As the sun set Saturday evening, the Okanagan Sun were running away with a win in their first game of the 2019 regular season.
The Sun, who kicked off the BCFC regular season against the Kamloops Broncos at home, scored on their first two possessions and cruised to a 26-3 victory at the Apple Bowl.
But the win wasn’t without its tribulations. Both the Sun offense and defense had ups and downs throughout the game, as coach Jamie Boreham said his team will need to improve if it wants to continue having success.
“It’s nice to start off with a win, but we have a whole bunch of things to fix, and that’s actually a good thing,” said the first-year head coach.
“There were mistakes in our executions and it gives us somethings to work on and correct in these next few days.”
Okanagan’s defense was able to make the stops the team needed to limit Kamloops to only three points.
Boreham said it’s all about holding the team accountable to ensure improvement.
“It’s a high standard of play, attitude and character,” Boreham said.
“We’re asking them to be the best they’ve ever been, so we can be the best team that we can be.”
The offensive line and running the ball played a big part in Saturday’s victory as quarterbacks Alex Douglas and Ethan Newman combined for 259 passing yards — with a strong running attack and solid pass protection feeding the passing game.
“If we can continue to run the football well that’ll create problems all over the place for our (opponents),” said Boreham.
READ MORE: Okanagan Sun prepared for season’s debut
The Sun will head to Chilliwack this week to take on the Valley Huskers on Aug. 10.
Road trips can be a distraction for the team, but Boreham sees the silver lining in the challenge.
“I love teaching and learning from the distractions. We need to be mentally prepared,” he said.
“If we can’t get on a bus, travel and then play a great football game and come out with a win, it’ll be tough to succeed in this league.”
The Sun will return to the Apple Bowl for its next home game Aug. 17 against the Westshore Rebels.
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