OFFICIAL SITE OF THE
WESTSHORE REBELS
Rebels Are Heading to the Cullen Cup
The Okanagan Sun had no answer for Westshore quarterback Anthony Cancellare.
The Rebels quarterback dissected the Sun secondary seemingly at will during their BC Football Conference semi-final Saturday afternoon at the Apple Bowl.
The first-year quarterback, who threw for 54 yards against the Sun defence three weeks ago, completed 27 of 39 throws for 476 yards and four touchdowns. He added a 13 yards rushing touchdown and threw for a two-point conversion leading the Rebels to a 39-32 win and ending the Sun season.
The Rebels put up more than 600 yards in total offence against a Sun defence that has struggled all season to get effective pressure on the quarterback.
Cancellare was allowed to sit back in the pocket for the most part and pick the secondary apart.
When he did feel some pressure, Cancellare rolled out of trouble and was still able to find wide open receivers downfield.
On one play, a second and 12 from the Sun 17, Cancellare was flushed out of the pocket, scrambled back to his own 50, took off toward the right sideline and, as he was about to step out of bounds, slung the ball into the end zone where all-star receiver Zion Brown was able to just get one foot in bounds in the end zone.
The score closed the early gap to 14-10 and gave the Rebels some life after a lacklustre start.
The Sun jumped on the Rebels off the opening kickoff. Scrimmaging from their own 23, running back Jaxon Allan scampered down the right sideline for 22 yards. On the next play, starter Marcus Christos ran a naked bootleg 65 yards down the left sideline to put the Sun up early.
Christos appeared to pull a muscle during the run and didn’t return to the game, replaced by sixth-year quarterback Liam Kroeger.
After a Vicente Ferreira interception on the first Rebels possession, the Sun again marched down the field.
They were stuffed on second and goal from the one, but Rebels defensive back Tyson Sopp was injured on the play, suffering what was said to be a gruesome ankle injury.
The game was delayed by more than 45 minutes while Sopp was stabilized and an ambulance was called.
Kroeger snuck in from one yard out following the delay to put the Sun up 14-0, but Cancellare caught fire after the delay.
The Sun led b y eight late in the first half, but Cancellare with consecutive strikes for 31, 20 and 24 yards got the Rebels deep into Sun territory. After a sack, the Rebels pivot hit Jeremiah Beckwith from 16 yards out with 23 seconds left on the clock to bring the Rebels to within one.
The Rebels took their first lead of the game late in the third quarter when Cancellare hit Aidan Bowles with a three yard strike, his second receiving touchdown of the game.
The Sun retook the lead early in the fourth when Kroeger found Devantae Mozee from 11 yards out.
But, the Sun were unable to contain the Rebels offence.
On their next possession, Cancellare marched the Rebels 69 yards in just five plays, capped off with a 13 yard scamper. The two-point conversion put the Rebels up seven.
The Sun got to the Rebels 24 on their next possession, but an incomplete pass and back-to-back sacks turned the ball over.
They had one last chance with less than two minutes to go. Kroeger, with completions of 27, 17, 14 and 22 yards marched the ball to the Rebels 14 with plenty of time left.
But, an ill-advised pass into coverage as he was hit was picked off, ending any comeback attempt.
The Sun were able to put up 548 yards of total offence of their own which normally would be enough - but not on this day.
The Sun were unable to get stops when they needed it, leaving Rebels receivers wide open over the middle for large chunks of yardage all game long.
Westshore had 10 pass plays of over 20 yards, half of those over 30.
The Rebels will now face the regular season champion Langley Rams in next weekend's Cullen Cup final. The Rams won the other semi-final Saturday, beating the VI Raiders 27-16.
The winner of that game will host the Canadian Bowl.