BCFC Week 8 recap: QB Yantz goes over 7000 yards for career

The game of the week in the British Columbia Football Conference was in Langley as playoff positioning was at stake, as the hometown Rams would be stunned by the visiting Westshore (Victoria) Rebels 35-28. Both teams are now 4-4.

Most teams run the ball in hopes it opens up the passing attack, however the Rebels on Saturday night started with the run and didn’t look back as they would combine for 357 yards on the ground against a very big and quick Rams defence.

Two time conference player of the week, running back Greg Morris would lead the Rebels with 21 carries for 152 yards and a major. Niles Goguen would carry 12 times for 136 yards and a touchdown. In all, the Rebels ran 42 times using six different ball carriers.

Rebels quarterback Cat Todorovich returned from an injury to finish nine of 15 for 190 yards and would throw three touchdown passes. Kyle Pich, Chris McCormick and Vinne Cannata
would haul in the majors; Cannata’s was a 57 yard bomb.

Mike Barry would lead the Rebels defence with five solo tackles, while Samuel Narkaj added two sacks and two tackles. Michael Hansen forced the only Rams turnover as he picked off a pass.
The Rebels jump to 4-4 and in a third place tie with the Rams. The Rebels will travel to Kamloops to face the 1-7 Broncos on Saturday.

With the loss the Langley Rams snap their four game winning streak and drop back to .500.
Quarterback Brandon Leyh completed just five passes on Saturday night, but compiled 140 yards and two touchdowns, including an 85 yarder to Steven Martinez. Oddly enough Nick Downey would also score a touchdown from 85 yards out, but his was a hand off.

Two of Leyh’s completions were caught by Kyle Albertini for 31 yards and a touchdown while five other receivers hauled in single passes.

On the ground, Downey’s 85 yard touchdown was the highlight as the Rams would gather 162 yards in total. Malcolm Freeman rumbled five times for 28 yards, 22 of which were on one carry.

The Rebels defence did create three turnovers as Scott Puffer and Spensor Farbatuk jumped on fumbles and Arie Nakagawa added to a career game after picking off a pass. He would also make eight tackles and record an assist. Joe Patko made six solo tackles and Carlo Graziano had five tackles and a forced fumble. The 4-4 Rams will make their first of back to back trips to the Island on Saturday afternoon for a 2:00pm kickoff in Nanaimo.

Also on Saturday the Vancouver Island Raiders stayed undefeated thanks to 75-0 shutout of the Chilliwack Huskers. The Raiders offense used the ground attack to great success compiling 356 yards. Rookie Alex Jobson (pictured) led the way with seven carries for 120 yards and a touchdown, while Aston Galloway scored two touchdowns on just two carries for 60 yards. The conference rushing leader Jordan Botel carried four times for 54 yards and a major.

Quarterback Jordan Yantz finished eight of 14 for 141 yards and two more touchdowns. He would set another BCFC record, as his total gives him 7,004 yards over the course of his four year career. He becomes the only BCFC quarterback to throw over 7,000 yards. The CJFL record is 9,370 yards held by John Makie, an ex-Regina Thunder who played from 2001-2004. Yantz’s 7,004 yards puts him fifth all time.

His favourite target on Saturday afternoon was Dustin Pederson who caught four balls for 78 yards. Pederson would then move to the quarterback position completing two of two for 32 yards a major. Andrew Smith and Whitman Tomusiak both caught two passes and a touchdown.

The Raiders special teams would also factor in on the scoreboard as Taylor Flavel returned a punt 66 yards to the house.

Defensively the Raiders held the Huskers to just 34 yards on the ground as the longest gain would be seven yards. They would create four turnovers as Cody Biduke, Brandon Larocque and Dylon Chapdelaine picked off passes and Spencer Riche recovered a fumble. The “D” would tally five sacks led by Evan Foster who had two.

The 8-0 Raiders will stay at home on Saturday afternoon and host the 4-4 Langley Rams.
For the first time this season the Chilliwack Huskers were shut-out compiling just 150 yards of total offence.

Quarterback Adann Hendrickson was eight of 22 for 72 yards, while back-up David Hollinshead finished six of nine for 89 yards. The two quarterbacks would find Dylan Boykowich and Ben Skerrett four times each. Boykowich tallied 52 yards, while Skerrett gained 42 yards.
Defensively the shorthanded Huskers would sack Yantz twice as Curtis Schindel and Cole Herrmann each tallied one. Six Huskers had multi-tackle games; Buomkuoth Matuet-Samuel, Schindel, Tanner Hamade and Jayson Bates would make three tackles each.

The 0-8 Huskers will welcome the 7-1 Okanagan Sun on Saturday.

The lone Sunday game in Week 8 was in Kelowna as the Okanagan Sun won their seventh game of the year with a convincing 50-6 win over the Kamloops Broncos. The Sun would use a 49 point first half on route to the victory. Quarterback Jeremy Mraovic was an impressive 13 of 15 for 324 yards and four touchdowns. He would find Tommy Howes and Dan Turek twice each for majors. Mraovic would also score on a one yard plunge.

Turek would lead the receiver core with four catches for 114 yards, while Howes made five
receptions for 69 yards. 171 of their 504 yards were on the ground as the Sun used 10 different rushers. Arman Bokitch had 11 carries for 69 yards and Evin Polack rushed four
times for 28 yards. Defensive lineman Steven Doege recorded his third rushing touchdown of the season on his third carry of the year.

The Sun defence would get on the scoreboard on the final play in the first half. Defensive back Robbie Yochim would return a 32 yard pick six. Carson Park and Brennan Van Nistelrooy also would intercept passes while Josh Richardson picked up a fumble.

Doege recorded three more sacks for his league leading ninth. He currently has 30.5 in his career, six behind the CJFL record of 36.5 with two games to play.

With the loss the Broncos lose their sixth straight and are officially eliminated for the playoff picture. The offense would compile 173 yards, most of which on the ground. Seven rushers would tally 142 yards led by Mike McMaster who ran seven times for 74 yards, while Joel Mukendi rushed five times for 46 yards.

The Broncos would get on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter as Stephen Schuweiler found Derek Yachison for a touchdown. Schuweiler was the third and best QB of the afternoon finishing four of seven for 49 yards.

Defensively the Broncos saw a lot of playing time led by Drew Markortoff and his 10 tackles. Tyler Lee would make six tackles while Derek Apps recorded the lone turnover intercepting a pass.

The Broncos fall to 1-7 and host the 4-4 Westshore Rebels Saturday at Hillside Stadium.