The Kamloops Broncos were Thunderstruck Sunday at Greater Vernon Athletic Park.
Vernon Magnums kicked off the 2018 Southern Interior Football League regular season at home, beating the Broncos 18-6 behind the work of Brock Warner, the Magnums’ ‘Thunderstruck Quarterback,’ who turned a few broken plays into positive yardage. One of the plays was a 20-plus yard scramble while dragging opponents down the field with him.
The Magnums’ “Wheels,” Oliver Harkness and Kolter Furmanek, racked up impressive running yards. Harkness scored two touchdowns, thanks to the “Iron Curtain” offensive line of Caleb Smith, Caden O’Dwyer, Shaymus Waterstreet, Jacob Bouchard and Nate Goodfellow.
Josh Vandenburg showed his versatility in blocking and running, doing both right over the Kamloops defence to score a touchdown himself.
Vernon hosts the Kelowna Junior Sun Green Sunday at 10 a.m. at GVAP.
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Kamloops Broncos used a strong second half to buck the Vernon Magnum Yellowjackets 32-20.
Cian Fitzpatrick scored the ‘Jackets’ first TD early in the game with a speedy 55-yard outside run down the sidelines. Vernon scored again following a turnover on a huge backfield tackle and ball strip by Jake Rinn. Fitzpatrick scored on a 15-yard run to put the home side up 13-0.
Kamloops stormed back and took a 14-13 lead, only to have Vernon rally and score again when Anderson Thomas shot through a hole opened by Owen Carpenter and Devin Peters and rushed 50 yards for the major.
Rinn and Simon Drysdale were standouts on the Vernon defence with multiple backfield tackles. Ryden Furmanek and Ryse Williams also provided solid blocking on offence.
“Our team was tested and showed a lot of heart,” said Vernon head coach Talon Hart. “We look forward to meeting Kelowna (Sunday, 12 p.m., GVAP). After this test, I believe our team is up for what lies ahead of them.”
Junior Bantam
It was a harsh way to start the season for the Vernon Magnum Marauders.
The home team fell 66-12 to the visiting Kamloops Broncos in Vernon’s season-opening Southern Interior Football League action at Greater Vernon Athletic Park.
Damon Froste scored Vernon’s opening touchdown early in the first quarter with a brilliant 70-yard kick return behind the solid blocking of Scott Hoffman, Dylan Morris, Brett O’Dwyer and Zack Adkins.
The Marauders next score did not come until midway through the second quarter when Oliver Profili scooted through a hole opened by Aiden Desmarais and Deagan Zimmerman to rush for 50-yards for the major.
Daniel Drysdale was the standout on defence with a couple of fumble recoveries and some touchdown saving tackles.
“Our guys learned a lot in this game,” said Marauders head coach Ron Kirschner. “On offence our quarterback, Elijah Warner, did a good job of reading the defence and making the right play calls, only to have errors in the play execution result in turnovers. On defence we need to get more pressure on the quarterback and to do a better job of wrapping up on tackles.” The Marauders host the Kelowna Junior Sun Green Sunday at 2 p.m. at GVAP.
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