Sun defence shaping up to be strong again for 2018 season
The Okanagan Sun will once again boast one of the better defences — if not the best — in the B.C. Football Conference thanks to a combination of returnees and recruits.
Here is a positional breakdown of the Sun defence as training camp continues, with a scrimmage scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. beside the Apple Bowl in Kelowna.
Okanagan kicks off its 2018 season on Aug. 5 in Kamloops against the Broncos.
DEFENSIVE LINE
With the loss of key linemen like Mitch Lyons and Cole Klughart, the Sun had spots to fill this off-season.
One of the team’s marquee recruits was defensive end Nicholas Dheilly, from the University of Regina Rams. Dheilly was the rookie of the year in Canada West football in 2016, and led the conference in sacks last season.
“Anytime you can put that kind of a talent on the end of the line, it’s a huge feather in our cap,” said Okanagan head coach Ben Macauley. “University-level tackles and guards have a very difficult time playing against him, and he’s going to have a chance to go against junior-level guards and tackles. They’re going to need to at least double team him in order to be effective.”
Other recruits on the defensive line include Matthew Ibbetson (Kamloops, Mount Allison), JJ Heaton (Vernon), and five players out of Calgary: Daniel Tasie, Jesse Boa, Ovie Uloghobui, Wonder Olabanji and Jack Proskow.
LINEBACKERS
A big boost comes in the form of Conor Richard, who will return to the Sun this season. The All-Canadian was also named a top linebacker in the BCFC after recording 29 solo tackles with a fumble recovery, a forced fumble, and a blocked kick last year.
Richard will lead a deep linebacker core that features fellow returnee Tyler Going, who is fresh off a gold-medal win with Team Canada at the U20 World Championships in Mexico City.
Other returnees are fifth-year veteran Cody Thompson, Miguel Wood and Brenden Ripco.
The major recruit among linebackers is Nick Cross, who was a teammate of Dheilly’s at the University of Regina, and was named U Sports Rookie of the Year in 2017. However, Cross is currently injured and will be sidelined until midway through the 2018 campaign.
Other players competing for a spot in camp are Bradley Hladik (Vernon), Austin Daisy (Calgary), Evan Bruynzeel (Okotoks, Alta.) and TJ Bucel (Calgary).
Size will also be a factor with the DBs this season, especially with another big name back in the mix.
All-Canadian cornerback Tye Kitzman returns to the Sun after a breakout season last year.
He’s joined by Trey Adams, who Macauley describes as “quietly one of the best DBs in the country,” as well as Casey Pyper, Dustin Magee, and Keith Zyla, who is converting to safety after playing quarterback for the Sun the past couple years.
A top recruit in the secondary is Jordan Rae, from Calgary, who formerly suited up for the University of Alberta Golden Bears.
Other DBs in camp include Josh Orhue (Calgary), Ethan Guilbault (Calgary), Seth Nelson (Okotoks, Alta.), Warsay Andom (Calgary) and Kayden Kurylo (Grande Prairie, Alta.).
“It’s a very experienced group, very talented and skilled, and a hard-hitting bunch. It’s going to be exciting to watch them play,” said Macauley, who is returning for his third season as the team’s bench boss.