The 2016 BCFC season kicks off in 10 days. This season is looking like it could be one of the most interesting, if not tightest battles in recent memory. Those who follow the teams closely are thinking we could be in for a three, possibly 4 team dog fight for the Cullen Cup which will be handed out in October. The BCFC champs host the Canadian Bowl on November 12 so there is the added lustre of having home field advantage for the national championship game. This is obviously big for our conference champions.

The BCFC doesn't sell a 10 game season ticket package to attend any game you want, but what if it did? Lets look at the 10 games outside of the BCFC championship you should have on your must see list; (based on order occurring)

#10 

4PM July 24 Langley Rams @ Westshore Rebels

This is the final game of the opening weekend but it is easily the game of the week. The Langley Rams are always expected to be a play-off team and this season is no different. With a new head coach, Khari Joseph and new offensive coordinator Shawn Olson, expect a new look Rams. The fact that Olson was previously the head coach of the UBC T-Birds and he is “coming home” to a club he quarterbacked in the early 1990’s makes this is an interesting season for the Rams on plenty of levels.

The Rebels are the team to watch in the BCFC however and why this match-up is so interesting. When JC Boice brought on former Okanagan Sun head coach Shane Beatty after he and his former club parted ways tails began to wag in the conference about what Boice and Beatty might build in Westshore. Indications are the Rebels have the strongest recruiting class in the conference. 

The Rebels, who finished in 5th place in 2015 expect to be hoisting the Cullen Cup as BCFC champions in October, lofty expectations for a  team just a season removed from missing the playoffs. Confidence as never been higher in Victoria.  If the Rebels improve even close to their expectations you can put JC Boice’s name on the coach of the year trophy right now as the Rebels would have completed one of the greatest turn arounds in the history of the conference.

 

 

#9 

7PM July 30 VI Raiders @ Westshore Rebels

The Raiders and Rebels are geographic rivals and the games are always spirited and sometimes chippy affairs. They are also always won by the Raiders, always. The Nanaimo club is a perfect 23-0 (25-0 if you count play-offs)against the Rebels since relocating from Victoria to Nanaimo and the Rebels franchise started with a new roster in 2005.

This season might provide the Raiders the best Rebels team the Raiders have ever faced. The rivalry just got real folks.

 

 

#8 

7PM August 6 Westshore Rebels @ Okanagan Sun

You are seeing a trend here but no we aren't just featuring the Rebels because we like the colour red. 

This could be a game between a pair of 2-0 clubs. For added interest Shane Beatty back at the sidelines he patrolled as head coach of the Sun for three seasons. The divorce between the Sun and Beatty is beginning to sound more and more like divorce usually is…a bit acrimonious.

This is the longest and toughest road trip the new look Rebels will take this season. If they are 2-0 coming in and walk away with a victory the possibility of a 10-0 BCFC team this season just became a lot more possible.

*Photo 2000 BCFC championship between Sun and Rebels. Canadian Press photo of the week

 

 

#7 

7PM August 13 VI Raiders @ Okanagan Sun

The last time these teams met at the Apple Bowl was the 2015 BCFC championship game and it wasn’t really a game as the Sun destroyed the Raiders 54-0.

The Sun, by all indications have taken a step back this year while the Raiders are in year two of the Jerome Erdman era and look to be a vastly better team than the one the Sun had it’s way with last year. 

The Sun and the Raiders have a great rivalry both regular season and playoffs. This game should be a good one…definitely not a 54 point spread.

 

 

#6 

1PM September 17 Winnipeg Rifles @ Valley Huskers

This game marks the first time a CJFL inter-conference game is played. What is not well known is the original CJFL proposal called for a full weekend of interlock that saw all 12 BCFC and PFC clubs play each other. When the BCFC teams couldn’t collectively agree on the concept this season two clubs agreed to be part of a test pilot for a partial interlock.

That the Huskers and new head coach Jason Quinter were one of the two teams has some scratching their heads. The Huskers are a club struggling to be competitive in the BCFC having gone 0-10 in 2015 and a combined 4-55-1 the past 6 seasons. The Huskers are taking on a Rifles club, that while not a PFC powerhouse still will be big favourites in this one.

The only advantage the Huskers might have is playing at home but the Rifles do have the occasional flight road trip in the PFC so that will not be a major distraction to the visitors.

Still the Huskers players are getting an opportunity to play an inter-conference game in a season when no one in the BCFC is expecting them to make the play-offs. You have to give the Huskers organization kudos for that.

This game is worth a look but when the hope is the home team keeps the score close it’s not a perfect scenario.

 

 

#5 

7PM Sept 17 Saskatoon Hilltops @ Okanagan Sun

The second half of the days interlock, this is a rematch of last years Canadian Bowl which was won by the Hilltops 38-24 in Saskatoon. There are a lot of changes personnel wise on both rosters, not quite rebuilds but definitely retooling.

These clubs have met 8 times, of course all in play-off situations with the Hilltops holding a 5-3 record overall. All those losses have taken place at the Apple Bowl however. Can the Hilltops break the road trip goose egg?

 

 

#4 

2PM Sept 17 Westshore Rebels @ VI Raiders

The interlocking games are getting most of the attention but the all island match-up makes this arguably the most exciting weekend of regular season football in BCFC history.

The back end of a home and home series, this game is already looking massive with play-offs looming.

If you are a sports fan on the island and not at this game you are missing out.

 

 

#3

7PM Sept 24 Valley Huskers @ Kamloops Broncos

This is a game between the two clubs being picked by BCFC watchers to miss the play-offs. So what is interesting between the two teams chasing the pack?

This will be the second game of the season between Kamloops and the Huskers, and while experts are picking both to miss the play-offs betting money has the Huskers finishing last as Jason Quinter works to build the Huskers franchise into a contending team long term. 

If the Huskers drop the first game between these teams they will may just be 0-17 going back to 2015 depending on on how the rest of their games go…and 1-26 through the 2014 season. The league will likely be hoping the Huskers don’t go winless again but the rebuilding Broncos will be in a less than giving mood and planning to send the visitors up the Coquihalla with another loss.

 

 

#2 

1PM October 2 Langley Rams @ Okanagan Sun

The final game of the BCFC regular season, this is the lone Sunday game this weekend.There is just something about Sunday afternoon fall football and the Rams and Sun have a long history.

Who knows, this game could be to secure a home play-off game for one of these teams…or both.

Last time Rams offensive coordinator Shawn Olson visited this field he was a BCFC all star and  the Rams quarterback in the 1995 BCFC championship game. The Rams string of 3 straight conference titles was snapped as was his shoulder by Sun defensive lineman and future NFL player Jermaine Haley.

Legend has it two series later Haley would break the jaw of his back-up JW Thompson.

I could write a book on the awesome history between these teams. Nick Kawaza, you want to co-author?

*Photo Shawn Olson and Jermaine Haley battle in 1995

 

#1 Both semi-final games

We are still 10 days away from kick-off and there is a lot of football to be played as us outsiders are still just guessing what club rosters are going to look like. 

We are also technically at 11 games now…but it’s not fair to ask you to pick between two outstanding junior games so we are throwing in a free bee. If you look at the 4 teams expected to be in the play-offs this is shaping up to be an incredible season of football.

The Sun dominated 2015 as much as any team ever has but are taking a definite step back with a rookie head coach and some pretty major roster turn over. The Rams are always a threat come play-off time that,s a given. The Raiders started its rebuild last season and indication are a vastly improved club will hit the Caledonia field this season. Then of course the rumblings in Victoria we have already discussed.

The last time a 3rd place team took the conference crown was 2005 when the Rams when into Caledonia and then the Apple Bowl on the way to the trophy. The last time before that was 1982 when the Renfrew Trojans turned the trick on the way to capturing the national championship.

These play-offs, like the regular season are looking to be something special.

We could even see a 4th place team come out of the conference and host the Canadian Bowl on home soil.