The Vancouver Island Raiders scored a last minute touchdown and two point convert on Sunday afternoon, to tie the Okanagan Sun 31-31 at the Apple Bowl.
The Sun got off to a good start, when starter Nick Wenman connected with Shamar Donelson for a 22-yard touchdown pass on the second drive of the afternoon.
But the lead was short-lived, as the Raiders marched back down the field to tie the game.
Running back Rhett Williams burned the Sun for a 38-yard run, before taking it into the endzone from 12 yards out.
Just before the end of the quarter, VI QB Jake Laberge connected with Hugh Rainey in the back of the endzone, to give the Raiders a 14-7 lead.
VI extended the lead in the second quarter, when James Parker connected on an 18-yard field goal to make it 17-4.
Though the Raiders D was making for a difficult afternoon, the Sun offence connected on one more touchdown before the half was over.
Wenman once again connected with Donelson, this time on a 71-yard score, to cut the lead to 17-14 at the half.
The Sun picked up where they left off in the third quarter, with Donelson grabbing his third touchdown pass of the game from 42 yards out, to give Okanagan a 21-17 lead in what were the first third-quarter points allowed by the Raiders all year.
VI once again responded with a pair of field goals from Parker, from 39 and 19 yards respectively, to put the Raiders back up 23-21 at the end of the third.
With 6:33 to play, Donelson tacked on to his impressive afternoon with touchdown catch number four, a 34-yard pass from Wenman, which gave the Sun a 28-23 lead.
That lead was increased to eight when Isaac Wegner kicked his only field goal on the afternoon – a 22 yarder – with less than three minutes to play.
But on the Raiders final drive, the Sun were penalized for roughing the passer deep in their own territory, which set up a VI first-and-goal on the Okanagan 1 yard line.
After the D stuffed Laberge on first and second down, the QB connected with Williams on a third down pass.
The Raiders also elected to pass on the two-point convert, which saw Laberge find Rainey for the catch that tied the game at 31.
With the tie, Okanagan’s record now sits at 5-0-1, still good for first place in the BCFC.
The Sun will now play three of their final four regular season games on the road, starting next Saturday afternoon in Chilliwack against the Valley Huskers.
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