The six-foot-five, 290-pounder and his current Rebels teammates (2-6) will be focused on the undefeated Okanagan Sun (8-0) as they come calling in sa国际传媒 Football Conference play today at 3 p.m. at Westhills Stadium. But Purewal is excited about the future.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just the right place with a good coaching staff, good facilities and the right opportunity for me. I felt like that was the place I wanted to be,鈥� said Purewal, who red-shirted at the University of Western Ontario last season after three straight sa国际传媒 Subway Bowl triple-A high school football championships with the Rams.
The standout O-lineman had a chance to join the Bisons straight out of high school but opted for Western, which did not turn out to be the right fit.
鈥淚 took a different route, but I got to the right place,鈥� said Purewal, who still has his full CIS eligibility remaining and did reach out to the Bisons shortly after returning from Western. 鈥淚t came down to a gut feeling and opportunity to play. Somewhere inside I had Manitoba in my heart. I took a different route, but now I鈥檓 there.鈥�
And he has Rebels鈥� teammates who would love to join him 鈥� Hunter Lake for one.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 my goal, to keep playing,鈥� said Lake, who is in his final year of junior eligibility, turning 22 a week from today in his final game when the Rebels host the Langley Rams. 鈥淚鈥檝e been focused on this season and I鈥檒l start talking once this season is over.
鈥淏ut, yeah, I would love to go to Manitoba. All the old Rebels 鈥� when I first got here 鈥� were heading to Manitoba,鈥� he said of the likes of Colton Farago, Fong and Zack Sandelescu, who are some of the most recent Rebels to head to the Bisons. Then there鈥檚 coach Scott Mennie who was a Manitoba standout.
Lake should get attention for his athleticism alone. This year he moved from quarterback to receiver and has flourished as the Rebels鈥� most lethal weapon.
鈥淲e always find playmakers at every position. I was lucky enough that they put me in positions where I can touch the ball and make me look good,鈥� said Lake, who has 623 yards receiving in eight games, but two of those were spent at quarterback.
Lake has averaged more than 100 yards an outing as a receiver and that comes after he threw for 2,677 yards as a QB in 2014, the second highest league total that season and ninth highest all-time in the BCFC.
鈥淚 have had a pretty great year [at receiver]. I have to give that up to J.C. [head coach J.C. Boice] for making a slow, fat receiver look like he has some speed and talent,鈥� Lake said with a chuckle. 鈥淚鈥檝e been lucky. I couldn鈥檛 have run this [offence] as a quarterback last year, but as a receiver I have benefited so greatly from it.鈥�
Lake also threw for 2,051 yards in 2013 and if he had played all 10 games at receiver this year, he may have reached the milestone 1,000-yard mark, performing an incredible feat of 2,500-plus yards passing one year and 1,000 yards receiving the next.
鈥淭hat would have been a good trick,鈥� he said when told of the stats.
EXTRA POINT: The Rebels are celebrating minor football at today鈥檚 game. Students from K-12 can print vouchers off the Rebels鈥� website to enter free accompanied by an adult with a ticket. Everyone is urged to wear their school or team jersey.
