Game day: Westshore at Okanagan, 7 p.m.
As a player, Scott Mennie was a ticking time bomb, set to go off at any time once he stepped onto the gridiron, a fierce competitor who experienced a solid university career and a short taste of the Canadian Football League.
As a coach, he continues to carry that same aggressive attitude in co-ordinating the Westshore Rebels' defence.
It's a unit that shut out the winless Chilliwack Huskers 58-0 two weekends ago, although it was against a weaker team in the sa国际传媒 Football Conference.
But Mennie's ire is now focused on a nemesis, the Okanagan Sun, which will be a much better test this evening at 7 p.m. at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna in a critical matchup after teams are coming off bye week.
Mennie fired a warning shot immediately after the latest win - that leaves the Rebels at 3-1 and in good position in the standings - stating they have something to prove to the 1-3 Sun.
The Okanagan organization noticed the comments in last week's sa国际传媒, but that isn't holding Mennie back.
"They've been calling us out all off-season as one of the weaker teams in the 'gimme-games.' We'll see if it's a gimme-game once it's all said and done. You can interview their coach and see if they think that then," said Mennie.
The veteran coach had no disrespect for the Sun.
"They're always a well coached team and have some dangerous athletes on the field," said Mennie.
"They're a big passing team, who have some dangerous receivers."
Former quarterback Bobby Davis is now playing slotback (much like Cat Todorovich is for the Rebels), and the Sun brought in QB Cam Bedore, who was at Rebels' spring camp.
"He's one of the better guys coming out of the midget ranks, still finding his way a bit, but I'm not sure he likes the pressure too much. He's a solid player, though, and we have to be accountable," said Mennie.
Having won three straight, the Rebels have set themselves up nicely to date, especially after an opening loss to the Vancouver Island Raiders. The offence has taken most of the spotlight and Mennie's defence could use some loving.
"I like where we're at," said Mennie. "I like the fact that we're a physical team.
We're flying around the field and we have way more athletes on the field than in past defences. Obviously we're still a work in progress and there's things we'd like to tidy up."
Like needless penalties. "I like to encourage them to be on the edge, but at the same time they have to be smart and not take those penalties that have cost us in games already," he said.
So tonight will be a good challenge for the Rebels in the one and only game against the Sun this season.
"It's one of our greatest tests so far and we're hoping to put an eclipse on the Sun," said fifth-year linebacker Andrew Johnston.
"It's a loud atmosphere, very easy for a crowd to throw us off our game, but we want to be focused and make sure we get the job done. This is a business trip," added Johnston, who will be playing his final game at the Apple Bowl.
"We have to go in week by week and make sure we're prepared and do what we set out to do."
