Castanet is revisiting the top stories of an eventful 2022. For the Kelowna sports story of the year, we look at the Okanagan Sun’s championship run.
—
It was a season the Okanagan Sun will not soon forget.
For just the third time in their 41 year history, the Sun hoisted a national championship.
And they did it on Prairie soil.
The Sun capped off its first ever 14-0 season with a thrilling 21-19 come-from-behind win over the Regina Thunder at Regina’s Mosaic Stadium.
The stadium that would host the Gray Cup the following week was home to a celebration more than four decades in the making.
Prior to the 2022 Canadian Bowl, the Sun had made 10 trips to the Prairies in the dead of winter, and came home empty handed each time.
Lucky #11.
The Sun trailed 15-0 late in the second quarter and were having a hard time moving the ball against a tough Regina defense.
But with time melting off the clock before halftime Dominic Britton marched the club 75 yards in less than two minutes, capping it off with a gutsy five-yard touchdown pass to Colby Miletto on the final play of the half.
The touchdown sparked the team.
After conceding a safety to go down 17-7, running back Jevan Garwood scampered 52 yards to cut the deficit to three then, following a Dawson Puk interception, Britton hit Mike O’Shea from 24-yards out on third and three to give the Sun their first lead, one they would not relinquish despite some harrowing moments in the dying minutes of the game.
The defense stuffed the Thunder on a third and four with 44 seconds left to seal the perfect season.
For first year head coach Travis Miller, it was vindication for a long off season of recruiting and to ensure he had the right mix for a long playoff run.
Miller becomes just the second head coach to lead the Sun to a national championship, joining Lawrence Nagy who guided the team to the Canadian Bowl in 1988 and 2000.
It’s now up to Miller and his staff to try and repeat with a team which will lose close to two dozen players to graduation or university.
The long road to repeating 2022 is already underway.
