By Sharie Epp, Times ColonistSeptember 12, 2010VANCOUVER IS. 57 VICTORIA 7
No matter which direction the Victoria Rebels looked yesterday at Caledonia Park, they were always facing uphill against the Vancouver Island Raiders. The two-time defending national champions smothered the Rebels 57-7, marking their 17th win over Victoria.
"In the end, this game is about passion. Today, especially on defence, we played with a lot of passion and pride," Raiders coach Matt Blokker said on the Internet broadcast, after his team's 34th straight home victory.
Blokker said the Raiders, now 6-1, were embarrassed in allowing the Rebels 214 yards rushing in Nanaimo's 46-15 victory last month. Yesterday, Victoria's Sam Adu, who went into the game leading the B.C. Football Conference with 888 yards rushing, was held to a total of 26 yards.
"This whole week was about us, it wasn't about the Rebels," Blokker said. "We wanted to make sure we stopped the run, played physical and had a little bit of pride."
The Rebels (3-4) had wanted to avoid giving up big plays, but the Raiders second play from scrimmage was a 94-yard touchdown scamper by running back Jordan Botel. That was only the beginning, as the Raiders ruled from end to end in a matchup smattered with undisciplined play .
Up until Victoria quarterback Cat Todorovich threw a touchdown pass to Sam Adu in the fourth quarter, the best the Rebels looked was on their very first drive, which ended with a missed 47-yard field goal attempt by Quinn Van Gylswyk. The Rebels would only get across the midfield stripe on one other occasion in the first half.
Offensively, the Rebels line was no match for the Raiders defensive wall, as they kept the quarterbacks on their heels, and shut down Adu.
"We have a great little running back, if they get him just a half-decent block, he's capable of making big plays," Rebels O-line coach Leo Blanchard said last week. He added the linemen have struggled to remember the playbook, resulting in tentative reactions.
"If you're not sure about what you're doing, you can't be aggressive. If you're not aggressive right off the ball, you're not going to make a block."
Minutes after Botel got the Raiders on the board, Nanaimo's Steve Daniel blocked a Van Gylswyk punt. The Victoria defence came up big to prevent a score that time, but the block set the momentum.
A stripped ball and fumble recovery led to the Raiders second touchdown, on a Jordan Yantz pass to Andrew Smith, giving them a 14-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. Early in the second, linebacker Ranji Atwall, who finished with seven tackles, had a free shot at Nicholas Cobb and took it. Cobb spent the remainder of the afternoon on the sidelines, with his shoulder taped and arm in a sling.
Victoria's injury woes continued when offensive lineman Richard Charron went down in severe pain, with a damaged leg, and was taken from the park by ambulance.
The Raiders were up 33-0 at the half, after Yantz ran in the first of his two rushing majors, and passed to Michael Schaper for another. Tyler Bates also scored a touchdown for Nanaimo and Nick Lauder returned a kick 100 yards for their seventh TD of the day.
"At the end of the day, we just might have a shot at this thing," Blokker said.
Next weekend, the Rebels travel to Kamloops, and the Raiders are at Chilliwack.
Rebels Raise over $12,500 for Tour De Rock Rebels’ fundraiser exceeds goal
For Immediate Release
Wednesday September 8th, 2010 Victoria BC- The Victoria Rebels are please to announce the final totals have been tabulated to reveal they have raised over $12,500.00 for Tour De Rock.
On Saturday August 28th, The Rebels hosted a Tour De Rock themed game starting with a tailgate party sponsored by White Spot and Lighthouse Brewery with a special performance by Turn Pike Bandits. All money from this event was donated to the cause.
Half time entertainment saw the debut performance of /A News Sports Anchor Mira Laurence, and KOOL FM’s morning co-host, Robin Farell’s alter rap egos, Lil M and Notorious R.O.B performing “We Bike” backed up by the Victoria Rebels’ Cheerleaders.
Tour De Rock Jr Riders, Matt Kercher and Daisy Irwin were on hand. Matt addressed the supportive crowd talking about his experience at Camp Goodtimes. Camp Goodtimes is a camp specifically designed to meet the special medical needs of children battling cancer and beneficiary of the Tour De Rock bike ride fundraiser.
The main event was the head shave of President Roger Wade. In an effort to raise awareness and donations, Roger died his normally brunette hair bright blonde. By game time, Roger was $2,000 away from his $10,000 goal. Rebels fans continued to pledge during the game, but it came down to an on field standoff to come up with the last few hundred dollars. Crew from /A and KOOL FM hit the stands with donation buckets to raise the remaining deficit. In an exciting 11th hour call to action, Rebels fans came through and Roger’s blonde locks hit the field. Jr Riders, Matt and Daisy took the first cuts with Robin and Mira taking turns.
Rebels Wide Receiver, Garth Green did some fundraising of his own and garnered $350 in pledges for the cause. Garth as per promised, shaved his own head and earned himself a few swipes at Roger’s.
After Roger’s head shave, donations continued to roll in. Through advance tickets sales, the tailgate, on line and in game donations, The Victoria Rebels are proud to have raised a grand total of $12,584.00.
By SHARIE EPP, timescolonist.comAugust 28, 2010 10:40 PM
Victoria Rebels receiver Vincenzo Cannata hangs on to the ball as he hits the turf with Chilliwack Huskers defender Mitch Bessette in second-quarter action yesterday at Bear Mountain Stadium. Photograph by Debra Brash, timescolonist.com
Team president Roger Wade lost his hair, but that was the only thing the Rebels lost at Bear Mountain Stadium yesterday. Wade shaved his bleached-blond locks to raise more than $12,500 for Cops for Cancer, while the Rebels hacked down the Chilliwack Huskers 70-13.
“It feels weird,” Wade said, rubbing his hand over the stubble, but the money destined to help sick kids, along with a morale-boosting end to the Rebels’ three-game losing streak, made it all worthwhile. “We needed that win.”
Running back Sam Adu scored four touchdowns and rushed for 239 yards as the Rebels roundly outplayed the visitors. With the victory, the Rebels improved their B.C. Football Conference record to 3-3, while the woes continued for the Huskers, winless at 0-6.
“We fed Sam the rock. He was a primary force,” said Rebels quarterback Nick Cobb, who had his best game to date. Gaining confidence as the game progressed, the 18-year-old completed 12 of 24 through the air, passing for 304 yards and three touchdowns and also ran one in.
“The way we prepared this week, we focused on going back to basics. We focused on what we do well, which is the run and play-action pass.”
A 53-yard run by Adu set up the first Victoria points — a field goal by Quinn Van Gylswyk — just over four minutes into the game, and they never stopped rolling. The Rebels’ first touchdown drive, which was finished off by Adu, began with a blocked punt by defensive back Mike Barry, who led an inspired effort by the DBs.
Opposition quarterbacks have found hole after hole in the defensive backfield this season, but the coverage was much improved yesterday.
“We’ve been working like crazy with those kids,” Rebels coach John Cardilicchia said. “We’ve never worked so hard on one faction of our game, and it’s starting to pay off.”
The Rebels were up 10-0 by the end of the first quarter and added another 35 points before halftime. Cobb scored, then Adu zig-zagged 51 yards through the Chilliwack defence for another touchdown. Adu added six more points after wide-receiver Kyle Pich made an amazing one-handed grab to bring the ball down on the Huskers’ six yard line.
Pich, easily recognizable by his bright yellow shoes, and Dallas Holyk both caught TD passes to push the score to 45-0 by the break.
For Chilliwack, nobody had any answers, except for running back and special-teams player Ben Skerrett. Every time Skerrett got his hands on the ball he made something happen. Unfortunately for the Huskers, they couldn’t keep it going.
“He’s an amazing football player,” Chilliwack coach Luke Acheson said of Skerrett. “He leaves his heart and soul on the field every day.”
Acheson was philosophical after the game, trying to pick out the positives for his young team. The Huskers have 45 new players this season, and most of them are in their first year.
“In games like this, you don’t focus on the 70,” he said. “We dwell on mistakes they can fix.
“They got a lesson in football today.”
Among the Rebels’ highlight-reel scoring plays were a 62-yard touchdown scamper by Adu, and a 71-yard pass-and-run touchdown by receiver Travis Corazza, both in the third quarter. After the Huskers gave up a safety, the Rebels took a 60-0 lead into the fourth quarter.
In the final 15 minutes, Chilliwack got on the board, with touchdowns by Skerrett and receiver Jeff Wandzura, while running back Jesse Fitch found the end zone for Victoria. Van Gylswyk, who also had eight converts, finished off the Victoria scoring with a 44-yard field goal.
“This was great for our confidence,” Cardilicchia said. “We have to keep putting the next foot forward.”
“A lot of people had written us off, but we haven’t written ourselves off.”
All teams have a bye week for the Labour Day weekend. The Rebels’ next game is in Nanaimo, where they play the Vancouver Island Raiders on Sept. 11.
Rebels lose at home to Raiders Victoria Rebels lose 3rd straight as V.I. Raiders win 47-15
Victoria BC- The Victoria Rebels tried to improve on their 2-2 record Sunday afternoon at Bear Mountain Stadium as they took on the 3-1 Vancouver Island Raiders.
The game remained scoreless for the first 9 minutes but the Raiders erupted for two 1st quarter touchdowns and added two more in quarter number two, building a commanding 28-0 lead. Victoria running back Sam Adu's touchdown run capped off a nice drive late in the half to make the score 28-7, but the Raiders returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown to make the halftime score 35-7 Raiders.
Rebels' backup QB Cat Todorovich ran in a late touchdown to match a Raiders major
from earlier in the 4th quarter and a late safety rounded out the day's scoring for the Rebels. Final score Vancouver Island Raiders 46 Victoria Rebels 15. The Rebels now move to 2-3 at the season's halfway mark and the Raiders go to 4-1. Next Saturday marks the inaugural Tour De Rock game at Bear Mountain Stadium when the Rebels host the Chilliwack Huskers with kickoff at 4pm. A fundraiser tailgate starts at noon sponsored by White Spot and Lighthouse Brewery. Half time will see /A News Sports Anchor, Mira Laurence and Kool FM’s morning co-host, Robin Farrell perform live their itunes hit “We Bike” and Rebels’ President Roger Wade will shave his head if he reaches a pledge total of $10,000. For every ticket sold in advance, Rebels’ will donate $1.00 to the cause. Information on the game can be found at www.victoriarebels.com. Tickets can be purchased by calling 250-220-7777 or visiting www.selectyourtickets.com.
Rebels solid but can't fend off Rams
By Sharie Epp, Times ColonistAugust 15, 2010
The Victoria Rebels took some positives out of yesterday's B.C. Football Conference game in South Surrey, but the score wasn't one of them. Buoyed by a big-play offence, the Rams outdistanced the Rebels 42-34 in an entertaining match, especially for South Surrey fans.
"We just gave up a whole bunch of big plays," Victoria president Roger Wade said. "They didn't have a touchdown that was less that 20 yards."
The Rebels were hoping to turn the tables on the Rams, after losing to them 35-17 last weekend at Bear Mountain Stadium. The difference was that South Surrey quarterback Nathaniel White was able to find some big holes in the Rebels defence, which was missing all-star defensive end Jake Farley.
The final game stats weren't available, but Wade said all the Rams touchdowns were airborne, with at least two of them to Nick Downey, the BCFC special teams player of the week.
The good news was Downey, who racked up 258 yards in kick and punt returns in last week's game, wasn't able to repeat those numbers. Rebels kicker and punter Quinn Van Gylswyk made sure of that, keeping the ball out of Downey's clutches.
"Quinn had an unbelievable game," Wade said. "Downey had nothing on kick returns."
Van Gylswyk also was successful on an onside kick to open the second half. The Rebels were down 24-10 at that point, but quarterback Nick Cobb marched the team right down for a major.
In all, Cobb had a solid outing, scoring two touchdowns for the Rebels. Receiver Vincenzo Cannata also had a TD, as did running back Sam Adu, who rushed for 194 yards last week, and racked up more than 100 yards yesterday.
Another bright spot for Victoria was the team discipline, which had been a hot topic at practice last week. Wade figured the Rebels didn't take more than five or six penalties in the game, and the attitude on the bench stayed positive throughout.
"Nobody gave up," Wade said.
The Rebels are back in action next Sunday, when they play host to the Vancouver Island Raiders at Bear Mountain Stadium, kicking off at 1 p.m.
While the Rebels won the statistical battle with more first downs (15 to 6), more yards rushing (226 to 86) and more yards passing (226 to 190), the Rams won where it counted most - on the scoreboard. Sam Adu was outstanding for the Rebels' offence, and was named the Popeye's Player-of-the-Game for his efforts. Defensively, Colton Farrago led the Rebels with 8 tackles.
Rebels Drop First Game Of Home And Home Victoria Rebels fall to South Surrey Rams 35-17
Saturday August 7th, 2010 Victoria BC- The Victoria Rebels put their 2-0 record on the line Saturday evening at Bear Mountain Stadium with the first of two straight games against the 0-2 South Surrey Rams.
Both teams struggled offensively early on until Rams starting QB Jon Ellingson hit Zach Middleton with a pass that turned into a foot race down the right sideline. The 65 yard touchdown would give South Surrey a 7-0 lead after 1 quarter of play.
The second quarter highlight was a breathtaking 86 yard punt return touchdown from the Rams' Nick Downey who pulled several Houdini like escapes from would be tacklers. The Rebels would answer with a second quarter field goal from the foot of Quinn Van Gylswyk to make the halftime score 14-3 for South Surrey. It was an emotional first 30 minutes as the Rams took 9 penalties for 75 yards and the Rebels were flagged 10 times for 125 yards in that first half alone.
The Rams would be the only team to score in the 3rd quarter as running back Jake Glass capped a long drive with a short TD run and then second half QB Nathaniel White would silence the hometown crowd with a 91 yard bomb to Matt Chapdelaine. That made it 28-3 for South Surrey heading to the 4th quarter.
Victoria attempted to open up the offense in the final frame but Rebels' starting QB Nick Cobb threw his 3rd interception on the day, this one to Belah Small of the Rams who put the game out of reach with a 43 yard touchdown return. The Rebels' backup QB Cat Todorovich would enter the game late and engineer two scoring drives which both ended with Sam Adu touchdown runs. The late scores would make the final 35-17 for the Rams, improving their season record to 1-2. Victoria now stands at 2-1.
The bright spot on the day for Victoria was the performance of running back Sam Adu who finished with 18 carries for 194 rushing yards and two TD's. On special teams, the Rams' Nick Downey compiled 7 punt returns for 171 yards, had a 34 yard kickoff return and 87 yards on 2 missed field goal returns. That makes a total of 292 return yards on the day for Downey.
The Victoria Rebels travel to South Surrey on Saturday August 14th to take on the Rams . The Rebels' next home game is Sunday, Aug. 22nd at 1pm at Bear Mountain Stadium. For tickets, call 250-220-7777 or visit www.selectyourtickets.com
**Game story written by Scott Earle
Penalities, turnovers factor in Rebels' loss
Ian Shelton, Times ColonistAugust 8, 2010
Head coach John Cardilicchia's warnings proved prophetic as the Victoria Rebels suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of the visiting South Surrey Rams.
Earlier this week, Cardilicchia warned against taking the Rams lightly despite a rough start to the team's season that left them with an 0-2 record when they arrived at Bear Mountain Stadium to take on 2 and 0 Rebels yesterday.
In a game marred by unending penalties, repeated turnovers and an offence that didn't catch on until the dying minutes of the fourth quarter, the Rebels went down 35-17 to the visiting team.
"I told the kids coming into this game, you win the turnovers, you win the game," Cardilicchia said. "We didn't help ourselves with the turnovers."
Cardilicchia also took a dim view of the 175 yards Victoria lost in penalties.
"Obviously it's something I need to jump on. Is it going to be an ongoing issues? Absolutely not," he said. "I run them to death out here because of it."
The Rebels went behind four minutes into the game when Surrey quarterback Jon Ellingson launched a pass about 35 yards into the hands of Zach Middleton. Middleton then dodged a pair of Victoria defenders before running into the end zone to complete the 65-yard play.
Up 7-3 in the second quarter, Surrey got to within one yard of the Victoria end zone but the Rebels' defence stood tall in a goal line stand that brought the crowd back into the game.
On the next play, running back Sam Adu broke out and ran the ball deep into Surrey's end, and the fans started to make some noise.
But the ensuing snap bounced from Victoria quarterback Nick Cobb's hands, Surrey pounced on it, and the crowd simmered down.
It was the pattern of the game for Victoria, who snatched the momentum for a play, only to lose it again.
"It was a frustrating day," said Cardilicchia. "We'd get a big play but we couldn't get it together until the end."
A fourth quarter rally stacked 14 points onto the Rebels' score as the offense seemed to finally click but by then the game was decided.
Both those touchdowns were carried in by Adu, who was one a bright spot all day. The 5'7" running back bounced off, slipped past, and otherwise frustrated the Rams' defense to the tune of 194 yards on 18 carries.
Kicker Quinn Van Gylswyk also stepped up, nailing the coffin corner late in the second half with a ball that landed on the sideline, one yard from the Rams' end zone.
Surrey receiver Nick Downey punished him for the inbound balls, including one he ran about 80 yards for a touchdown.
The game was the first half of a home-and-home series. The teams meet again Saturday in Surrey, and this time it's Rams coach Chris Butschler sounding cautious.
"These are two evenly matched teams," he said. "Next week could be completely different."
The Victoria Rebels won their home opener 23-7 against a sleepy Kamloops Broncos team at Bear Mountain Stadium.
The Rebels dominated the first half, going up 18-0 on two touchdowns and a safety. The Broncos, having left Kamloops at 5 a.m. the morning of the game, looked as though they were sleepwalking through the first half. Kamloops only managed three yards of total offence in the first half. It took the Broncos until early in the second half before they finally broke into the Rebels' half of the field, thanks to a15-yard face mask penalty against Victoria.
The Rebels took full advantage of Kamloops' mistakes. Defensive back Sean Bissonnette earned a safety less than five minutes in, pouncing on Kamloops kicker Aaron Smit while he bobbled the ball trying to punt out of his own end zone. Rebels quarterback Nick Cobb, who joined Victoria this season from the University of Manitoba, looked sharp in the first half, passing for 162 yards, including two touchdowns. But he had lots of time and space to find the open man.
"We've got a big offensive line that keeps people off of our quarterbacks," said Rebels coach John Cardilicchia. "Luke Racine must have had five pancake blocks today down the field, hitting right to the whistle."
But the Rebels had less success in the second half. Kamloops finally got on the board nine minutes into the third quarter, after Broncos defensive back Shayne Arthurs comfortably picked off a Cobb pass, running the ball back more than 70 yards for the touchdown. And the quarterback was fortunate that Victoria running back Sam Adu recovered Cobb's fumble in the fourth quarter.
"Turnovers will kill you," Cardilicchia said. "It keeps our offence off the field with less opportunities to drive and score."
Despite some offensive clumsiness, the Rebels did add to their tally in the second half. Kicker Quinn Van Gylswyk notched a 23-yard field goal in the dying seconds of the third quarter.
Victoria was close to adding another touchdown, with the team opting to go for the six points instead of kicking a field goal with the ball on the two-yard line on third down five minutes into the fourth quarter. But Cobb was unable to hit wide receiver Dallas Holyk with his pass, turning the ball over to Kamloops. But the ensuing defensive pressure on the Broncos deep in their own zone resulted in another safety, with an errant Kamloops snap to the punter on third down leaving the end zone.
"Our offensive co-ordinator isn't happy -- he would have liked to have put a lot more points on the board," said Cardilicchia. "But as far as the defence is concerned, we shut them out and turned the ball over."
Both teams were undisciplined, with each taking numerous face mask, unnecessary roughness and objectionable conduct penalties.
"We can't retaliate and expect to win games," said Kamloops coach Rob Ellis. "It put our defence in a world of hurt."
As was the case in Kamloops' first game of the season, Ellis was unable to decide on a quarterback, starting Dylan La Prarie. But Jesse Neufeld replaced La Prarie partway through the first quarter. Ellis would swap the two quarterbacks more than a half dozen times times throughout the game.
"I've got two 17-year-old kids," said Ellis. "We don't have the privilege of having experienced quarterbacks. But we will have a clear starter for our next game."
With the win in front of 947 fans, Victoria's record now stands at 2-0, while Kamloops drops to 0-2. The Rebels' next game is Aug. 7 against the South Surrey Rams at Bear Mountain Stadium. David Karp, Times Colonist August 1, 2010
The Victoria Rebels are a proud supporter of this year’s Tour De Rock.Join us at the game August 28th where media rider representatives News Sports Anchor, Mira Laurence and 107.3 KOOL FM’s morning co-host, Robin Farrell will be on hand to help raise donations for their upcoming ride.There will be plenty of activities prior to the game as well as several opportunities to donate to a great cause.Keep your eyes peeled on www.victoriarebels.com for details as they are announced!
VICTORIA REBELS FUND-RAZOR
To raise the stakes and money, Victoria Rebels’ President Roger Wade has put his flowing locks up on the chopping block.
If Roger receives a minimum of $10,000 in pledges he will shave his head at the game. Donations can be made at Roger's Donation Page on the Cops for Cancer website.
Heading into its 13th year, the Tour De Rock stretches over 15 days and covers over 1,100kms on Vancouver Island.From September 18 to October 1, the riders will cycle from Port Alice to Victoria with stops in just about every community.The team is compromised of officers from the RCMP, local police departments and the military and 2 media riders.
The Canadian Cancer Society Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock raises money for pediatric cancer research and programs for children with a history of cancer including Camp Goodtimes. Camp Goodtimes is a place where kids are able go to forget about their daily struggles with cancer.Last year the Tour De Rock collected $1.8 million dollars for childhood cancers. This total represented the second largest fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society.
For more information on upcoming Tour De Rock fundraisers, visit TVReturn to top
"Victoria Rebels kicker Quinn Van Gylswyk booted a 53 yard field goal in Chilliwack to help the Rebels to their first win of the season and set a new team mark. He would add three other field goals (13, 37 and 38), was 5-5 in coverts and had an 85 yard rouge to score 18 of the Rebels 55 points. Van Gylswyk would make 11 kick-offs for 615 yards and two punts for 52 yards." BCFC Press Release Wednesday, July 28, 2010.Return to top
Rebels open season with lopsided win
By SHARIE EPP, timescolonist.comJuly 24, 2010
The Victoria Rebels started the B.C. Football Conference season with a big bang in Chilliwack yesterday, thumping the Huskers 55-27.
It was a huge win, said coach John Cardilicchia. “Everyone contributed. It was just a real good team win.”
Cardilicchia contrasted the performance with the team’s 45-24 preseason loss to the Vancouver Island Raiders last weekend. “They played a lot grittier, and a lot sharper than they did in the Nanaimo game.”
The Rebels led 34-7 at the half, and rookie quarterback Nick Cobb demonstrated his ability to guide the team this season. Cobb began the scoring with a 40-yard pass to Kyle Pich, then added TD throws to Sam Adu and Dallas Holynk, as well as running one in himself before the half.
“Nick Cobb was amazing,” Cardilicchia said. “He was just precision.”
Cat Todorovich ably replaced Cobb in the second half. The Rebels unloaded the bench and the defence and special teams took a turn putting points on the board.
In the third quarter, the Huskers narrowed the score to 38-13 thanks to a couple of nice passes from Chilliwack pivot Clayton Kroeker. Kroeker tried again, but was picked off by Rebels defensive back Eddie Charles, who proceeded to return it 65 yards for a touchdown.
Returning a punt, Victoria’s Andre Skinner took the ball another 65 yards, down to the one, and fullback Rob Ramsey bulldozed in for another Rebels major.
Second-year kicker and punter Quinn Van Gylswyk added to the mix with four field goals, including a 53-yarder, and two singles.
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Raiders easily tame Rebels
No matter which direction the Victoria Rebels looked yesterday at Caledonia Park, they were always facing uphill against the Vancouver Island Raiders. The two-time defending national champions smothered the Rebels 57-7, marking their 17th win over Victoria.
"In the end, this game is about passion. Today, especially on defence, we played with a lot of passion and pride," Raiders coach Matt Blokker said on the Internet broadcast, after his team's 34th straight home victory.
Blokker said the Raiders, now 6-1, were embarrassed in allowing the Rebels 214 yards rushing in Nanaimo's 46-15 victory last month. Yesterday, Victoria's Sam Adu, who went into the game leading the B.C. Football Conference with 888 yards rushing, was held to a total of 26 yards.
"This whole week was about us, it wasn't about the Rebels," Blokker said. "We wanted to make sure we stopped the run, played physical and had a little bit of pride."
The Rebels (3-4) had wanted to avoid giving up big plays, but the Raiders second play from scrimmage was a 94-yard touchdown scamper by running back Jordan Botel. That was only the beginning, as the Raiders ruled from end to end in a matchup smattered with undisciplined play .
Up until Victoria quarterback Cat Todorovich threw a touchdown pass to Sam Adu in the fourth quarter, the best the Rebels looked was on their very first drive, which ended with a missed 47-yard field goal attempt by Quinn Van Gylswyk. The Rebels would only get across the midfield stripe on one other occasion in the first half.
Offensively, the Rebels line was no match for the Raiders defensive wall, as they kept the quarterbacks on their heels, and shut down Adu.
"We have a great little running back, if they get him just a half-decent block, he's capable of making big plays," Rebels O-line coach Leo Blanchard said last week. He added the linemen have struggled to remember the playbook, resulting in tentative reactions.
"If you're not sure about what you're doing, you can't be aggressive. If you're not aggressive right off the ball, you're not going to make a block."
Minutes after Botel got the Raiders on the board, Nanaimo's Steve Daniel blocked a Van Gylswyk punt. The Victoria defence came up big to prevent a score that time, but the block set the momentum.
A stripped ball and fumble recovery led to the Raiders second touchdown, on a Jordan Yantz pass to Andrew Smith, giving them a 14-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. Early in the second, linebacker Ranji Atwall, who finished with seven tackles, had a free shot at Nicholas Cobb and took it. Cobb spent the remainder of the afternoon on the sidelines, with his shoulder taped and arm in a sling.
Victoria's injury woes continued when offensive lineman Richard Charron went down in severe pain, with a damaged leg, and was taken from the park by ambulance.
The Raiders were up 33-0 at the half, after Yantz ran in the first of his two rushing majors, and passed to Michael Schaper for another. Tyler Bates also scored a touchdown for Nanaimo and Nick Lauder returned a kick 100 yards for their seventh TD of the day.
"At the end of the day, we just might have a shot at this thing," Blokker said.
Next weekend, the Rebels travel to Kamloops, and the Raiders are at Chilliwack.
sepp@tc.canwest.com © Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist Return to top
Rebels Raise over $12,500 for Tour De Rock
Rebels’ fundraiser exceeds goal
For Immediate Release
Wednesday September 8th, 2010
Victoria BC- The Victoria Rebels are please to announce the final totals have been tabulated to reveal they have raised over $12,500.00 for Tour De Rock.
On Saturday August 28th, The Rebels hosted a Tour De Rock themed game starting with a tailgate party sponsored by White Spot and Lighthouse Brewery with a special performance by Turn Pike Bandits. All money from this event was donated to the cause.
Half time entertainment saw the debut performance of /A News Sports Anchor Mira Laurence, and KOOL FM’s morning co-host, Robin Farell’s alter rap egos, Lil M and Notorious R.O.B performing “We Bike” backed up by the Victoria Rebels’ Cheerleaders.
Tour De Rock Jr Riders, Matt Kercher and Daisy Irwin were on hand. Matt addressed the supportive crowd talking about his experience at Camp Goodtimes. Camp Goodtimes is a camp specifically designed to meet the special medical needs of children battling cancer and beneficiary of the Tour De Rock bike ride fundraiser.
The main event was the head shave of President Roger Wade. In an effort to raise awareness and donations, Roger died his normally brunette hair bright blonde. By game time, Roger was $2,000 away from his $10,000 goal. Rebels fans continued to pledge during the game, but it came down to an on field standoff to come up with the last few hundred dollars. Crew from /A and KOOL FM hit the stands with donation buckets to raise the remaining deficit. In an exciting 11th hour call to action, Rebels fans came through and Roger’s blonde locks hit the field. Jr Riders, Matt and Daisy took the first cuts with Robin and Mira taking turns.
Rebels Wide Receiver, Garth Green did some fundraising of his own and garnered $350 in pledges for the cause. Garth as per promised, shaved his own head and earned himself a few swipes at Roger’s.
After Roger’s head shave, donations continued to roll in. Through advance tickets sales, the tailgate, on line and in game donations, The Victoria Rebels are proud to have raised a grand total of $12,584.00.
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Rebels cruise to easy win over Huskers
Victoria Rebels receiver Vincenzo Cannata hangs on to the ball as he hits the turf with Chilliwack Huskers defender Mitch Bessette in second-quarter action yesterday at Bear Mountain Stadium. Photograph by Debra Brash, timescolonist.com
Team president Roger Wade lost his hair, but that was the only thing the Rebels lost at Bear Mountain Stadium yesterday. Wade shaved his bleached-blond locks to raise more than $12,500 for Cops for Cancer, while the Rebels hacked down the Chilliwack Huskers 70-13.
“It feels weird,” Wade said, rubbing his hand over the stubble, but the money destined to help sick kids, along with a morale-boosting end to the Rebels’ three-game losing streak, made it all worthwhile. “We needed that win.”
Running back Sam Adu scored four touchdowns and rushed for 239 yards as the Rebels roundly outplayed the visitors. With the victory, the Rebels improved their B.C. Football Conference record to 3-3, while the woes continued for the Huskers, winless at 0-6.
“We fed Sam the rock. He was a primary force,” said Rebels quarterback Nick Cobb, who had his best game to date. Gaining confidence as the game progressed, the 18-year-old completed 12 of 24 through the air, passing for 304 yards and three touchdowns and also ran one in.
“The way we prepared this week, we focused on going back to basics. We focused on what we do well, which is the run and play-action pass.”
A 53-yard run by Adu set up the first Victoria points — a field goal by Quinn Van Gylswyk — just over four minutes into the game, and they never stopped rolling. The Rebels’ first touchdown drive, which was finished off by Adu, began with a blocked punt by defensive back Mike Barry, who led an inspired effort by the DBs.
Opposition quarterbacks have found hole after hole in the defensive backfield this season, but the coverage was much improved yesterday.
“We’ve been working like crazy with those kids,” Rebels coach John Cardilicchia said. “We’ve never worked so hard on one faction of our game, and it’s starting to pay off.”
The Rebels were up 10-0 by the end of the first quarter and added another 35 points before halftime. Cobb scored, then Adu zig-zagged 51 yards through the Chilliwack defence for another touchdown. Adu added six more points after wide-receiver Kyle Pich made an amazing one-handed grab to bring the ball down on the Huskers’ six yard line.
Pich, easily recognizable by his bright yellow shoes, and Dallas Holyk both caught TD passes to push the score to 45-0 by the break.
For Chilliwack, nobody had any answers, except for running back and special-teams player Ben Skerrett. Every time Skerrett got his hands on the ball he made something happen. Unfortunately for the Huskers, they couldn’t keep it going.
“He’s an amazing football player,” Chilliwack coach Luke Acheson said of Skerrett. “He leaves his heart and soul on the field every day.”
Acheson was philosophical after the game, trying to pick out the positives for his young team. The Huskers have 45 new players this season, and most of them are in their first year.
“In games like this, you don’t focus on the 70,” he said. “We dwell on mistakes they can fix.
“They got a lesson in football today.”
Among the Rebels’ highlight-reel scoring plays were a 62-yard touchdown scamper by Adu, and a 71-yard pass-and-run touchdown by receiver Travis Corazza, both in the third quarter. After the Huskers gave up a safety, the Rebels took a 60-0 lead into the fourth quarter.
In the final 15 minutes, Chilliwack got on the board, with touchdowns by Skerrett and receiver Jeff Wandzura, while running back Jesse Fitch found the end zone for Victoria. Van Gylswyk, who also had eight converts, finished off the Victoria scoring with a 44-yard field goal.
“This was great for our confidence,” Cardilicchia said. “We have to keep putting the next foot forward.”
“A lot of people had written us off, but we haven’t written ourselves off.”
All teams have a bye week for the Labour Day weekend. The Rebels’ next game is in Nanaimo, where they play the Vancouver Island Raiders on Sept. 11.
sepp@tc.canwest.com
Rebels lose at home to Raiders
Victoria Rebels lose 3rd straight as V.I. Raiders win 47-15
Victoria BC- The Victoria Rebels tried to improve on their 2-2 record Sunday afternoon at Bear Mountain Stadium as they took on the 3-1 Vancouver Island Raiders.
The game remained scoreless for the first 9 minutes but the Raiders erupted for two 1st quarter touchdowns and added two more in quarter number two, building a commanding 28-0 lead. Victoria running back Sam Adu's touchdown run capped off a nice drive late in the half to make the score 28-7, but the Raiders returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown to make the halftime score 35-7 Raiders.
Rebels' backup QB Cat Todorovich ran in a late touchdown to match a Raiders major
from earlier in the 4th quarter and a late safety rounded out the day's scoring for the Rebels. Final score Vancouver Island Raiders 46 Victoria Rebels 15. The Rebels now move to 2-3 at the season's halfway mark and the Raiders go to 4-1.
Next Saturday marks the inaugural Tour De Rock game at Bear Mountain Stadium when the Rebels host the Chilliwack Huskers with kickoff at 4pm. A fundraiser tailgate starts at noon sponsored by White Spot and Lighthouse Brewery. Half time will see /A News Sports Anchor, Mira Laurence and Kool FM’s morning co-host, Robin Farrell perform live their itunes hit “We Bike” and Rebels’ President Roger Wade will shave his head if he reaches a pledge total of $10,000. For every ticket sold in advance, Rebels’ will donate $1.00 to the cause. Information on the game can be found at www.victoriarebels.com. Tickets can be purchased by calling 250-220-7777 or visiting www.selectyourtickets.com.
Rebels solid but can't fend off Rams
By Sharie Epp, Times Colonist August 15, 2010
The Victoria Rebels took some positives out of yesterday's B.C. Football Conference game in South Surrey, but the score wasn't one of them. Buoyed by a big-play offence, the Rams outdistanced the Rebels 42-34 in an entertaining match, especially for South Surrey fans.
"We just gave up a whole bunch of big plays," Victoria president Roger Wade said. "They didn't have a touchdown that was less that 20 yards."
The Rebels were hoping to turn the tables on the Rams, after losing to them 35-17 last weekend at Bear Mountain Stadium. The difference was that South Surrey quarterback Nathaniel White was able to find some big holes in the Rebels defence, which was missing all-star defensive end Jake Farley.
The final game stats weren't available, but Wade said all the Rams touchdowns were airborne, with at least two of them to Nick Downey, the BCFC special teams player of the week.
The good news was Downey, who racked up 258 yards in kick and punt returns in last week's game, wasn't able to repeat those numbers. Rebels kicker and punter Quinn Van Gylswyk made sure of that, keeping the ball out of Downey's clutches.
"Quinn had an unbelievable game," Wade said. "Downey had nothing on kick returns."
Van Gylswyk also was successful on an onside kick to open the second half. The Rebels were down 24-10 at that point, but quarterback Nick Cobb marched the team right down for a major.
In all, Cobb had a solid outing, scoring two touchdowns for the Rebels. Receiver Vincenzo Cannata also had a TD, as did running back Sam Adu, who rushed for 194 yards last week, and racked up more than 100 yards yesterday.
Another bright spot for Victoria was the team discipline, which had been a hot topic at practice last week. Wade figured the Rebels didn't take more than five or six penalties in the game, and the attitude on the bench stayed positive throughout.
"Nobody gave up," Wade said.
The Rebels are back in action next Sunday, when they play host to the Vancouver Island Raiders at Bear Mountain Stadium, kicking off at 1 p.m.
sepp@tc.canwest.com
Rams defeat Rebels 35 - 17
Official Game Stats
Rebels Drop First Game Of Home And Home
Victoria Rebels fall to South Surrey Rams 35-17
Saturday August 7th, 2010
Victoria BC- The Victoria Rebels put their 2-0 record on the line Saturday evening at Bear Mountain Stadium with the first of two straight games against the 0-2 South Surrey Rams.
Both teams struggled offensively early on until Rams starting QB Jon Ellingson hit Zach Middleton with a pass that turned into a foot race down the right sideline. The 65 yard touchdown would give South Surrey a 7-0 lead after 1 quarter of play.
The second quarter highlight was a breathtaking 86 yard punt return touchdown from the Rams' Nick Downey who pulled several Houdini like escapes from would be tacklers. The Rebels would answer with a second quarter field goal from the foot of Quinn Van Gylswyk to make the halftime score 14-3 for South Surrey. It was an emotional first 30 minutes as the Rams took 9 penalties for 75 yards and the Rebels were flagged 10 times for 125 yards in that first half alone.
The Rams would be the only team to score in the 3rd quarter as running back Jake Glass capped a long drive with a short TD run and then second half QB Nathaniel White would silence the hometown crowd with a 91 yard bomb to Matt Chapdelaine. That made it 28-3 for South Surrey heading to the 4th quarter.
Victoria attempted to open up the offense in the final frame but Rebels' starting QB Nick Cobb threw his 3rd interception on the day, this one to Belah Small of the Rams who put the game out of reach with a 43 yard touchdown return. The Rebels' backup QB Cat Todorovich would enter the game late and engineer two scoring drives which both ended with Sam Adu touchdown runs. The late scores would make the final 35-17 for the Rams, improving their season record to 1-2. Victoria now stands at 2-1.
The bright spot on the day for Victoria was the performance of running back Sam Adu who finished with 18 carries for 194 rushing yards and two TD's. On special teams, the Rams' Nick Downey compiled 7 punt returns for 171 yards, had a 34 yard kickoff return and 87 yards on 2 missed field goal returns. That makes a total of 292 return yards on the day for Downey.
The Victoria Rebels travel to South Surrey on Saturday August 14th to take on the Rams . The Rebels' next home game is Sunday, Aug. 22nd at 1pm at Bear Mountain Stadium. For tickets, call 250-220-7777 or visit www.selectyourtickets.com
**Game story written by Scott Earle
Penalities, turnovers factor in Rebels' loss
Ian Shelton, Times Colonist August 8, 2010
Head coach John Cardilicchia's warnings proved prophetic as the Victoria Rebels suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of the visiting South Surrey Rams.
Earlier this week, Cardilicchia warned against taking the Rams lightly despite a rough start to the team's season that left them with an 0-2 record when they arrived at Bear Mountain Stadium to take on 2 and 0 Rebels yesterday.
In a game marred by unending penalties, repeated turnovers and an offence that didn't catch on until the dying minutes of the fourth quarter, the Rebels went down 35-17 to the visiting team.
"I told the kids coming into this game, you win the turnovers, you win the game," Cardilicchia said. "We didn't help ourselves with the turnovers."
Cardilicchia also took a dim view of the 175 yards Victoria lost in penalties.
"Obviously it's something I need to jump on. Is it going to be an ongoing issues? Absolutely not," he said. "I run them to death out here because of it."
The Rebels went behind four minutes into the game when Surrey quarterback Jon Ellingson launched a pass about 35 yards into the hands of Zach Middleton. Middleton then dodged a pair of Victoria defenders before running into the end zone to complete the 65-yard play.
Up 7-3 in the second quarter, Surrey got to within one yard of the Victoria end zone but the Rebels' defence stood tall in a goal line stand that brought the crowd back into the game.
On the next play, running back Sam Adu broke out and ran the ball deep into Surrey's end, and the fans started to make some noise.
But the ensuing snap bounced from Victoria quarterback Nick Cobb's hands, Surrey pounced on it, and the crowd simmered down.
It was the pattern of the game for Victoria, who snatched the momentum for a play, only to lose it again.
"It was a frustrating day," said Cardilicchia. "We'd get a big play but we couldn't get it together until the end."
A fourth quarter rally stacked 14 points onto the Rebels' score as the offense seemed to finally click but by then the game was decided.
Both those touchdowns were carried in by Adu, who was one a bright spot all day. The 5'7" running back bounced off, slipped past, and otherwise frustrated the Rams' defense to the tune of 194 yards on 18 carries.
Kicker Quinn Van Gylswyk also stepped up, nailing the coffin corner late in the second half with a ball that landed on the sideline, one yard from the Rams' end zone.
Surrey receiver Nick Downey punished him for the inbound balls, including one he ran about 80 yards for a touchdown.
The game was the first half of a home-and-home series. The teams meet again Saturday in Surrey, and this time it's Rams coach Chris Butschler sounding cautious.
"These are two evenly matched teams," he said. "Next week could be completely different."
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Rebels hammer weary Broncos
David Karp, Times Colonist August 1, 2010
The Victoria Rebels won their home opener 23-7 against a sleepy Kamloops Broncos team at Bear Mountain Stadium.
The Rebels dominated the first half, going up 18-0 on two touchdowns and a safety. The Broncos, having left Kamloops at 5 a.m. the morning of the game, looked as though they were sleepwalking through the first half. Kamloops only managed three yards of total offence in the first half. It took the Broncos until early in the second half before they finally broke into the Rebels' half of the field, thanks to a15-yard face mask penalty against Victoria.
The Rebels took full advantage of Kamloops' mistakes. Defensive back Sean Bissonnette earned a safety less than five minutes in, pouncing on Kamloops kicker Aaron Smit while he bobbled the ball trying to punt out of his own end zone. Rebels quarterback Nick Cobb, who joined Victoria this season from the University of Manitoba, looked sharp in the first half, passing for 162 yards, including two touchdowns. But he had lots of time and space to find the open man.
"We've got a big offensive line that keeps people off of our quarterbacks," said Rebels coach John Cardilicchia. "Luke Racine must have had five pancake blocks today down the field, hitting right to the whistle."
But the Rebels had less success in the second half. Kamloops finally got on the board nine minutes into the third quarter, after Broncos defensive back Shayne Arthurs comfortably picked off a Cobb pass, running the ball back more than 70 yards for the touchdown. And the quarterback was fortunate that Victoria running back Sam Adu recovered Cobb's fumble in the fourth quarter.
"Turnovers will kill you," Cardilicchia said. "It keeps our offence off the field with less opportunities to drive and score."
Despite some offensive clumsiness, the Rebels did add to their tally in the second half. Kicker Quinn Van Gylswyk notched a 23-yard field goal in the dying seconds of the third quarter.
Victoria was close to adding another touchdown, with the team opting to go for the six points instead of kicking a field goal with the ball on the two-yard line on third down five minutes into the fourth quarter. But Cobb was unable to hit wide receiver Dallas Holyk with his pass, turning the ball over to Kamloops. But the ensuing defensive pressure on the Broncos deep in their own zone resulted in another safety, with an errant Kamloops snap to the punter on third down leaving the end zone.
"Our offensive co-ordinator isn't happy -- he would have liked to have put a lot more points on the board," said Cardilicchia. "But as far as the defence is concerned, we shut them out and turned the ball over."
Both teams were undisciplined, with each taking numerous face mask, unnecessary roughness and objectionable conduct penalties.
"We can't retaliate and expect to win games," said Kamloops coach Rob Ellis. "It put our defence in a world of hurt."
As was the case in Kamloops' first game of the season, Ellis was unable to decide on a quarterback, starting Dylan La Prarie. But Jesse Neufeld replaced La Prarie partway through the first quarter. Ellis would swap the two quarterbacks more than a half dozen times times throughout the game.
"I've got two 17-year-old kids," said Ellis. "We don't have the privilege of having experienced quarterbacks. But we will have a clear starter for our next game."
With the win in front of 947 fans, Victoria's record now stands at 2-0, while Kamloops drops to 0-2. The Rebels' next game is Aug. 7 against the South Surrey Rams at Bear Mountain Stadium. David Karp, Times Colonist August 1, 2010
Game stats when available. Return to top
The Victoria Rebels are a proud supporter of this year’s Tour De Rock. Join us at the game August 28th where media rider representatives
News Sports Anchor, Mira Laurence and 107.3 KOOL FM’s morning co-host, Robin Farrell will be on hand to help raise donations for their upcoming ride. There will be plenty of activities prior to the game as well as several opportunities to donate to a great cause. Keep your eyes peeled on www.victoriarebels.com for details as they are announced!
To raise the stakes and money, Victoria Rebels’ President Roger Wade has put his flowing locks up on the chopping block.
If Roger receives a minimum of $10,000 in pledges he will shave his head at the game. Donations can be made at Roger's Donation Page on the Cops for Cancer website.
Heading into its 13th year, the Tour De Rock stretches over 15 days and covers over 1,100kms on Vancouver Island. From September 18 to October 1, the riders will cycle from Port Alice to Victoria with stops in just about every community. The team is compromised of officers from the RCMP, local police departments and the military and 2 media riders.
The Canadian Cancer Society Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock raises money for pediatric cancer research and programs for children with a history of cancer including Camp Goodtimes. Camp Goodtimes is a place where kids are able go to forget about their daily struggles with cancer. Last year the Tour De Rock collected $1.8 million dollars for childhood cancers. This total represented the second largest fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society.
For more information on upcoming Tour De Rock fundraisers, visit
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Quinn Van Gylswyk named BCFC Special Teams Player of the Week - Week 1
"Victoria Rebels kicker Quinn Van Gylswyk booted a 53 yard field goal inChilliwack
Rebels open season with lopsided win
The Victoria Rebels started the B.C. Football Conference season with a big bang in Chilliwack yesterday, thumping the Huskers 55-27.
It was a huge win, said coach John Cardilicchia. “Everyone contributed. It was just a real good team win.”
Cardilicchia contrasted the performance with the team’s 45-24 preseason loss to the Vancouver Island Raiders last weekend. “They played a lot grittier, and a lot sharper than they did in the Nanaimo game.”
The Rebels led 34-7 at the half, and rookie quarterback Nick Cobb demonstrated his ability to guide the team this season. Cobb began the scoring with a 40-yard pass to Kyle Pich, then added TD throws to Sam Adu and Dallas Holynk, as well as running one in himself before the half.
“Nick Cobb was amazing,” Cardilicchia said. “He was just precision.”
Cat Todorovich ably replaced Cobb in the second half. The Rebels unloaded the bench and the defence and special teams took a turn putting points on the board.
In the third quarter, the Huskers narrowed the score to 38-13 thanks to a couple of nice passes from Chilliwack pivot Clayton Kroeker. Kroeker tried again, but was picked off by Rebels defensive back Eddie Charles, who proceeded to return it 65 yards for a touchdown.
Returning a punt, Victoria’s Andre Skinner took the ball another 65 yards, down to the one, and fullback Rob Ramsey bulldozed in for another Rebels major.
Second-year kicker and punter Quinn Van Gylswyk added to the mix with four field goals, including a 53-yarder, and two singles.
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