The Island derby was a bit one-sided this season. The Westshore Rebels and Vancouver Island Raiders appear poised to finish at opposite ends of the sa国际传媒 Football Conference standings as the 2023 regular season concludes today.
The Rebels (9-0) will be looking to put the finishing touches on an undefeated season against the winless Raiders (0-9) tonight at 7 p.m. on the Nanaimo District Secondary School field.
The Rebels are assured of the regular-season championship and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Westshore will meet the fourth-place Langley Rams (5-4) in a semifinal game next Saturday at Starlight Stadium.
The Rebels warmed up for the semifinal match-up by beating the Rams 61-7 last weekend in the second-to-last regular-season games as quarterback Te Jessie threw for 249 yards and four touchdowns to be named BCFC offensive player of the week. Cairo Berry caught three of the touchdown passes and Kieran Poissant two. Bryce Reuther of Westshore was named special teams player of the week.
The Okanagan Sun (7-1) and Fraser Valley Huskers (7-2) will meet in the other semifinal game with venue to be decided.
The Prince George Kodiaks (2-7), Kamloops Broncos (1-8) and Raiders have been eliminated from playoff contention.
The semifinal winners will advance to the BCFC championship game Oct. 28 for the Cullen Cup. The BCFC champion will represent the league in the national junior football championship Canadian Bowl. It is the BCFC’s turn in the rotation to host the Canadian Bowl, which it will do Nov. 11, with the Cullen Cup champion to play the winner of a national semifinal between the champions of the Prairie and Ontario junior football conferences.
Meanwhile, 10 Rebels were named to the BCFC first all-star team — quarterback Jessie, receivers Berry and Poissant, running-back Gerren Hardisty, offensive linemen Caumari Barney and Xavier Venkataya, defensive linemen Cody McMahon, Nehamiah Forde Brown, linebacker Demar Hohnstein and defensive-back Giovanni Linuzzi.
