The V.I. Raiders played a complete game and they completely dominated.
Nanaimo’s Canadian Junior Football League team defeated the Kamloops Broncos 59-17 on Saturday in the Interior.
“We needed a game like that,” said Matthew (Snoop) Blokker, V.I. coach. “We needed a good old-fashioned Raiders-style win.”
If Saturday’s win was old-fashioned, then call it a vintage performace from quarterback Jordan Yantz. The Raiders’ passer reached the milestone of 100 career touchdown throws, and he did it in masterful style, going 21-for-27 for 398 yards and six TDs.
“I’m really proud of Jordan Yantz,” said Blokker. “To be the first quarterback to throw for 100 touchdowns in CJFL history, I think is absolutely amazing, and obviously he’s going to add to it. What a great game by an amazing player.”
Blokker said the Broncos provided some resistance, and said one of the reasons the Raiders were successful was precisely because they didn’t take the opposition lightly.
“We came out of the gate and competed and I thought our tempo was a little bit higher than the Broncos’ all day,” he said.
The late stages of the game were hastened by the B.C. Football Conference’s mercy rule, but the V.I. team was still able to get lots of players onto the field.
“A lot of guys got touches, a lot of different receivers caught the ball, four different running backs had a chance to run it,” Blokker said. “Those types of games are always fun whenever you get everybody involved.”
Yantz and backup QB Kurtis Bardua spread the ball around to 10 different receivers. Matt Sawyer was the primary target with five catches and two TDs, while Whitman Tomusiak had a game-high 109 yards and a TD. Other players with touchdown catches were Mike Schaper, Arthur Fabbro and Dustin Pedersen.
Ashton Galloway had six carries for 74 yards and Taylor Flavel and Nate Berg scored rushing majors.
Other scoring came from Mark Mueller, who kicked a 40-yard field goal, and Quinton Clarke, who caught a two-point convert.
Defensively, Ash Gayat was a standout with two and a half sacks, three tackles and a fumble recovery. Rockenson Angrand had five tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. Elliot Jones also made five tackles. Ariel Fabbro had an interception and he and Anthony Bienvenue had four tackles apiece.
GRID BITS … The Raiders (3-0-1) now enter a bye week and will take some time away from the field. Their next action is Sept. 8 when they host the Chilliwack Huskers (0-4) at 2 p.m. at Caledonia Park … Yantz now has 104 touchdown passes in the CJFL. Second all-time is Tony Gagnon, who starred with the Saskatoon Hilltops in the 1980s … Kamloops touchdowns were scored by receiver Derek Yachison and running back Mike McMaster, a former Raider … The Broncos were limited to 10 rushing yards on 16 attempts.
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