The final game of the regular season couldn’t have gone much better for the V.I. Raiders.
Nanaimo’s B.C. Football Conference team took it to the Langley Rams on Saturday at Caledonia Park, winning 48-16.
The Raiders led 17-0 after a quarter, 31-6 at halftime and 41-6 through three quarters.
“Especially the last game before playoffs, we had to show that we could put all three phases together and take it to them…” said Ryan Dekker, V.I. offensive lineman. “Absolutely we made a statement today, I think, against a playoff-calibre team and hopefully put the rest of the league on notice.”
Starting quarterback Jake Laberge threw four touchdown passes and also scored on a 12-yard TD run.
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Brycen Mayoh and North Rainey each had two TD receptions and Nanaimo’s other major was a pick-six by defensive back Jérémie Cheng. James Parker kicked two field goals.
V.I. had five interceptions in the game including two by Cheng and one each by Josh Paisley, Tristan Muir and Travis Novak.
“We came out and did what we needed to do and we’re just looking to carry this momentum into playoffs,” said Muir, Raiders defensive back. “Ending the season on a high note’s a big thing for us.”
Nanaimo already had third place pinned down going into Saturday’s action and couldn’t rise or fall in the standings, but Raiders players said there was no question that the game mattered to them.
“Every game’s meaningful for us,” Muir said. “We always want to come away with that ‘W’ and regardless of if it matters in the standings, we just want to set that tone and let everybody know what we’re about here and how we play Raider football.”
Muir is one of 15 graduating fifth-year Raiders and said Saturday’s game – likely the last of 2017 at Caledonia Park – was filled with “raw emotion” and a desire to win for both the team and the fans.
“It’s been home for me for the past five years – it’s my second home, this place,” added Dekker. “I’ll never forget the rainy days, the muddy games and all that stuff. It just gave me chills running out for the last time here.”
Laberge finished 12-for-20 passing for 203 yards. Mayoh finished with 136 receiving yards on seven catches and tailback Rhett Williams gained 83 yards on 10 carries.
Mayoh’s yardage boosted his total to 805 to give him the conference receiving title.
Parker, by going 2-for-2 on field goals and adding six converts, won the BCFC scoring title for 2017 with 98 points. He was 21-for-25 on field goals this season for 84 per cent, setting team records for most field goals and highest field goal percentage. His percentage is second-best ever in the BCFC and his 21 field goals are tied for third-most in a BCFC season.
Defensively, Nathan Mayers had seven solo tackles and Dexter Shea had six. Doyle Sosnowski and Brody Taylor each had a QB sack.
GAME ON … The Raiders will play the Okanagan Sun on Sunday (Oct. 15) at 1 p.m. at Kelowna’s Apple Bowl stadium. The Westshore Rebels will host the Rams in the other BCFC semifinal.
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