Byron MacKinnon has pretty much seen it all in his three seasons of junior football with the Westshore Rebels, from a Canadian championship game appearance against the Saskatoon Hilltops in his rookie year to missing the playoffs last season.
鈥淚鈥檝e been through the ups and the downs,鈥� said the 21-year-old linebacker.
MacKinnon begins his final season of junior today as the Rebels open the 2019 sa国际传媒 Football Conference season in Chilliwack against the Valley Huskers.
The home opener is next Saturday at Westhills Stadium with the Island derby against the Vancouver Island Raiders
鈥淲e鈥檙e really excited,鈥� said MacKinnon.
鈥淲e鈥檝e brought a lot of guys in and everybody is jelling together and showing a lot of tempo and pace. The key for us is focus. If we stay focused, there is nobody in the league who can beat us.鈥�
The club expects to be led by an aggressive defence.
鈥淲e鈥檙e coming for the ball,鈥� said MacKinnon.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be coming after teams.鈥�
That鈥檚 something MacKinnon knows something about since his high school days as a two-time sa国际传媒 champion with Mark Townsend鈥檚 Mount Douglas Rams dynasty.
sa国际传媒 high school football is unique in sa国际传媒 in that it is played under American rules.
鈥淚 prefer four-down football on a smaller field,鈥� said MacKinnon.
鈥淐anadian football is a more pass-heavy game and you are running around and chasing guys a lot more.鈥�
But at six-foot-two and 200 pounds, MacKinnon is an angular and mobile defensive player who can cover a lot of ground and is perfectly suited for the Canadian game.
He again showed that last year. One of the few highlights in an uncharacteristically off-campaign last season for the Rebels was MacKinnon鈥檚 blitzes off the edge from the outside linebacker position.
鈥淚 love getting after the quarterback,鈥� he said.
It doesn鈥檛 hurt that Rebels head coach Shane Beatty comes from the defensive side of the ball.
鈥淗e is so energetic and helps the defence out so much with his skill sets as a teacher and coach,鈥� said MacKinnon.
Joining MacKinnon as veteran returnees on the Rebels defence are linemen Leonardo Ingram and Ronan Silver. Former Winnipeg Rifles defensive end Machuor Akau is considered an impact addition.
鈥淲e have one of the best defensive lineups I have seen in years,鈥� said Beatty.
A key returnee on the offensive line is Tyrese Hogue.
Notable newcomers include former University of Windsor Lancers quarterback Colby Henkel and other former U Sports players, including former University of Calgary Dinos receiver Brycen Mayoh, McMaster Marauders linebacker Jesse Zajaros and University of Regina Rams defensive back Polis Koko.
鈥淭his is a great opportunity we have this season with all these new guys, who have bonded together very quickly,鈥� said MacKinnon.
The opener today presents an intriguing matchup for Westshore. The Huskers are part of the changing order in the BCFC, in which the traditional powers V.I. Raiders, Okanagan Sun, Langley Rams and Rebels have new challengers. The Huskers made the playoffs last season in a striking turnaround after going winless in 30 games the previous three seasons.
鈥淭he talent across all the teams in the BCFC this year is strong and it will better prepare us, or whichever team, goes up against the Saskatoon Hilltops in the Canadian junior championship,鈥� said Beatty.
The regular season runs into the fall. The playoffs open Oct. 26-27 with the semifinal round in which the fourth-place team will visit the regular-season champion and the third seed will visit the second seed.
The BCFC Cullen Cup championship game goes Nov. 2 or Nov. 3 at the home of the highest remaining seed.
The BCFC champion hosts the Canadian Bowl this season and will meet the winner of the national semifinal between the Prairie Football Conference and Ontario Football Conference on Nov. 16.
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