The Westshore Rebels went into the Canadian Bowl as decided underdogs and left with their heads held high despite a 37-25 loss to the Saskatoon Hilltops on Saturday afternoon.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 proud of these guys. ItB次元官网网址檚 a great testament to the game of football and what it can do in young man. It was a great game,B次元官网网址� said Rebels head coach JC Boice following his teamB次元官网网址檚 season-ending defeat.
Rebels defensive lineman Kent Hicks that the Rebels were in tough against their prairie counterparts but was pleased with how the team played in a losing cause.
B次元官网网址淲e knew that theyB次元官网网址檙e physical. We knew that theyB次元官网网址檙e fast. We knew that theyB次元官网网址檙e the top dogs for a reasonB次元官网网址e have a young team and we knew what we had to do but we just came up short,B次元官网网址� he said.
Up against the two-time defending CJFL champs, the Rebels stayed within striking distance through the first 30 minutes and even led briefly in the second half.
After a successful goal line plunge from quarterback Ashton MacKinnon made it 19-16 for the Rebels, the HIlltops returned the subsequent kick for a momentum-shifting score.
Soon after, a HIlltops drive appeared to reach an end just inside RebelsB次元官网网址� territory, but a costly penalty on third down gave Saskatoon another chance and they cashed in for another major.
Those two plays proved to be the difference in a game that offered little separation between the two teams.
B次元官网网址淭here were some costly mistakes. WeB次元官网网址檝e got to continue to mature as a program,B次元官网网址� Boice said.
In the first half, the Hilltops looked poised to impose their will on the Rebels with a punishing ground game, but three Westshore turnovers, including a long interception return by lineman Byron MacKinnon, kept the Rebels right in it.
Credit the Hilltops, who managed to keep their cool despite their own frustrating mistakes.
Hilltops rusher Logan Fischer was named the gameB次元官网网址檚 top offensive player, gashing the RebelsB次元官网网址� run D for big plays throughout the evening.
Quarterback Jared Andreychuk, playing in his final game of junior football, was thrilled to go out with another national title.
B次元官网网址淭his year, coming in, the outlook was a little cloudy. We (lost) a lot of fifth year guys last year and people had their doubts, but weB次元官网网址檙e here again. That just (speaks to) the resiliency of the players and the coaching staff,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淔or me, itB次元官网网址檚 unreal going out that way.B次元官网网址�
The few thousand fans in attendance at Westhills Stadium on Saturday were a good example of how far the Westshore Rebels program has come just a year removed from another 2-8 season.
The Rebels took their first B.C. Football Conference championship in over a decade and the success of the season was not lost on the players, staff and front office.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 amazing. ItB次元官网网址檚 great to have the supportB次元官网网址 think the community really jumped on us and supported us through it, win or lose,B次元官网网址� Hicks said.
The success led to an attendance spike of 300 per cent from a year ago.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 an amazing feat in itself,B次元官网网址� said team president Doug Kobayashi.
B次元官网网址淭he players have just been phenomenal for us, good coaches, and all the volunteers that have just jumped in this yearB次元官网网址tB次元官网网址檚 a culmination of everything.B次元官网网址�
While he was optimistic when the season got underway in July, Kobayashi says he didnB次元官网网址檛 think the Rebels would come this far and this fast.
B次元官网网址淚 used to say this to (Boice), B次元官网网址榟ow about we under promise and overachieve,B次元官网网址� he said.
ThereB次元官网网址檚 little doubt the Rebels did exactly that in 2016.
joel.tansey@goldstreamgazette.com
Twitter: @joelgazette
