The West Shore Rebels returned home to Starlight Stadium and defeated the Prince George Kodiaks 45-25 in their home opener on Saturday, July 27.
It was a day of mixed emotions as the Rebels' General Manager, Roger Wade, died on Tuesday, July 23 and a moment of silence was held in his memory before the game.
West Shore Rebels quarterback Ethan Pickard completed 19 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns. His favourite target was wide receiver Zion Brown, who caught eight passes for 121 yards and one touchdown. Receiver Linden Williams caught the first Rebels touchdown of the game.
Despite the win, penalties continued to be a problem for the Rebels. However, the team was solid defensively, including an intercepted pass returned for a touchdown by Okunola Oluwafferanmi.
Pickard was able to rely heavily on his running game, with Carter Williams having a career day, gaining 171 yards on 13 carries and scoring three touchdowns.
In the second quarter, the Rebels scored 28 points and combined for 541 yards on offence.
Prince George Kodiaks quarterback Sawyer Theissen kept his team fighting, completing 25 passes for 285 yards, running for one touchdown and throwing another, connecting with receiver Carson Briere.
Myron Brown returned a 92-yard kick-off for a touchdown for the Kodiaks.
With the win, the Rebels stayed undefeated as they are 2-0 on the season.
The Kodiaks will move on to play the Langley Rams, and the Rebels will have a bye week but will clash with their rivals, the Okanagan Sun, on Aug. 11.
