Mission’s receiving corps grabbed the spotlight under the Friday Night Lights.
Big passing plays defined Friday’s game against the W.J. Mouat Hawks in Abbotsford, one that saw the Roadrunners walk out of Abbotsford with a big 21-10 win.
Mission got touchdowns from wide receivers Shawn Mann and Tyson Bongo in the first half to hold a 14-3 lead, and then Declan O’Brien grabbed another touchdown catch from quarterback Hamen Gill in the second half to earn the win.
Roadrunners head coach Danny Jakobs said his receivers were a big part of the win.
“I knew we were pretty evenly matched teams but some great plays by our receivers were the difference tonight,” he said. “We’ve been working a lot on our passing game and that was a part of our game we had to improve. It really came through in this game.”
Fourth down conversions were another big part of the story. The Roadrunners turned two different fourth down situations into a touchdown and the other into a first and goal, which eventually lead to another touchdown.
Mann, who scored a touchdown, said Gill has worked well with his receivers.
“He’s doing great and we have such good chemistry out there,” he said. “The line blocks really well for him, and I think we left it all out there tonight. We’ve been working hard in practice so this is a big win for us.”
Mission’s record improves to two wins and two losses with the victory, and Jakobs said the playoffs are on his team’s mind.
“You have to get your wins when you can and this was a crucial game for us,” he said. “Our goal at the start of the year was to make the playoffs.”
It doesn’t get any easier for Mission, as they next host one of the top teams in AAA - the Terry Fox Ravens on Oct. 21.
Read Friday’s print edition of the Mission City Record for more.