The Port Alberni Black Sheep were able to battle back from a deficit against the Comox Valley Kickers and ultimately pick up a win at home last weekend.
Comox took the lead early on Saturday, March 15, heading into halftime with a 10-7 lead. But the Black Sheep were able to battle back and score a pair of critical tries in the second half, said head coach Jas Purewal, giving them a 21-17 win.
Purewal said the team struggled throughout the game with discipline. The Black Sheep picked up 25 penalties in total.
"We had a lot of penalties today," Purewal remarked after the game. "That's double what you'd expect in a game."
Coming off of two losses in a row, the Black Sheep were hungry for a win, said Purewal. The team played "really good defence" in the second half of the game, he said, which balanced out the penalties.
"That kept us in, even when Comox was pressing us, and we were able to turn that around and get two tries in the second half, which was critical," said Purewal.
Scorers for the Black Sheep were Maxx Bodaly, Ty Shannon and Aaron Badovinac. Shannon also added three conversions.
Richard Bauer had an "outstanding" game, said Purewal, and Bodaly made "a big difference" in the second half with a rush that ended in a try.
It was the last home game of the 2024-25 season for the Black Sheep. The team is in the middle of the pack when it comes to the BC Rugby standings, with only three games left in the regular season.
"So we still control our own destiny," Purewal laughed.
Next up, the team will be headed to Cowichan for a game against the Piggies on Saturday, March 22.
