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The Westshore Rebels鈥� Kent Hicks, a six-foot-four, 345-pound defensive lineman out of Robert Bateman Secondary in Abbotsford, plays against type.
Not only did he snag a fumble right out of mid-air and scoot into the endzone to score the winning touchdown with 1:25 remaining last week in Kamloops against the Broncos, but he is also the Rebels鈥� punter and can kick-off.
The versatile former University of Manitoba student can also be thrown in as a tight end, and hauled in a crucial third-down pass in the 25-21 sa国际传媒 Football Conference victory in Kamloops.
鈥淜ent just has a knack for making big plays,鈥� said Westshore head coach Charly Cardilicchia.
So far this season, Hicks and his teammates have had to make them all on the road, going 2-1 while the new turf was being laid at Westhills Stadium. Today is the day to finally try out the verdant new carpet in a game situation with the Rebels鈥� home opener at 3 p.m. against the Langley Rams (1-2).
鈥淭hat was quite a road trip, with two visits to the Interior [including a season-opening 19-15 loss to the undefeated Okanagan Sun in Kelowna],鈥� noted Cardilicchia.
鈥淕eographically, that takes a lot out of your body.鈥�
The other Rebels game was the Island derby, a 27-25 victory over the Vancouver Island Raiders at Caledonia Park in Nanaimo.
The Rebels had to rally for wins in both the road games in Nanaimo and Kamloops the past two weeks to show their mettle down the stretch.
鈥淲e鈥檙e in a good head space heading into our first home game,鈥� said Cardilicchia.
Not that there aren鈥檛 ragged edges that need to be tidied up.
鈥淲e had 20 penalties in Kamloops, and usually you don鈥檛 win with that many flags thrown against you in a game, but we pulled it out,鈥� said Cardilicchia.
鈥淕ood teams find ways to win.鈥�
But the defending Cullen Cup sa国际传媒 champions, and Canadian runners-up last year to the national champion Saskatoon Hilltops, know they can鈥檛 keep tempting fate. The Rebels鈥� secondary especially needs to be wary today against league-leading receiver Khalik Johnson of Langley, who was named BCFC offensive player of the week for his nine receptions for 136 yards and one touchdown, in last weekend鈥檚 34-17 Rams loss to the Sun.
But with the likes of linebacker Hicks, either moving up to tackle opposing runners or backpedalling to ball hawk against receivers, the Rebels are in pretty good hands.
A key returnee today for Westshore will be starting running-back Trey Campbell, back in the lineup after breaking a finger in the opening game in Kelowna.
The Island Raiders, meanwhile, moved to 2-1 with a 40-0 victory over the winless Valley Huskers of Chilliwack last weekend, and meet Kamloops (1-2) today at 2 p.m. at Caledonia Park.
