Regina silenced by Okanagan in junior football semifinal

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With a passing attack that surrendered more points than it scored, the Regina Thunder tried vainly to keep up to the Okanagan Sun before falling 28-14 in the Canadian Junior Football League semifinal on Sunday at Leibel Field.

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Hoping to avenge a loss to Okanagan in the 2022 Canadian Bowl, Regina allowed a two-yard touchdown run by linebacker/receiver/fullback Jacob Bond before Sun defensive back David Lewis intercepted a first-quarter pass from Thunder quarterback Ethan Hugg. Lewis returned it 74 yards for a major that put the visitors ahead 14-0.

“There was a lot of game left,” said Thunder running back Ryland Leichert when asked about the effects of the Pick Six. “Our team does a really good job of staying composed.

“We know it comes down to the fourth quarter, but unfortunately it didn’t go our way today. We’re not gonna get caught up on one play. There are three facets of the game that matter and one play’s not gonna make a difference.”

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Regina placed second in the Prairie Football Conference with a 6-2 record before eliminating the Calgary Colts and undefeated Saskatoon Hilltops in playoff games. Regina upset the Hilltops, the reigning Canadian champions, 24-19 one week earlier.

With a three-yard touchdown run by Sadik Sadik plus a convert, one single and two field goals by Shawn Green, Regina rallied to tie Okanagan 14-14 at halftime. Sadik and Leichert combined for 203 yards on 34 carries but Hugg and Carter Moberg, who occasionally took turns at quarterback, completed 12 passes for only 93 yards.

“There were some key drives where we needed to move the ball a little bit more and weren’t able to,” said Thunder head coach Scott MacAulay, who praised especially the strong, directional punting of Okanagan’s Grady Hay. “We also needed to make some stops.

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“They’re a good team and they do a great job recruiting guys. Most of their guys aren’t from Kelowna so they do a good job scouring the country. We’ll keep on taking our Saskatchewan guys and keep on trying to build them up.”

Regina’s defence turned in a stalwart performance, forcing 11 punts, but couldn’t completely shut down player-of-the-game Elelyon Noa. Okanagan’s record-setting rusher gained 84 yards on 18 carries, plus he scored a 17-yard touchdown and tossed the ensuing two-point convert. Liam Attwood kicked two converts and two field goals. Okanagan QB Liam Kroeger completed 12 passes for 151 yards.

Okanagan, which had a 10-0 record en route to winning the B.C. Junior Football Conference, advances to the 115th Canadian Bowl against the St. Clair Saints on Nov. 9 in Windsor. St. Clair continued its undefeated season Saturday by winning the Ontario championship 75-39 against the London Beefeaters.

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