They got the result they wanted, extending the unbeaten streak to 7 games in a 41-38 classic battle over the Langley Rams, however the collective minds of the Okanagan Sun football club are today focused on the health of their teammate OL Zach Barnard.
Sun keep clean record in close battle with Langley
With 2:40 left to play, offensive lineman Barnard suffered an injury to his lower leg. The game was held up for over 20 minutes while trainers tended to Barnard.
The latest news from Sun Head Coach Travis Miller this morning is that Zach spent the night in emergency in a Langley hospital. A doctor was able to re-set the badly dislocated ankle and will be returning to Kelowna later today with his father Greg Barnard, Sun Offensive Assistant Coach. Zach will be further evaluated at Kelowna General Hospital.
The injury put a damper on what had been a truly classic match-up between the top two teams in the BCFC.
The Sun jumped out to an 18-0 lead after the first quarter on Ram miscues and penalties and extended that lead to 28-9 by halftime.
The second half was all Langley Rams until the wheels fell off the Ram wagon in the fourth quarter and halted any momentum the Rams had built.
Langley scored 21 points to the Sun’s 3 in the third quarter to close the gap to 31-30 at the end of 3.
Once again the Okanagan offence was powered by RB Elelyon Noa who on this Saturday in September destroyed the Ram defence with 203 yards gained along the ground with 3 TD’s, adding his 4th of the game thru the air on a 69 yard pass and run.
Noa finished the day breaking a team record for rushing TD’s (13) with 16 on the season, his ground yardage total put him over the 1000 yard mark, closing in quickly on the Sun all-time record of 1,367 set by Malcolm Miller in 2021.
With the top BCFC teams separated by a single point, and Langley carrying all the momentum, the final 15 minutes was shaping up to be a barn burner.
Early in the 4th with the Rams moving the ball on the Sun D, Coach Miller and staff called a time-out.
When play resumed, Ram QB Palaina Hopper saw the snap from centre sail over his head and bounce down the field where Sun DL Ozoma Nwabeke collected the ball at the Rams 28-yard line.
Two plays later Noa picked up his 4th TD of the game trotting in from 20 yards out, giving the Sun a little breathing room at 38-30.
Sun K Liam Attwood added his 4th FG late in the game and the Rams scored a TD in the dying seconds to make the final 41-38 Sun.
The Sun, 7 – 0, will continue on the road next week, they are off to Prince George on the 14th, before closing out the 2024 season with two straight home games, vs Westshore Rebels on the 21st and Chilliwack Huskers on the 28th.