Sun stop Rams, set up showdown for 1st place
QB Nick Wenman runs for 3 touchdowns in convincing 24-10 win at the Apple Bowl
Quarterback Nick Wenman rushed for all three Okanagan touchdowns as the Sun beat the visiting Langley Rams 24-10 at the Apple Bowl on Sunday afternoon.
The Sun opened the scoring thanks to a run game that racked up more than 300 yards, led by Robbie Rodrigues.
With 5:28 to play in the first quarter, Wenman pulled off a flawless read option, faking the hand-off to Rodrigues and waltzing in for a 14-yard touchdown.
That 7-0 lead lasted until the 10:38 mark of the second quarter, when Rams quarterback Colby Peters connected on a deep ball to Khalik Johnson for a 41-yard score to pull Langley even. It was Johnson’s sixth touchdown of the season, but one of only two completions for Peters in the first half — and the only time the Sun defence got burned on the day.
With the Rams punting from their end zone as time expired, it looked like a tie game heading into the half.
But after Langley’s defence took a five-yard penalty, the Sun were gifted an untimed down and Isaac Wegner kicked a 32-yard field goal to give Okanagan a 10-7 advantage at the break.
In the third quarter, another deep drive led the Sun to the Rams’ four-yard line before Wenman pulled off another zone read and sidestepped into the end zone to extend the lead to 17-7.
With 5:42 left in the third, Wayne Palmer kicked a 10-yard field goal to bring Langley back within one score at 17-10.
The Rams kept pressing in the fourth quarter as Stephen Legare led a charge into the red zone, only to be picked off by Okanagan’s Casey Pyper in the end zone.
On the ensuing Sun possession, Wenman scored his third touchdown of the game — and fourth rushing TD of the season — on yet another read option run to the corner. This one came from 34 yards out.
Another highlight for the Sun saw defensive back Aldrich Berrios record his sixth interception of the year, which ties him for the team lead with Tye Kitzman.
Next up for the Sun (8-0-1) is a firstplace showdown against the Westshore Rebels (8-1-0) on the road in Langford this Saturday. That marquee matchup — which kicks off at 7 p.m. — will conclude the B.C. Football Conference’s regular season.
Both teams are assured of home playoff games regardless of the result, hosting either the third-place Vancouver Island Raiders of Nanaimo (5-3-1) or the fourth-place Rams (4-5-0) in the semifinal round.
However, the winner between Okanagan and Westshore would also secure home-field advantage for the Cullen Cup championship game should they advance.
In their season-opening meeting, the Sun rallied from a 14-0 deficit to defeat the defending BCFC champion Rebels 19-15 at the Apple Bowl on July 29. That was a rematch of last year’s Cullen Cup, when Westshore raced out to a 32-0 lead — 25-0 at halftime — before holding on for a 32-21 victory over Okanagan in Victoria on Oct. 29, 2016.
Saturday’s game can be viewed online — via the BCFC TV live stream — but will not be broadcast on AM 1150 due to a scheduling conflict with the Kelowna Rockets’ road game in Prince George that also starts at 7 p.m.