Three pivots are under centre in the Westshore Rebels training camp, at Goudy Field in Langford, trying to be that personality pacemaker. Quarterback Ashton MacKinnon, who led the Rebels to the sa国际传媒 junior title and to the Canadian championship game last year against the Saskatoon Hilltops, is eligible but not returning to the team.
That leaves Scott Borden Jr., Jordan Whyte and Cole Theobald fighting for the starting quarterback job. An earlier report that former UBC quarterback Gabe Olivares was in camp was in error.
The six-foot Borden is from Halifax and played university with the St. Mary鈥檚 Huskies and seems to have the inside lane since he shared starting duties on the Rebels last season until MacKinnon took over the lead role solely later in the season.
鈥淸Borden] is the most polished of the three and with something to prove,鈥� said Rebels new head coach Charly Cardilicchia, who took over from J.C. Boice.
鈥淗e鈥檚 returning with a fresh head space.鈥�
The five-foot-10 Whyte is from Mississauga, Ont., and played U.S. NAIA football for Bacone College in Oklahoma.
The six-foot-two Theobald is out of Argyle Secondary in North Vancouver and played last season for the Victoria Spartans and also was named championship game MVP as he led the sa国际传媒 U-18 team to the 2016 High Roller Varsity Football Showdown in Las Vegas.
鈥淸Theobald] is a raw young talent who plays with his legs,鈥� said Cardilicchia.
It鈥檚 a true competition, added Cardilicchia: 鈥淎ll three are capable. I want them to compete and bring out the best in each other. I am going to put out the best 12 players on both sides of the ball.鈥�
Cardilicchia feels he has recruited well enough in the skill positions that his quarterbacks will have some talented players to hand the ball to or throw to.
Kaine Stevenson is a highly regarded six-foot-one slotback and tailback out of the Ontario high school powerhouse Herman Green Griffins of Windsor, Ont.
鈥淚t was my major goal to land him out of Windsor,鈥� said Cardilicchia, who counts Stevenson as a prize recruit.
Dsaun Greenaway is a six-foot-five receiver from Mississauga, who has played in U Sports for the York University Yeomen.
Trey Campbell is a returning running back.
The Rebels training camp continues until the 2017 season opener, a reprise of last year鈥檚 sa国际传媒 Cullen Cup final, against the Okanagan Sun on July 29 at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna. Because of scheduled turf replacement at Westhills Stadium, it is the first of three road games to start the season for Westshore. The second week takes the Rebels to Nanaimo for the always emotionally pitched derby against the Vancouver Island Raiders and the third week to the Fraser Valley to meet the Huskers. That will be followed by four consecutive home games against Langley, Chilliwack, Kamloops and the Raiders from Aug. 19 to Sept. 16.
