The Langley Rams head into the off-season with a sour taste in their mouths.
The Rams were up against a powerful Vancouver Island Raiders in the Cullen Cup — the B.C. Football Conference championship game — and came out on the wrong end of a 44-0 score on Saturday afternoon at Nanaimo’s Caledonia Park.
But while they may stew over losing by such a lopsided score, it can only make them stronger, says Rams coach Jeff Alamolhoda.
“It is a hard loss to take, but what our guys were able to accomplish (this season) was just outstanding,” he said.
The Raiders won their sixth consecutive BCFC championship and there was no doubt they were the class of the six-team league. Vancouver Island was 10-0 during the regular season, outscoring the competition 551-83.
They also won their semifinal game 49-17 over the Westshore Rebels.
Langley (5-5) advanced to the final after upsetting the second-seed Okanagan Sun 31-29 in their semifinal game.
But they were overmatched against the Raiders.
“We came up against a team that was more experienced in big games,” Alamolhoda said.
“Our guys fought hard but in the end, the better team won.
“They made more plays than us.”
The Raiders high-octane offence amassed 441 yards of total offence with quarterback Jordan Yantz finishing 14-of-22 for 216 yards and three touchdown passes.he also ran five times and scored twice along the ground.
The defence allowed just 74 yards passing by the Rams and created four turnovers.
Langley trailed 7-0 after one quarter, but Vancouver Island took full control in the second, scoring three touchdowns to lead 28-0 at the half.
They added another major and three field goals in the second half.
The Rams were able to move the ball along the ground, rushing for 162 yards, but the quarterback combo of Jon Roney and Brandon Leyh finished a combined 5-of-21 with two interceptions.
Nick Downey caught two passes for 55 yards, while Kyle Albertini rushed the ball 11 times for 142 yards.
Alamolhoda says the team will use the experience gained this season and build on that success.
“It is hard to gain the experience of being in a big game without ever being there (before),” he said, alluding to the fact the Raiders were appearing in their sixth-straight championship game.
“We had a handful of guys who had been in this position a few years back.”
Alamolhoda will begin recruiting for next year’s crop of players in the coming weeks as the team gets ready for next season.
