The last 25 minutes of 厂补迟耻谤诲补测鈥檚 game in Victoria was some of the best, most desperate football the Okanagan Sun played all season.
It was the first 35 that ultimately cost the defending B.C. Football Conference champs a return trip to the Canadian Bowl.
The Westshore Rebels bolted out to a 32-0 lead, then staved off a late Sun rally for a 32-21 victory in the 2016 Cullen Cup at Westhills Stadium.
鈥泪 saw a lot resilience from our players, it was impressive to see guys who were refusing to give 耻辫,鈥� Macauley said.
鈥淎 couple of bad breaks to start the game, we shot ourselves in the foot and could have just packed it in but the guys fought back.
鈥淲别 learned a lot about ourselves, 颈迟鈥檚 tough way to see it end, but 颈迟鈥檚 going to serve this team well in the 蹿耻迟耻谤别.鈥�
For Macauley, his coaching staff and many of the Sun players, the 2016 season was a learning experience, accented by a number of peaks and valleys.
After starting the season 6-0, the Sun slid into a mid-season funk, losing three straight games, including a 58-2 humbling at the hands of the Saskatoon Hilltops.
The Sun then rebounded with back-to-back, pressure-packed wins over the Langley Rams to get to the final, before coming up flat in the first half of 厂补迟耻谤诲补测鈥檚 game.
Macauley shoulders the bulk of the responsibility for his 肠濒耻产鈥檚 inconsistency during the season.
鈥淲别 know we have a team that can 肠辞尘辫别迟别,鈥� he said. 鈥泪t would had been nice to have that from the get-go, but 迟丑补迟鈥檚 the way it goes sometimes.
鈥淲别 肠辞耻濒诲苍鈥檛 make all the plays we had to, so 颈迟鈥檚 a lesson that we gotta be ready to put it all on the line in a game like 迟丑补迟.鈥�
鈥淎 lot of that is to do with stability in coaching, I was learning as we went along, what personnel decisions to make. As a coaching staff, we learned the hard way.
鈥泪t鈥檚 something 飞别鈥檒濒 take with us into next 蝉别补蝉辞苍.鈥�
And if the 厂耻苍鈥檚 board of directors approves his return, Macauley fully plans on using the lessons learned this year to the 肠濒耻产鈥檚 full advantage in 2017.
鈥淯苍濒别蝉蝉 颈迟鈥檚 not by my choice, 滨鈥檒濒 be back, 鈥� he said. 鈥泪鈥檝e always preached consistency, so 迟丑补迟鈥檚 hopefully what 滨鈥檒濒 bring coming back.
鈥泪鈥檓 reasonably happy with the way things went. We were running on a skeleton crew for a lot of the time, so with a few more bodies as full-time coaches, it should be better next 蝉别补蝉辞苍.鈥�
Reciever Pierre-Luc Lord ended his Sun career with one high note, as the Salmon Arm native was named the special teams player of the game in the BCFC final.
The Rebels will host the defending national champion Saskatoon Hilltops in the Canadian Bowl, Saturday, Nov. 12, in Victoria.
