The Vernon Jackals are a club not used to coming from behind.
However, with 10 minutes to go, and trailing the two-time defending champion Penticton Harlequins by two points in Saturday’s Okanagan Rugby Union final at Grahame Park, the rookie-laden Jackals didn’t panic.
Instead, veteran Jackals flanker Adam Morad made the play that turned around what would eventually be a 39-29 Vernon victory.
After Penticton scored a try to go ahead 29-27 with 10 minutes remaining, Morad grabbed the ensuing kick-off from teammate Taylor McKnight, intercepting it from the waiting arms of the Harlequins.
The Jackals rucked over the ball and got it outside to winger Jordan Dewing, who sprinted into the end zone for what would be the game-winning try, which McKnight converted.
“That play right there changed the entire game,” said Jackals’ player-coach Bryan Cragg, whose squad is undefeated in Union play this season.
“The way things have gone this year, we’d keep games close at halftime and then we’d wear down the other teams in the second half. We are not used to being in close games that late. But we knew we still had time to turn things around.”
McKnight added the clinching try minutes later.
The Harlequins opened the scoring and, after the conversion, led 7-0, but Vernon took a 20-17 lead into the halftime break, much to the delight of the large partisan crowd that packed the hillside at Grahame Park.
The Jackals increased the lead to 27-17 shortly after the re-start but the Harlequins were not about to ease up their grip on the playoff title, as Penticton rallied with 12 unanswered points for a 29-27 lead.
“I thought our guys played really well,” said Harlequins coach Ken Simpson. “The guys played extremely hard, it was a really good game. They played with a lot of guts and a lot of support.”
McKnight had two tries, three converts and a penalty kick to account for 19 of the Jackals’ points.
Eighth man Reece Millham, outside centre Greg Hyde and flanker Garth Cooke had the other tries for the champions.
“It feels great,” said Cragg of winning the Okanagan Rugby Union championship. “Our goal at the beginning was to be in this position (in the final).”
The Jackals began the year with a lot of fresh faces and bodies, and, for the league final, had nearly double the amount of substitutions available on the bench compared to the Harlequins.
“We had nine or 10 brand new players and that put us over the level of what we’ve had in the past,” said Cragg. “In the final, it became pretty evident that our younger, fresher legs were a massive benefit to us.”
“It was a good combative game. Both teams were really up for it,” added Harlequins captain Brad Martin. “Vernon had a few more players than we did. I think that was probably the difference in the game.”
The Jackals, as Okanagan champions, now advance to the Div. III Saratoga Cup provincial finals the weekend of Sept. 17 in Penticton.
The tournament will feature Vernon, Kelowna (Coastal Division champions who beat the Jackals 39-38 in a pre-season contest), Kootenays champion Cranbrook and the representatives of Northern B.C.
---with files from the Penticton Western News