Sun beats Westshore in finale
Thankfully Kelton Kouri was there to provide some offensive excitement for the Okanagan Sun on Saturday night.
The five-foot-10, 190-pound running back scored twice as the Sun solidified home-field advantage in the playoffs with a defensive-minded, special-teams heavy 25-9 victory over the Westshore Rebels at Kelowna’s Apple Bowl.
Kouri scored once on the ground, and another 90-yard second-half highlight reel catch in a game that more closely resembled playoff baseball early in the contest.
It was fits and starts against the Rebels (3-6-1).
The Sun (7-2-1) defence was so effective it forced Westshore to concede a pair of first-quarter safeties for a 4-0 lead.
After Westshore kicked a field goal to make it 4-3, the Sun missed a field goal of their own for a single; they went into the half leading 5-3.
The teams traded major scores early in the third quarter, with Kouri running in his first for a 12-3 advantage.
Westshore answered with a touchdown of its own, but linebacker Conor Richard stuffed the extra-point attempt to keep the Sun ahead 12-9
Richard tied a BCFC record with his sixth blocked kick this season on the play.
That set up the dramatic pass-and-run play to Kouri. Quarterback Matthew Mahler hit the Moose Jaw, Sask., native wide open at the Sun 40-yard line. Kouri did the rest, and the Sun led 18-9.
The Rebels conceded three more safeties as the game’s sudden outburst of offence fizzled down the stretch.
Westshore — with former Sun coach Shane Beatty at the helm — had been long ago eliminated from the playoffs.
They didn’t appear to be ready to play spoiler.
It was the fifth straight victory for Okanagan, which will face the Valley Huskers in one B.C. Football Conference semifinal next weekend (Sunday, 1 p.m., Apple Bowl).
The Langley Rams and Vancouver Island Raiders play in the other semi.
The Sun and Huskers split their regular season meetings, each winning at home.
The Huskers were 22-18 victors early in the campaign, but the Sun avenged that loss with a 43-13 demolishing on Sept. 22.