Sun making strides in main camp
Okanagan to scrimmage Saturday in preparation for Aug. 5 season opener
The Okanagan Sun kicked off main camp last week, as the team prepares for its B.C. Football Conference season opener on Aug. 5 in Kamloops against the Broncos.
Roughly 100 players are at camp, which will run over the next two weeks.
The roster currently features 55 new recruits and 40 returnees from last year’s team.
When it came to recruiting, head coach Ben Macauley says he and defensive coordinator/recruitment coordinator Nathan Mollard added new offensive coordinator Johannes Van Leenen into the mix this season.
Macauley says they were able to take advantage of some groundwork that had been laid in past years.
“We approached it in a similar fashion (to previous years), which was using the connections we had, but really starting to flesh them out and spend more time in areas where we’ve planted seeds in the past,” said Macauley. “Not really a whole lot new, but it was the culmination of the time investment that we’ve made over the last couple years, that’s starting to come to fruition.”
With the added depth on the field this year, there will be battles for playing time at every position.
“Staff members who have been here for any length of time see this as one of the best groups we’ve ever had here,” said Macauley.
“We could split this group in two and have two pretty successful junior teams here, with the level of talent and depth that we have.”
Over the course of the next couple weeks, the Sun will hold daily practices beside the Apple Bowl at approximately 5:30 p.m., between Monday and Friday. This weekend, the team will also hold a practice Saturday, followed by a scrimmage at 4 p.m.
There will be a roster breakdown — offence and defence, by position — in the Thursday and Friday editions of The Daily Courier.