Unbeaten Sun cleaning up on BCFC awards

Quarterback, returner earn weekly honours for offence, special teams

For the second week in a row to start the B.C. Football Conference season, the Okanagan Sun earned player of the week honours.

Back in Week 1, with the Sun coming off an impressive 19-15 come-from-behind win over the defending BCFC champion Westshore Rebels of Victoria on July 29 at the Apple Bowl, defensive back Tye Kitzman of Vernon was named the conference’s defensive player of the week and also captured the Canadian Junior Football League’s player of the week award through an online vote by fans.

In Week 2, the Sun blanked the visiting Kamloops Broncos 36-0 on Saturday night at the Apple Bowl and won two BCFC weekly awards for their efforts.

Backup quarterback Nick Wenman, filling in for injured starter Keith Zyla, was named the offensive player of the week after throwing three touchdown passes and no interceptions. The third-year pivot out of Cold Lake, Alta., completed 20-of-30 passes for 278 yards as Okanagan’s offence didn’t miss a beat against rival Kamloops.

The special teams player of the week award went to Sun returner Nate Anderson, who ran back five punts for a combined 95 yards to give Okanagan good field position on a regular basis.

Anderson, an 18-year-old sophomore for the Sun, was also in the running for the offensive award — hauling in seven catches for 129 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown, as a receiver.

Wenman averaged 13.9 yards per completion, also connecting on TD passes to Kyler Mosley and Liam Crane.

Both Wenman and Anderson were also up for CJFL player of the week, along with defensive back Kyle Clarot from the Langley Rams.

Clarot returned an interception 106 yards for a touchdown — marking the third-longest interception return in BCFC history — to seal the Rams’ 39-0 win over the Valley Huskers of Chilliwack. Clarot, a rookie, also chipped in two tackles and a knockdown in just his second career junior game.

The Sun (2-0) and Rams (1-1) will battle in Langley this weekend, with kickoff set for 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Also Saturday, Chilliwack (0-2) hosts the Vancouver Island Raiders of Nanaimo (1-1), while Westshore (1-1) visits Kamloops (1-1).

Going back to Week 1, Kitzman recorded five solo tackles, one assist and a batted ball while also coming up with the game-ending interception to secure Okanagan’s victory over Westshore in a rematch of last year’s BCFC championship game.