A mid-Island midget matchup made for a close finish on the football field.
The Nanaimo Redmen lost to the Cowichan Bulldogs by a 15-10 score on Sunday at May Richards Bennett Pioneer Park.
The red team led 3-0, but gave up two touchdowns and a rouge to fall behind 15-3 in the fourth quarter. Nanaimo got a 90-yard kick return from Marcus Severe, however, that fired up the team. The Redmen got the ball back and drove all the way to the Bulldogs’ 10-yard line before the visitors came up with a game-saving interception.
“The highlight, obviously, was Marcus’s huge punt return at a key time and then getting down there and driving the ball and having a chance to potentially win the game,” said Sean Roden, Redmen coach. “Losses are tough but if we can ever take any consolation in a loss, it’s this one where we hung in there with an undermanned team and gave them a really, really tough game.”
He said quarterback Austin Lyle played well and could have had a big day if not for drops by his receivers.
“We moved the ball pretty well for the most part, but it’s been the same story that we’ve had all year – we can’t sustain drives because we have mental mistakes that cost us drives.”
He said the team will need to be better in practice to clean up its game in advance of a showdown with the league-leading Langley Stampeders next Sunday (Nov. 10) at Pioneer Park.
“We have to execute better and not make mistakes,” Roden said. “We have to not let penalties kill drives, protect the football and make more catches.”
GAME ON … The Redmen (6-2-1) host the Stamps (8-0) on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com
