October 6th, 2019 Victoria, BC (ISN) – The Westshore Rebels, their sights set on the post season with one regular season game remaining, came out firing on all cylinders to soundly defeat the Kamloops Broncos 63-0 Saturday afternoon at Westhills Stadium.
After a demoralizing loss last week to the first place Langley Rams, head coach Shane Beatty did well to right the Rebels ship for the victory to secure home field advantage for their semi-final match up against either the VI Raiders or the Okanagan Sun in the coming weeks.
After being held to only three points against the Rams, the Rebels offense would take advantage of the 0-8 Broncos to dominate the field, taking an early 35-0 lead at halftime on way to the rout. Rebels starting QB Shawn Lal, playing all put the last five minutes of the game, would use Zachary Lubin with impunity as the Rebel’s RB would rush for a game high three touchdowns on 118 all-purpose yards to set the tone in the game.
The Rebel’s Lal would throw three touchdowns in the game for 274 of his team’s 490 net yards offense, including a strike to teammate Nathan Falito for a second quarter TD. Falito would lead his receiving core with 116 yards net offensive yards gained.
The Rebel’s defense, still running short of starting players with injury, would get a lift from Maleek Womack, intercepting Bronco’s starting QB Nicolas Nica three of the Rebels five times in the game to energize his sideline. Khai Mitchell-Nguyen would also figure for his team, adding a fumble recovery for forty-yards gain, and a sixty-eight-yard interception to cap a solid defensive Rebel effort.
The Rebel’s would add another four TD’s in the final half of play from including a game-ending fifty-seven-yard TD toss from stand in QB Hayden Crothers to kicker Will Hughes, his second touchdown afternoon, to cap the game. Chase Hennessy would also figure in the scoring with a TD reception for the Rebels.
Hughes, a shoe-in candidate for BC Lions Special Teams Player of the Week, would not only score two TD’s in his receiving debut for the Rebels, but would go 2-2 from field goal distance, 8-8 on convert attempts, punt for 181 yards, rack up a net 448 yards on nine kick off attempts, and score a safety.
About the Rebel’s team effort, head coach Shane Beatty would comment post game, “Sometimes when you play a weaker team you play down to their level. We chose not to do that. Regardless of who we play, whether a team is 8-0 or 0-8, we have to execute in all three phases, and to be honest this is the first time we’ve executed this year in all three of those phases.”
With a bye week in hand, the Rebels look to make a strong push into the playoffs with a full roster. Being short as many as nine starters in a game this season, the Rebels are looking forward to a healthy, full roster to finish the regular season against the Okanagan Sun, and enter the post season fully rested.
Looking forward to getting back to a full roster with his sights set on the playoffs, Beatty would add, “We’re still short four players on defense. We’ll get them back for the Kelowna week, and go into a season-final game playing all our starters for the first time this season.”
The Rebels, now back in winning form with a 7-2 record after sitting out last year’s playoffs, are poised to make a statement in the 2019 post season and a run for BC’s Cullen Cup, hoping to host the CJFL National Championships once again at Westhills Stadium.
