Westshore stuns Broncos with late comeback

Aug 12, 2017 | 10:13 PM

KAMLOOPS — The game looked to be in the bag for the Kamloops Broncos. With just 2:48 seconds remaining, the Broncos took the lead on a 52-yard touchdown pass from Colby Henkel to Brody Bernier which gave the boys in blue a 21-18 lead.

After several penalties cost the Rebels field position and an opportunity to tie the game with a field goal, Kamloops took the possession on their own 14-yard line, needing a couple of first downs to run out the clock.

On the first play of the drive, the Broncos stayed on the ground. Several players came together on the tackle attempt, with the ball popping straight into the air. The Rebel’s Kent Hicks was Johnny-on-the-Spot for Westshore, snatching the ball out of mid-air and rumbling his way into the end zone to give the boys from the Island a 25-21 lead, which the Rebels would maintain to win the game.

Despite the late turnover, Kamloops Head Coach Brad Yamaoka says the game wasn’t lost on that one play.

“It’s heartbreaking, the way you lose a game, and the opportunities you have within a game to take advantage of,” Yamaoka explained. “”At the end of the day, Westshore came in a did what they needed to do to win.”

The loss to the Rebels drops the Broncos to 1-2 on the year, while the Rebels improve to 2-1.

The Broncos travel to Nanaimo next weekend for a tilt against the Vancouver Island Raiders, before hosting the Langley Rams at home on August 26th.