A franchise that is all too familiar with failure is off to arguably its worst season ever.
The Valley Huskers fell to 0-3 in B.C. Football Conference play with a 40-0 loss to the Vancouver Island Raiders on Saturday.
Coming on the heels of a 39-0 loss to Langley at Exhibition Stadium last weekend, the Huskers have yet to score a single point at home.
Combined with a 41-8 loss at Kamloops in week one, the junior football squad has been out-scored 120-8.
It has been bad in Huskerville, but has it ever been this bad?
The Raiders made it look far too easy, rolling up 517 yards of offence against Chilliwack’s swiss cheese D.
Nanaimo quarterbacks Jake Laberge and Cole McGarvey combined to complete 21 of 33 passes for 410 yards and four touchdowns.
Laberge started the onslaught in the first quarter, finding Jared Braun streaking down the left sideline. Braun got behind Husker defensive back Jordan Farry, hauled in the pass and carried on to the endzone for a 52 yard major.
Brycen Mayoh caught two TD tosses, including a pretty one in the second quarter. With his team up 9-0, Mayoh caught a hitch screen from Laberge and danced through and around six Huskers on his way to a score.
North Rainey added a touchdown and led the Raiders with 109 yards on four catches.
Nanaimo averaged five yards per pop on the ground, rushing for 140 yards on 28 carries. Zander Bailey was the leader with 59 yards and a major on seven carries.
If there was a silver lining for the Husker defence, it was their ability to create turnovers.
Danny Harris intercepted two Nanaimo passes, giving him three interceptions on the season.
Keishon Joseph also picked off an errant pass.
The Husker pass rush generated three sacks. Tyler McStravick got to the QB on a solo effort with Nicolae Nica, Tristian Fournier, Satvir Bhullar and Daniel Kabongo recording half sacks.
Harris and Desmond Jeanson led the D with six tackles apiece.
Offensively, Noah Falconer had another rough outing under center, completing just 10 of 30 passes for 127 yards. The Abbotsford native also served up three interceptions, with Ethan Moran, Jeremie Cheng and Gevhan McNally-Hardisty getting their mitts on Falconer throws.
R.J. Begg managed to top 100 yards receiving, catching three balls for 111 yards, including a 54 yarder. Nathan Desnoyers had five catches for 66 yards.
The running game fizzled.
Eddy Perrin led the Huskers with 44 yards on 11 carries. The team as a whole generated 50 yards on 16 carries.
Maybe more worrisome than anything that occurred stats wise is having two Huskers booted from the game.
A player was disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct and head coach Bob Reist was given the gate when he went too far protesting a roughing the passer penalty.
The Huskers now go from the frying pan into the fire, facing the BCFC’s top two teams in back to back games.
Chilliwack is in Kelowna Saturday, taking on the Okanagan Sun (3-0) followed by an Aug. 26 clash with the defending BCFC champion Westshore Rebels (2-1).
After a Sept. 2 bye the Huskers stay on the road for a Sept. 9 visit to Langley.
The next home game isn’t until Sept. 16 when Chilliwack hosts the Sun.
See bcfootballconference.com for more info.
