The first-place V.I. Raiders are going to beat the last-placed Chilliwack Huskers on Saturday (Sept. 24) at Caledonia Park. There won’t be any drama as far as the scoreboard goes. Nevertheless, Raiders coach Matthew “Snoop” Blokker expects his team to play focused and play well.
“It’s Game 8 of a 10-game schedule,” he said. “So if we’re going to get rolling, we can’t wait till Game 9. We’ve got to build.”
All season long, say the Raiders, it’s never been about the team they’re lining up against.
“We’re playing ourselves,” said Mike Schaper, veteran receiver. “It becomes about execution, not about the scoreboard.”
The Raiders spend the week practising with and against one another in order to be at their best, said linebacker Glenn Boyce, and game day is their opportunity execute what they’ve worked on.
“The work that we put into the week, it will show every weekend, regardless of who we play,” said Boyce.
The Raiders’ coach said he expects today’s game to be tougher than last week’s blowout win at Kamloops.
"[The Huskers] have got some great players over there and I think they're really well-coached," Blokker said. “I know their record doesn’t show it, but I think they’re better than the last team we played and I think they’re going to be excited about playing in our building."
GAME ON … The Raiders and Huskers kick off at 2 p.m. Saturday at Caledonia Park. Tickets will be available at the gate … Linebacker Ranji Atwall is doubtful for the game due to injury … To read more coverage of the V.I. Raiders, please look for other recent articles here.