The visiting Westshore Rebels defeated the defending league and Canadian Bowl champion Langley Rams 36-20 on Saturday at McLeod Athletic Park to open the 2022 sa国际传媒 Football Conference season with a bang.
The 2021 BCFC-champion Rams, under head coach and former sa国际传媒 Lions Grey Cup-winning running-back Cory Philpot, captured the Canadian Bowl last fall by beating the London Beefeaters of Ontario in the Canadian junior football championship game.
The Vancouver Island Raiders, meanwhile, opened their season at home with a 50-19 loss to the visiting Okanagan Sun on the Nanaimo District Secondary School field. The Sun led 15-7 at the half before blowing the game open in the second half.
The expansion Prince George Kodiaks were playing the first game in franchise history Saturday in Chilliwack against the Valley Huskers.
The Rebels home opener is next Saturday at 4 p.m. at Starlight Stadium against the Huskers. Telus is broadcasting a BCFC Game of the Week this season with the Rebels-Huskers tilt to be telecast of that week.
That will be followed by the Island derby Aug. 6 at Starlight Stadium between the Rebels and Raiders, the first of three games between the arch rivals.
The seven-team BCFC regular season runs through Oct. 8, followed by the playoffs. Each team will play 10 regular-season games with the top-four teams advancing to the playoff semifinals Oct. 15. The Cullen Cup BCFC championship game will be played Oct. 22 at the home of the highest-remaining seed. The BCFC champion will play the Ontario Football Conference champion Oct. 29 in the national semifinal with the winner advancing to the Canadian Bowl national championship game to be hosted Nov. 12 by the champion of the Prairie Football Conference.
