Kamloops This Week
A mixture of excitement and disappointment hung over the Kamloops Broncos at Hillside Stadium on Saturday night.
On the one hand, the Broncos earned a 39-32 victory over the Vancouver Island Raiders, defeating the Nanaimo-based club for the first time in franchise history, snapping an 0-12 skid.
However, Kamloops lost the 2015 season series against the Raiders — in the final seconds. The Broncos needed to win Saturday’s game by 10 points or more and held that lead in the fourth quarter, before giving up a final-second field goal.
“Like I always say, a win is a win, no matter how you get it,” said Broncos head coach Brad Yamaoka, who has several Vernon players on his roster. “But, still, it’s disappointing. It’s one of those things where, yeah, we’re happy we got the win but, you know what? We should have closed these guys out.”
The season series was at nine points and we just gave it up.”
Kamloops and Vancouver Island are both 3-2 through the season’s first five games, tied with Langley for second in the B.C. Football Conference. Okanagan sits in first at 5-0, while Westshore ((1-4) and Chilliwack (0-5) pull up the rear.
The Broncos entered Saturday’s game a week removed from a 35-26 loss to the Raiders in Nanaimo. Kamloops led the game 20-14 at the half, but surrendered the lead and, eventually the game in the second half.
Yamaoka was pleased to see his club put the loss behind it and pickup a victory on home turf.
“They played well,” he said. “At the end of the day, we won a football game.
“One thing we need to learn how to do, and it’s very evident in games like this, is we need to be able to close these games out.”
Receiver Derek Yachison, who had two touchdown receptions Saturday, was also pleased to see his team bounce back at Hillside in what he called the biggest win in franchise history.
