Sports

For the second time this season the Okanagan Sun were a last second field goal away from upsetting the Vancouver Island Raiders in Nanaimo.

For the second time, the kick went wide.

Saturday in Nanaimo Dan Ferrier was wide right on a 36-yard field goal in the final moments allowing the Raiders to hold on for a 32-30 victory.

Back in August, Steve McFadyen was wide on a 10-yard field goal in a 30-29 defeat in Nanaimo.

Saturday afternoon, the Sun jumped out on top 14-2 and held a 21-12 lead at the half.

After the Raiders opened the scoring with a safety the Sun hit on a pair of key third down plays.

Running back Robert Giorno scampered 50 yards on third and one and quarterback Cam Bedore hit Ben White for a 34 yard touchdown on third and 10 early in the second quarter.

The Raiders cut the deficit to two when quarterback Jordon Yantz hit Dustin Pederson asnd Mark Mueller drilled a 22-yard field goal.

With just 20 seconds left in the half Blake Butler picked off Yantz and rambled 55-yards for another Sun major.

The Raiders drove deep into Sun territory with their first possession of the third quarter only to have Yantz picked off in the end zone by Robbie Yochim, however Yochim gave the ball back when he fumbled on the Sun 34.

Yantz ran in from one-yard out to pull the Raiders within one.

A Mueller 33-yard field goal later in the quarter gave the Raiders their first lead since early in the game.

Ferrier re-established the two point lead with a 26-yard field goal.

Yantz ended the quarter hitting Michael Shaper giving the Raiders a 29-24 lead after three quarters.

The Sun would re-take the lead midway through the fourth when Alex Bradley broke through for a 44-year touchdown run. The two point conversion was no goo leaving the Sun clinging to a 30-29 lead.

Okanagan had the ball on its own 12 with four minutes to go clinging to a one point lead, however, the were unable to make a first down, giving the Raiders the ball on the Sun 35.

Three plays later, Mueller connected from 39-yards out giving the Raiders a two point lead.

The Raiders had a chance to increase the lead with just over a minute to go, however, the Sun blocked a 44-yard field goal giving them the ball at the Raiders 54 with about a minute to go.

They were stopped just inside the 30 but the last second field goal went wide allowing the Raiders to run out the clock and hold on for the victory.

The Sun, 2-6, will play in Chilliwack next weekend before closing out the regular season the following weekend when they host the Langley Rams.

The Sun need to win at least one of those two games to give themselves a chance at a playoff berth.