BCFC schedule released

Cullen Cup rematch kicks off season for Okanagan on July 29

The Okanagan Sun will kick off their 2017 B.C. Football Conference season at home on Saturday, July 29.

The Sun are slated to host the Westshore Rebels of Victoria at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna in a rematch of last year’s Cullen Cup championship game, which saw the Rebels defeat the Sun 32-21 in Victoria on Oct. 29.

The BCFC schedule was released this week, with each of the six teams playing a 10-game regular season that will wrap up on Oct. 7. Four teams advance to the playoffs with the BCFC champion then travelling to the Prairies to face the PFC winner in a national semifinal game.

The Canadian Junior Football League is returning to a three-conference circuit, with the Ontario Football Conference rejoining the fold after a three-year hiatus. The OFC champion will host the Canadian Bowl on Nov. 11 against the winner of the BCFC-PFC semifinal.

Ben Macauley is returning as Okanagan’s head coach, but three teams will have new bench bosses in 2017 — Charly Cardillichia (Westshore, Victoria), Bob Reist (Valley, Chilliwack) and Doug Hocking (Vancouver Island, Nanaimo). Former Sun head coach Shane Beatty is staying on with Westshore despite not getting the top job when J.C. Boice stepped down during the off-season.

Okanagan’s 2017 schedule

Sat., July 29 — home to Westshore, 7 p.m.

Sat., Aug. 5 — home to Kamloops, 7 p.m. Sat., Aug. 12 — at Langley, 5 p.m. Sat., Aug. 19 — home to Valley, 7 p.m. Sat., Aug. 26 — at Vancouver Island (Nanaimo), 2 p.m.

Sun., Sept. 10 — home to Vancouver Island, 1 p.m.

Sat., Sept. 16 — at Valley (Chilliwack), 1 p.m. Sat., Sept. 23 — at Kamloops, 6 p.m. Sun., Oct. 1 — home to Langley, 1 p.m. Sat., Oct. 7 — at Westshore (Victoria), 7 p.m.