With just one point to show for the first three quarters, the dug a formidable hole Sunday afternoon in Kelowna.
In the end, it was too much to overcome as the Vancouver Island Raiders prevailed 15-8 in the B.C. Football Conference semifinal at the Apple Bowl.
The Sun was hampered by four interceptions, including a pair of key fourth quarter Raiders害羞草研究所� picks off Keith Zyla to snuff out potential scoring drives.
害羞草研究所淵ou can害羞草研究所檛 turn the ball over as many times as we did and expect to have success,害羞草研究所� said Macauley. 害羞草研究所淚 thought we were in a position at the end of the game where we could have won it and we didn害羞草研究所檛 get the calls we needed to get害羞草研究所e have tremendous effort by guys playing from behind to win and it wasn害羞草研究所檛 good enough.
害羞草研究所淲e felt we should have capitalized earlier on some of their mistakes and turnovers killed us.害羞草研究所�
Late in the fourth quarter and trailing 15-8, Rashaun Simonise returned a punt for an apparent touchdown which would have put the Sun in a position to tie the game. But the play was wiped out by a contacting the kicker call against the Sun, a penalty Macauley contends should have never been called.
害羞草研究所淲e got a roughing the kicker on a play where a guy wasn害羞草研究所檛 even touching the kicker,害羞草研究所� said Macauley. 害羞草研究所淚t was a bad call, he害羞草研究所檒l see it on film and we害羞草研究所檒l see it, too. I害羞草研究所檓 not going to sugar coat it, it was a very important call. He didn害羞草研究所檛 have to make it and he did, but we shouldn害羞草研究所檛 have been in that position to begin with turnovers, we should have been well ahead at that point.害羞草研究所�
Down 15-1, Conor Richard scored the Sun害羞草研究所檚 lone touchdown on a one-yard plunge in the fourth quarter.
Brycen Mayoh scored both the Raiders害羞草研究所� majors on passes from quarterback Jake Laberge in the first and third quarters.
The Sun, which finished second the regular season with a 8-1-0-1 record, was beset with key injuries late in the 2017 campaign.
Quarterback Nick Wenman missed Sunday害羞草研究所檚 game with concussion symptoms, while Zyla was in and out of the lineup for the better part of the season with injury.
害羞草研究所淲e had a real strong start, we battled some serious injuries, we were hampered by quarterback injuries all year and we lost a guy who should have been an all-Canadian (Shaun Robinson) at linebacker,害羞草研究所� Macauley said in reflecting on the 2017 season.
害羞草研究所淭hat really hurt us down the stretch with consistency and depth but there are so many positives. We害羞草研究所檝e got these playmakers that make plays, young guys that we expect to have back. We害羞草研究所檝e gotta do a better job of supporting them in big games, they weren害羞草研究所檛 ready to play for the first three quarters.害羞草研究所�
In an all-Island BCFC final, the Raiders will battle the defending champion Westshore Rebels next weekend in Victoria.
The Rebels disposed of the Langley Rams 57-14 Saturday in the other conference semifinal.
