Island Raiders to a 51-14 win over the Edmonton Wildcats in the Canadian Bowl national junior football championship at Nanaimo's Caledonia Park.

It's the second straight Canadian title and third in the last four seasons for the Raiders. They won last season, 35-8 over the host Burlington Braves and in 2006, 27-26 over the Wildcats in Nanaimo.

"It's a really hard thing to do (repeat) and these guys did it," said Raiders head coach Matt Blokker, whose team went a perfect 13-0 on the season. "We put pressure on ourselves to win every game, no matter who we were playing. When you do that then you are accountable for something. We thought we were accountable the way we played."

Yantz completed 17-of-28 passes for 353 yards. Jared Ralko caught three touchdown passes, his longest a 35-yard effort on a third-and-three gamble in the second quarter.

That made it 11-7 Raiders. They never trailed after that.

Robin Medeiros hauled in two touchdown passes while tailback Andrew Harris, in his final junior football game, had a 52-yard run for a major in the third quarter.

Kicker Mark Mueller was 4-for-5 on extra points and kicked a pair of field goals in the win.

Edmonton earned a touchdown on special teams (blocked punt) that was recovered Mac Olson in the end zone to take an early 7-0 lead.

The Wildcats, who trailed 28-7 at halftime, gained some life early in the third quarter, turning a Medeiros fumble on the opening kickoff in the second half into a quick score (quarterback Andy Pilon to Aaron Watkins, eight yards).

Harris answered with his score moments later.