Rebels take aim at Sun and second-straight BCFC title
GAME DAY: OKANAGAN AT WESTSHORE, 7 P.M.
It will be a display of contrasting styles when the Westshore Rebels (8-1) and Okanagan Sun (8-0-1) meet under the lights tonight at 7 at Westhills Stadium to decide the regular-season champion in the B.C. Football Conference.
“We have two competing styles, but with the common denominator being that we both play good defence,” said Rebels head coach Charly Cardilicchia.
The Sun are more conservative in approach while the Rebels let it all hang out with things like edge blitzes on defence and quarterback Scott Borden airing out for 11 touchdowns and a league second-best 1,638 passing yards (although the Sun lead the BCFC in overall passing yardage with 2,162 yards to Westshore’s 1,913).
“You can’t play with the brakes on,” said Cardilicchia.
Yet, where the Rebels are traditional is with a devastating run game, led by Trey Campbell’s seven touchdowns and leagueleading 669 yards on the ground. Quarterback Borden has vacated the pocket to scramble for 321 yards with his feet and is also in the league top-five in rushing.
“We have the best offensive line in the league and our rush offence is dominating,” noted Cardilicchia.
“In fact, both our lines, offence and defence, are up there among the best in the league.”
The Sun have utilized seven running backs this season, but Robbie Rodrigues broke out last week with 183 yards on 16 carries in the 24-10 victory against the Langley Rams, to be named BCFC offensive player of the week.
Lineman Jeremie Drouin of the Rebels was named BCFC defensive player of the week for his four tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery against in the 42-17 victory over the Valley Huskers.
At stake tonight is home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
“We haven’t lost at home this season, so that obviously means a lot to us,” said Cardilicchia.
What the Rebels rookie head coach has accomplished this season can’t be underestimated. Westshore won the league regularseason last year at 8-1-1 under J.C. Boice before winning the Cullen Cup for the BCFC playoff title, beating Okanagan in the final, and going all the way to the Canadian junior championship game in an eventual loss to the powerhouse Saskatoon Hilltops program.
Many observers weren’t expecting as much from this year’s Rebels team, yet Cardilicchia has the squad on the verge of the franchise’s first nine-win season.
“Nine wins has never been accomplished before by this franchise and that would mean a lot to reach that plateau,” said Cardilicchia.
The Vancouver Island Raiders (5-3-1) host the Langley Rams (4-5) today at 1 p.m. at Caledonia Park in Nanaimo in a battle of the No. 3- and No. 4-seeded playoffbound teams.