Playoffs become clearer as Westshore Rebels clinch first place
The 2016 BCFC final regular season standings and resulting playoff seeds became a whole lot clearer after Saturday’s games.
When the Westshore Rebels defeated the Langley Rams 38-29 at MacLeod Athletic Park in Langley they clinched first place with one week to go. With a record of 7-1-1 heading into their final game at home next week against the Kamloops Broncos, the Rebels place is safe atop the standings.
The VI Raiders were already entrenched in 4th place. While their 14-8 win over the Sun will no doubt build on surging confidence for the Nanaimo based club it did not affect their standings They will travel to Westshore to take on their rival Rebels in round one of the play-offs.
Where things get really interesting is the battle for second place and hosting of the other semi-final game…
The Okanagan Sun host the Langley Rams Sunday at 1PM. A Sun win or tie and they will take second place. Conversely, a Rams win will give them second spot. The loser of this game finishes in third place.
The Sun and Rams will then meet in the first round of the playoffs at the home of the second place finisher.
The Kamloops Broncos (2-7) and Valley Huskers (0-9) will finish out of the play-offs
Of note, this is the first time a Victoria based club finishes first place overall after the regular season. In 2002 the Rebels finished atop the coastal division with a 7-3 record, but the Okanagan Sun took the overall crown with a 10-0 record in the interior division.
The British Columbia Football Conference, which was formed in 1947 has included a Victoria team since the Victoria Dolphins (1971-1979). After the Dolphins ceased operations the BCFC was without an island football team until the Victoria Payless was formed in 1985. The club operated as the Payless until being rebranded as the Vancouver Island Sharks in 1994. In 1998 the Sharks nickname was dropped and Victoria Rebels adopted. In 2011 the Rebels relocated to the Victoria suburb of Langford and rebranded as the Westshore Rebels.
