SUN THROTTLE HUSKERS

Story Courtesy Wayne Moore Castanet

Photo Contributed

Okanagan Sun find the end zone 11 times in decisive win over Chilliwack in home opener

The sign of a good team is one that can quickly put a loss behind them.

The Okanagan Sun did that in spades Saturday night in their home opener against the Valley Huskers.

The Sun found the end zone 11 times in every way imaginable in a 78-11 mauling of the visitors.

Marcus Christos, starting in place of injured quarterback Liam Kroeger was masterful, throwing for three touchdowns and running for two others in only a half of football.

He was 13 of 15 through the air for 206 yards and ran for 79 more, including a 42 yard scamper to set up the game’s first touchdown.

“It was unbelievable,” head coach Travis Miller said of the passing game. “Marcus Christos played a hell of a game and Liam Connolly came in and did an excellent job.

“You can’t say enough about the effort of those guys.

“I don;t think we’ve seen that kind of quarterback play from that position in a number of years.

“Liam had a couple last year, but Marcus really stepped up across the board.”

The Sun led 14-0 after one quarter on a one-yard plunge from Christos set up by that 42-yard scamper, and Riley Easton’s 35-yard pick six when he timed an out route perfectly.

It was the first of four interceptions by a Sun secondary that had a bad case of the drops in the seven-point loss to Langley two weeks ago.

Christos heated up in the second quarter, throwing touchdown passes to Adnesse Pannenbarker (33 yards), Colton Meikle (43 yards) and Noah Borhot (19 yards) while also running in a touchdown from seven yards out.

The outburst gave the Sun a 42-3 lead at the half.

The touchdown to Meikle was most impressive. He laid the ball into tight coverage perfectly, allowing the stronger Meikle to outmuscle the defender and barge his way into the end zone.

The Huskers managed their only touchdown of the game at the start of the second half when Ocean St. Cyr took the opening kickoff 103 yards to paydirt.

But, the Sun would do one better when Gage Parker took the ensuing kickoff 107 yards for a major, a sequence Miller said he had never seen before.

Teshaine Peach with a 43-yard pick-six, Jaxon Allan on a 24-yard scamper, Parker on a 39-yard stroke from Connolly and backup running back Matt Chapman with a 44-yard run also scored touchdowns in the third quarter to put the Sun up 78-9.

With second and third stringers in the rest of the way, the teams traded punts the rest of the day.

The Sun amassed 473 yards of total offence including 284 through the air.

The Huskers managed 241 yards against a defence that did bend on occasion, but didn’t break, causing six turnovers. Much of their yardage came through the air in the second quarter or on the ground in the third.

The Sun will look to keep the good times rolling next Saturday night when they entertain the Prince George Kodiacs.