September 25, 2021 Victoria, BC (ISN) – The Westshore Rebels football team, celebrating their organizations 38th season, defeated the visiting Kamloops Bronco by a 50-14 margin Saturday at Starlight Stadium, elevating the team to their first win of the season in the British Columbia Football Conference.
It took three early-season games to find their identity as a young, cohesive team, but the Rebels, after a slow start to the game and the season, would finally find fire at the expense of the now 0-3 Broncos. With a relatively young, new team, peppered with some seasoned veterans, the Rebels gave the hometown fans a taste of what people in the inner circles have been saying about the talent on the team.
With the win, the Rebels stepped confidently out of co-ownership of the cellar spot to now enter into a tie with their perennial Island rival Vancouver Island Raiders for fourth place in the current standings.
In what has been an uncharacteristically slow start to the season for the team from the Westshore, the Rebels would erupt for 572 yards net offense in a strong coming out performance at the expense of the Broncos who are still looking to find the win column this season. The Broncos took the field hoping to mark their first BCFC win since the 2017 season when they posted a 2-8 record.
Starting QB Colby Henkel, leading the Rebels charge, would find his team’s successes both through the air and on the ground. Throwing a pass completion ratio of 64 percent, Henkel, was hands down the top passing QB of the weekend’s game matchups and led the league with 279 yards through the air. In a bright spot for the Bronco’s, Henkel’s Bronco’s counterpart for much of the game, Mathew Wilson would connect for two TD’s on 182 yards passing with a completion rate of 14/39. Ayden Cummins, and Alex Rowlandson would benefit from Wilson’s arm in the loss with touchdown receptions.
On the ground, the Rebel’s running back Zach Lubin would dominate the field running for 205 yards on twenty carries, and score two touchdowns on the evening. Not to be overshadowed, running back Broxx Comia would be instrumental in running the ball out of the backfield with his shiftiness when the Rebels would find themselves deep in their own end.
Receiver Ali Rose would also contribute a pair of TDs through the air, including an opening drive strike from Henkel to put the Broncos back in their saddles.
The Rebel’s, enjoying a seven TD game, would also get scoring from Kieran Poissant. Poissant would also score a pair of majors, one on a 27-yard rushing play, and the other through the air from Henkel.
Defensively, the Rebel’s played their best game of the year. Despite being penalized twenty-one times for 179 yards, the defensive line would hold Kamloops to only 231 net yards in the game, including an impressive four-downs, goal line stand late in the first quarter to set the tone after Wilson’s Bronco’s would threaten to even the score after an ill-taken Rebel’s major penalty.
The Rebels would strike first in the matchup, setting the tone minutes into the game on a pass from Henkel to receiver Ali Rose. Rose making the most of the catch and run play would take the ball down the sidelines approximately 35 yards to score first TD in the game, taking the lead 7-0 after the starting quarter of play.
After the Bronco’s would force the Rebels into a poor punt half way through the second frame, Kamloops’ chucker Wilson would find receiver Ayden Cummins in the endzone to pull even 7—7. The Rebels would reply with a Henkel handoff to Kieran Poissant. Taking the ball on the jet sweep, Poissant would run 27 yards, the last six yards on a tightrope along the sideline to score the touchdown, putting the Rebels ahead 14-7.
On the next Westshore possession Poissant would score his second touchdown of the quarter after Rebel’s Henkle would drop the ball into the back corner of the end zone with touch to Poissant running a crossing route to put his team up 21-7 to end the scoring in the first half.
Despite good coverage by the Bronco’s defense in the third quarter of play, the Rebels would go up 28-7 when Henkel would connect with Ali Rose for a 54-yard touchdown play after a Bronco’s defensive assignment breakdown would leave Rose unattended for the open-field reception and TD. The Rebels would add a single after a booming kick by punter Michael Olivia would pin the Broncos in their end zone to finish three quarters of play with a 29-7 lead.
With the taste of their first win in the air, the Rebels would keep their foot on the throttle, looking to running back Zach Lubin, Broxx Comia, and the ground game. Lubin would own the final quarter of play, breaking down the Bronco’s defensive line almost at will. Lubin would average 10 yards per carry, for 205 yards rushing. Lubin would also score twice in the quarter, while fellow rusher Broxx Comia would add his own major as the Rebels would outscore Kamloops twenty-one to seven in the fourth quarter to ice the game. The Bronco’s would mix in a TD at the seven-minute mark as QB Mathew Wilson would find Ayden Cummins 31 yards downfield for Kamloops’ second touchdown of the game, but the effort was too little too late for the visiting Broncos as the Rebels celebrate a 50-14 victory.
Next up for the Westshore Rebels is the 2018 Cullen Cup champion and current league leading Langley Rams at McLeod Stadium in Langley Saturday October 2nd. It will be a true litmus test for the Westshore Rebels team as they look to belong at the top of the standings come playoff time.
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