The V.I. Raiders, clad in brand-new jerseys, looked sharp, and by the end of the game, they were playing sharp, too.

The Raiders overcame a slow start to blow out the Valley Huskers 55-24 on Saturday at Caledonia Park. Nanaimo trailed 17-0 after the first quarter, but outscored Chilliwack by such a wide margin in the second half, 45-7, that the final 45 seconds of the game went to mercy-rule run time.

Kaelan Botel, Raiders defensive lineman, said his team’s energy was low to start the game, but the second half was a different story.