To say today’s game between the Westshore Rebels and Okanagan Sun is a battle of heavyweights would be the understatement of the sa国际传媒 Football Conference season with heavyweights perhaps too light a term. These are the overweights of the BCFC.
The Rebels and Suns are both 3-0, with Westshore having outscored the opposition 188-20 and Okanagan 131-18, heading into today’s marquee match-up at 4 p.m. at Starlight Stadium.
“This game is generating a lot of excitement, among the teams, and through the league,” said Rebels head coach Dexter Janke.
“These are two strong programs and have been for some time.”
Janke knows about both. He played for the Sun in the 2014 season before his CFL pro career in which he appeared in two Grey Cup games with the Calgary Stampeders and hoisted the Cup in 2019 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Janke was Rebels assistant coach before stepping up to the head role this season.
Not surprisingly considering their pedigree, the Rebels and Okanagan met in the Cullen Cup BCFC championship game last season in the Apple Bowl, won by the Sun.
Home-field advantage for this year’s Cullen Cup final could be decided today in Westshore and Okanagan’s lone meeting of the regular season.
“We’re not even thinking about that and only focusing on today,” said Janke.
There are certainly no shortage of things on which to focus.
“The Sun are big up front, athletic and aggressive,” said Janke.
“They are also very well-rounded. It’s going to be a great challenge and we are going to have to play a complete game.”
Although none of the first three games of the season have been close, Janke said the Rebels replicate all sorts of tighter game situations in practice. The pace picked up this week following the bye week.
“We’ve been pushing pretty hard since camp and our bye week got some of our guys rested,” said Janke.
Westshore quarterback Te Jessie, who was invited to sa国际传媒 Lions CFL training camp this summer, has thrown for 15 touchdown passes and back-up Ethan Pickard for three more over three games this season.
Okanagan pivots Liam Kroeger and Adam Rocha have two and one touchdown passes, respectively, for the Sun, showing the offences’ different approaches. Kroeger has run across for three touchdowns with his feet.
Okanagan running-back Aidan Wiberg is third in league rushing with 325 yards while back-field mate Tristen Peddle has 122 yards.
Not that the Rebels ignore the ground game with Belmont Bulldogs Secondary graduate Gerren Hardisty second in league rushing with 354 yards and change-of-pace tandem-partner Malik Gagne-Smith fourth with 189.
League-leading rusher Reece Wyke of the Valley Huskers from Chilliwack (3-1) has 437 yards but has played one more game than the Rebels and Sun rushers.
Meanwhile, the Vancouver Island Raiders (0-4) host the Prince George Kodiaks (1-2) today at 5:30 p.m. on the Nanaimo District Secondary School field while the Kamloops Broncos (0-3) are in Langley to play the Rams (1-1). The bye week goes to the Huskers.
