To a man the Westshore Rebels will tell you they let one slip away last week in Kelowna in a four-point loss to the Okanagan Sun in their 2017 sa国际传媒 Football Conference season-openers.
The defending Cullen Cup champion Rebels (0-1) do not want to experience that feeling again this afternoon (2 p.m.) as they pay their biggest rival, the Vancouver Island Raiders (1-0), a visit at Caledonia Park in Nanaimo.
鈥淲e definitely let one get away. We had them right where we wanted them. I tell you what, I鈥檝e never heard the Apple Bowl that quiet,鈥� said Rebels head coach Charly Cardilicchia, who experienced many battles on that field.
鈥淭hey actually set off the cannon for a blocked kick, which is a touchdown cannon, so they were reaching and grasping for something to cheer about. We gave them something to cheer about late in the second half through turnovers that cost us dearly down the stretch.鈥�
There were also three Westshore trips into the red zone that resulted without points.
鈥淚 think we had what we needed to achieve a victory there. I think they knew that we beat ourselves. Moving forward we just have to clean things up and we will be just fine,鈥� Cardilicchia said of today鈥檚 matchup.
The first-year head man stressed red zone offence, turnovers and discipline all need improvement against the Raiders. Special teams also have to be better.
An injury to Trey Campbell in the third quarter in Kelowna hurt the Rebels鈥� running game, which was virtually non-existent with just 67 yards, 23 of which came from quarterback Scott Borden Jr.
Cardilicchia liked Borden鈥檚 game, but he knows his quarterback is capable of better. The pivot completed 21 of 41 passes for 281 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
鈥淲e left about 100 or even 200 yards of offence on the field,鈥� said Cardilicchia. 鈥淲e should鈥檝e thrown for 400 and could鈥檝e thrown for 500. If we clean that up we will throw for some big yards.鈥�
Campbell will sit out as a precaution so that means the Rebels will rely on running backs Anthony Bodger, Aden Enns-Horvath, Josh Bromfeld and Morgan D鈥橤anigian, who will have to chip in by committee.
Six-foot-five newcomer D鈥橲aun Greenaway stood tall in more ways than one with seven catches for 114 yards, including a TD, in his debut, while Campbell and Birhanu Yitna added four catches apiece.
Greenaway, who was named BCFC offensive player of the week, joined the Rebels from York University of U Sports.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a big-body type receiver and a great finisher on the ball when it鈥檚 in the air,鈥� said Cardilicchia.
鈥淚鈥檓 not really happy because we didn鈥檛 come out with the win,鈥� Greenaway said of last week鈥檚 performance. 鈥淭here are more things I could鈥檝e done. When you don鈥檛 win, you think about all the routes or all the catches you could鈥檝e had, or some of the blocks that you might鈥檝e missed.
鈥淭he attitude from the whole team was not one of being down though, it was more like it was on us. We let things slip on special teams and allowed them to gain momentum at home. It was more mental mistakes than being outplayed.
鈥淲e just have to fulfill our duties a little bit better this week.鈥�
They will have to pay particular attention to the Raiders鈥� Bryce Mayoh who was the special teams player of the week with two kickoff returns for 146 yards in a 20-13 win over the Langley Rams.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always tough to play the Raiders, but to tell you the truth, I鈥檓 excited about this one,鈥� said Cardilicchia. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the dawn of a new era and I definitely intend to go up there and get a W. For years as a youth football coach and as a football player, I鈥檝e lost very little games in Nanaimo.
鈥淎s a [assistant] coach with the Rebels, I obviously was not successful over the last few years, but this is definitely a new day. We鈥檙e going to go up there and collect the W because we鈥檙e bigger, faster and stronger than they are.鈥�
