Using stingy defence and a strong effort from its special teams unit, the Okanagan Sun erased an early deficit to beat the Westshore Rebels 19-15 at the Apple Bowl on Saturday night.
While a big, fast Rebels defence kept the Sun off-balance for much of the first half, Westshore jumped out to a two-score lead early in the second quarter.
Rebels quarterback Scott Borden connected with a couple targets – Dusan Greenaway roughly midway through the first, and Austin Lindo-Brow early in the second – to put the visitors up 14-0.
But momentum shifted late in the second quarter, after the Sun blocked a field goal attempt from Kyle Clarke, which would have pushed the game further out of reach. That lead to an inspired drive down the field, which culminated in quarterback Keith Zyla calling his own number on a third down play, to cut the lead in half.
On the Rebels next possession, Clarke’s punt was partially blocked by linebacker Conor Richard, which allowed Okanagan to take another shot at the end zone, with prime field position. Sitting deep in the red zone once again, receiver Kyler Mosley ran in the team’s second TD in as many possessions, making it a 14-14 tie heading into halftime.
In the third quarter, the Sun picked up where they left off, with Zyla leading his offence deep down the field.
After the teams exchanged back-to-back fumble recoveries, the Rebels conceded a safety on third down, to put the Sun up 16-14.
Nearing the end of the third, Clarke had a chance to give Westshore back the lead, but settled for a single when his 27-yard field goal attempt was hooked, wide left. On the flip side, Sun kicker Isaac Wegner connected on a 22-yard FG at the start of the fourth, which gave his team the 19-15 lead it wouldn’t give up.
Up next for the Sun, another game at the Apple Bowl on Saturday night, with the Kamloops Broncos coming to town. Kickoff is set for 7:00.
