Turning the ball over 10 times proved to be too much to overcome for the Langley Rams as they lost any shot they had at finishing in top spot in the B.C. Junior Football League regular season.
The Rams were at Kelowna’s Apple Bowl to face the Okanagan Sun on Sunday afternoon in the rubber match of the teams’ three-game season series, with the hosts winning 37-20.
The Rams were able to move the ball against the Sun, with 340 yards of total offence, but were plagued by turnovers as they threw three interceptions and lost four fumbles. The other three turnovers were when the team failed on third-down gambles.
“The moral of the story was turnovers; turnovers and big play momentum, that was huge,” said Langley coach Jeff Alamolhoda.
“We went up early but they got a big play to get their guys riled up and back into it.
“Anytime you turn the ball over that many times, you don’t really have a chance. And we were still in the game, and that is just a testament to our guys fight and their ability to fight through.”
The Sun managed 315 yards, but only 112 through the air, and just two rushing touchdowns. The bulk of their damage came from the kick-off returns of Robbie Yochim, who took two kicks to the house.
Each had won once previously but this latest victory gives the Sun (8-1) home-field advantage through the playoffs.
The Rams (6-3) need a win this weekend — or a Kamloops Broncos (6-3) loss — against the Valley Huskers (1-8) in Chilliwack to finish second and earn home-field advantage in the BCFC semifinals against Kamloops.
Langley got off to a great start against Okanagan, jumping out to a 10-0 lead on a short field goal from Steve Thomas and a 27-yard touchdown pass from Jordan McCarty to Malcolm Williams.
Following the Langley major, Yochim took the ensuring kick-off 105 yards for the touchdown to get the Sun on the board and on the final play off the first quarter, Alex Bradley found a hole and raced 50 yards for the touchdown and a 14-10 lead.
Okanagan added a field goal to make it 17-10 but late in the first half — on a third-down gamble — McCarty found Daniel English from 32 yards out and the teams went to the locker room knotted at 17.
The game was effectively lost in a span of less than five minutes.
After being pinned deep in their own end, Langley conceded a safety rather than punt to the ever-dangerous Yochim. But on the ensuing kick-off, Yochim fielded the ball and took it back 95 yards for the score. And on the ensuing kick-off, the Rams’ John Beckerleg fumbled and the Sun recovered deep in Langley territory. A few plays later Kasey Russell scored from one yard out.
Thomas added another field goal but that would be it for Langley points as the Sun countered with a field goal of their own and a punt single.
Beckerleg and Ethan Schulz came up with interceptions for the defence while Clovis Lumeka had a fumble recovery and Ryan Nicholls had a blocked punt.
Dylan Roper and Alex Benning each had a quarterback sack.
Alex Agnoletto (seven tackles, four assists), Brandon Klein (seven tackles, two assists) and Brock Gowanlock (five tackles) led the defence.
