GAME DAY: WESTSHORE AT CHILLIWACK, 2 P.M.
Eric Eggleston put up some solid statistics in the Westshore Rebels' season opener last weekend, but it was the numbers on the final scoreboard that rubbed the 21-year-old receiver the wrong way.
Coming out on the short side of a 44-14 score will do that to most athletes, even if they come away with four catches for 73 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown reception from backup quarterback Jesse Herman.
Herman moves up to starter today at 2 p.m. in Chilliwack as the 0-1 Rebels continue their sa国际传媒 Football Conference season and Eggleston looks to get even better results personally, and as a team.
"I can't complain. On a personal note, it wasn't too bad, but as a team I was hoping for a better result," Eggleston said of the loss to the Vancouver Island Raiders.
Especially considering it was only 10-7 late in the second quarter before the Rebels let it slip through their fingers.
"Absolutely, it got away from us," said Eggleston, a graduate of the Spartans' program who has one more year of junior eligibility.
"At 10-7, we were thinking maybe we can get another score and even go into the half with a lead.
"It just shows you what mistakes and one turnover can do. It can turn the momentum of a game and that's really what happened."
Two major roughing penalties and an interception allowed the Raiders to score two quick touchdowns to take a 24-7 lead into the break and it became a completely different game.
But the Rebels now look ahead to the 0-1 Chilliwack Huskers, who have not won a game in two full seasons.
"We can't take any team lightly," said Eggleston.
"We have to execute on all cylinders on offence. We have to tune up the passing game, getting the incompletions and turnovers down.
We need to get the running game going. We have to make sure we execute our whole offence, do things that you can't do in practice against your own team."
Defensively, the Rebels were a makeshift unit in Game 1 due to numerous injuries suffered in camp.
"It was guys getting out of position and trying to do too much defensively, but that's what happens when you're beat up and have guys playing out of spot," said defensive co-ordinator Scott Mennie. "We had our Sam [strong side] linebacker playing free safety and an offensive lineman playing rush end.
"Guys tried to take the game upon themselves and didn't stick to the systems."
The defence is set to add Mike Assare, a defensive back from Toronto, who just arrived on Tuesday.
