The Okanagan Sun are national champions once again.
At Regina on a cold but sunny Saturday afternoon, the Sun rallied to defeat the host Thunder 21-19 to win the Canadian Bowl, the championship game of the Canadian Junior Football League.
Since 2000, the B.C. side has appeared in the big game four times, but only managed to win once.
After a scoreless first quarter at Mosaic Stadium, with the temperature at -13 C, the Sun trailed the Thunder 15-0 late in the second but scored just before halftime to make it 15-7, with Colby Miletto hauling in a six-yard touchdown.
In the third quarter, Regina made it 17-7 midway through after the Sun conceded a safety.
However, the Sun replied with 5:07 left in the quarter as Jevan Garwood ran 53 yards up the middle for a touchdown to make it 17-14.
An interception by Okanagan’s Dawson Puk gave the Sun the ball on Regina’s 33. Quickly, the visitors went up 21-17, with Mike O’Shea hauling in a 24-yard touchdown from Dom Britton with 3:02 left in the quarter.
The score remained the same for much of the fourth quarter, though the Sun conceded another safety with 35 seconds to go to make it 21-19.
While the game was played in Regina, a viewing party was held in Kelowna at Dakota’s Sports Bar and Grill, where a few dozen gathered to watch.
During the regular season, the Sun dominated the B.C. Football Conference 10-0. In the playoffs, Okanagan downed the Langley Rams 44-20 in the semifinals, then the Westshore Rebels 38-0 in the final.
The last time the Sun won a national championship was 2000 when they defeated the Saskatoon Hilltops 36-28 at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna. They also won the national title in 1988.
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