CJFL: Raiders secure first place; finish undefeated

“Did you see that?” said Raiders wide receiver Whitman Tomusiak after the back-and-forth contest. “What a finish”
The following 10^th and final week was just a formality, as V.I. capped off their undefeated season by trumping the Westshore Rebels 57-7 at home. However, it was week 9’s thriller that had the Raiders amped and ready for playoffs.
It wasn’t all smooth sailings for the team hailing from Nanaimo, as the Raiders nearly let the game slip away late in the fourth quarter. Despite leading 31-18 at the three-minute warning, the resilient Rams came storming back.
First it was Nick Downey catching a pass in the end zone to narrow the margin. Then, the Rams were able to execute a perfect onside kick, regaining possession with the clock ticking. With two minutes remaining, Langley’s Joe Patko ran the ball to the end zone and suddenly the Rams had the lead at 32-31. The Rams, who battled the Raiders to a tie in week 2, thought they had handed V.I. their first loss of the season. However, the Raiders would have none of it.
Taking over the ball deep in their own zone, and with just one minute left, the Raiders league-leading offense went to work. Led by star quarterback Jordan Yantz, V.I. worked their way down the field to get in to field goal territory. With just seconds left, kicker Mark Mueller came out for the 41-yard field goal to give the Raiders the victory – and the league title. When the referee’s raised their arms to signal the successful kick, the Raiders stormed the field and the fans erupted.
“Did you see that?” said Raiders wide receiver Whitman Tomusiak who made six catches in the thrilling contest. “What a finish”.
Yantz was given player of the game, as he went 24-fof-34 passing, amassing an impressive 406 yards. He also threw two touchdowns, had no interceptions, and contributed 51-yards rushing. Tomusiak gathered 146 yards, while Matt Sawyer caught two touchdowns for the offense.
The defense was led by linebackers Dylan Chapdelaine and Glenn Boyce, who each had five tackles. Tremaine Apperley contributed with an interception in the first half.
In week 10’s final regular season matchup, the Raiders had far less dramatics in their 57-7 victory over the Rebels. The offense flexed their muscle, while the defense showed they could shut down both the running and passing game.
The main story of the game was once again Jordan Yantz, who broke yet another record in his impressive Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) career. On his first throw of the game, Yantz set the record for most career passing yards in CJFL history.
Mike Schaper had four touchdown catches in the game on offense, hauling in a couple impressive long passes from Yantz.
The goal now for the Raiders (9-0-1) is to maintain their momentum heading in to the playoffs. Head coach Matthew “Snoop” Blokker knows his team has to carry over their impressive play if they look to get where they want to be.
First playoff action comes on Saturday, October 20, when the Raiders host the Okanagan Sun (3-7). The Raiders were 3-0 against the Sun in the regular season, outscoring them 106-87. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Nanaimo’s Caledonia Field.