Rebels beat Raiders with late score in emotionally charged playoff game
NANAIMO — Saturday night’s Raiders versus Rebels semi-final game was an instant classic on the field, but much of the post-game conversation was about an incident off it.
Westshore beat V.I. 34-29 thanks to a touchdown from all-star running back Jamel Lyles with just 23 seconds remaining on the clock at Westhills Stadium in Langford. That game-winning drive came not long after Raiders’ rookie quarterback Jake Laberge was pelted in the face with a cold cup of coffee while he stood on the sidelines.
Early in the fourth quarter, while the defense was on the field, Laberge was standing near the short fence separating the Raiders’ bench area from the walkway for spectators in front of the bleachers. A young man walked up and had an exchange with Laberge then suddenly threw what was reportedly a cold cup of coffee into his face as he dashed under the bleachers. As the game continued at the far end of the field, many fans ran after the young man and there was visible distraction on the Raiders’ sideline as players and coaches became aware of what happened.
“When somebody throws coffee on one of our players and there’s no security, it’s friggin’ an embarrassment and our player could have been seriously hurt,” said Raiders head coach Jerome Erdman on the field after the game. “That really bothers me.”