Oliver Harkness delivered when it counted the most.
The quarterback for the Vernon Magnums scored a last-second touchdown and extra point to lift the Magnums to a stunning 7-6 win over the Abbotsford Falcons in the Texas shootout final of the three-team, 9-Man B.C. Atom Division championships in Kamloops.
Vernon had lost 30-0 to the Falcons earlier in the day in the preliminary round (the other team was the Prince George Axmen, who beat the Magnums 12-0).
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The Falcons had no problem scoring all day so chose to start with the ball in the final. The Magnums were able to get penetration and cause a fumble in the backfield but it was recovered by the Falcons, who turned it into a score giving them a 6-0 lead after a missed extra point kick.
Vernon, needing to score, went back to what worked and on the first play Harkness, led by great downfield blocks by Nathan Hyer and Shaymus Waterstreet, ran down to the one-yard line but would not be denied on his second carry, plunging into the end zone to tie the game up.
Vernon was now able to win the championship by crossing the goal line on the extra point play, and the team went back to its workhorse in Harkness, who fought through contact three yards shy of the line but powered his way to the provincial-winning score.
With three teams involved, the event was structured with a round-robin followed by a playoff Texas shootout with the top team from the preliminary round getting a bye to the final.
The Magnums squared off first against the Axmen and, for the first time this season. were the small kids on the field.
“Prince George, with their big-bodied offence and defensive lines, managed to control all inside play and the Magnums couldn’t put up any points in the first meeting of the day while allowing two long runs for scores against,” said Vernon coach Bryan Cragg.
After Abbotsford got done with whipping the Axmen 30-0, they looked to continue rolling against Vernon in the final round-robin game. The only standouts in the game for the Magnums were Caden O’ Dwyer, who made eight solo tackles, and eventual tourney MVP, defensive end Leeum Milum, who was able to march the Falcons backwards by corralling the QB and running backs in the backfield repeatedly. Milum had five sacks in the game and ended with eight on the day.
The Vernon offence continued to struggle to get anything going and despite the sudden resurgence on the defensive side the Magnums fell 30-0 and went into the playoff in third place.
The Texas shootout format is set in a way where each team gets one possession to try to outscore there opponent and it is repeated until there is a winner.
Having learned a lot in the first loss to Prince George, the Magnums came in with a game plan to avoid the big boys and utilize there speed advantage outside.
The Axmen started with the ball first and Milum and outside linebackers Josh Vandenberg and Brock Warner were able to push them back and cause a three-and-out, giving the ball to Vernon with the Magnums needing only a score to win it. The speed of Harkness was too much to handle as he took the ball and bounced around the edge to score on the first play from scrimmage, ending the game and moving the Magnums to the final against the Falcons.
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