The Victoria junior team will be in among the top-tier clubs in 2013, having to face the Vancouver Island Raiders and defending Cullen Cup champion Langley Rams three times each this 2013 season.
The schedule is rounded out by two games against Kamloops and one each versus the Okanagan Sun and Chilliwack 鈥� now known as the Valley Huskers.
Westshore starts the season at home at Westhills Stadium against the Raiders on July 27, before heading to the home of the champion Rams the following weekend.
Then it鈥檚 at home to the Okanagan Sun and the Rams in back-to-back weeks on Aug. 10 and 17, before they finally catch a weaker link at Exhibition Stadium against the Huskers, which kicks off three straight on the road (followed by trips to Langley and Kamloops).
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 good for us, we鈥檒l see where we鈥檙e at right away,鈥� said new Rebels head coach Scott Mennie. 鈥淟ast year鈥檚 schedule was a bad thing for us because we couldn鈥檛 really see where we were. Then we got into the big games and weren鈥檛 ready for the fight.
鈥淭his year, we鈥檒l have big games against some big players right away and I鈥檓 happy about that and so is the rest of the coaching staff.鈥�
That coaching staff will feature lots of change as Mennie, the former defensive co-ordinator, is the only returnee. Among the new recruits are defensive co-ordinator Ryan Henderson and offensive co-ordinator Silvio Martel.
鈥淚 know I told you a long time ago that I was holding on to the defensive co-ordinator spot, but I鈥檓 giving my defence up. It鈥檚 his now,鈥� Mennie said of Henderson, who was with the Spartans midget program, but was the defensive the last time the Rebels went to the national championship in 2003.
As for the schedule, Westshore returns home in Week 6 (after a bye) to face the Raiders a second time and then plays host to Kamloops before wrapping up the regular season on Oct. 6 in Nanaimo against the Raiders.
It鈥檚 an unbalanced schedule for the second consecutive season.
Like the Rebels, the Sun also feature a new head coach in Shane Beatty.
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