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Hull, teammates chasing Cullen Cup

By Larry Fisher-Kelowna Daily Courier, 10/28/16, 8:30PM PDT

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Layne Hull is the type of player who would trade all his awards and accolades from this season for a chance at hosting the Canadian Bowl.

No questions asked.

Zero hesitation.

Done deal.

That would mean relinquishing his titles as the Okanagan Sun’s most valuable player and top linebacker for the second consecutive season, plus the B.C. Football Conference’s outstanding defensive player and top linebacker on the league front too.

Hull, a 22-year-old from Willowbrook, Sask., in his final season with the Sun, is the epitome of a team-first player.

He’d give anything to beat the Westshore Rebels on their home turf in Victoria during Saturday afternoon’s BCFC championship game, with the winner to host the Prairie Football Conference champion in the Canadian Bowl national final on Nov. 12.

Hull and the Sun lost last year’s title game in Saskatoon, 38-24 to the host Hilltops, who trounced the Sun 58-2 in their crossover rematch at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna on Sept. 17.

That humbling setback came in the midst of a rare three-game losing streak for the proud Sun franchise, but Okanagan has since rebounded to win two in a row over the Langley Rams, including a thrilling 26-23 overtime triumph in their playoff semifinal at the Apple Bowl on Oct. 16.

When the Sun were seemingly sinking, it was Hull who sparked that turnaround and helped right Okanagan’s ship.

“Layne’s a really emotional guy, but the heart of the team,” said first-year head coach Ben Macauley. “He’s a loud guy, but he’d also do absolutely anything for any one of those guys. So when he says something, it means a lot.

“There’s a group of veterans here who just kind of picked themselves up and realized they’ve got to make the most of this year,” Macauley reflected on the losing run. “It’s passing by quickly, and for a lot of these guys, it could be their last game of football. So how do you want to go out? How do you want to put your mark on this season? That was a lot of the conversation.”

Those were tough, trying times for a team that hasn’t had to endure many struggles in its history — and certainly not with the current roster, being the defending BCFC champs.

“It’s all about battling adversity and how you react to that, and how you come back from it,” said three-time All-Star offensive lineman Michele Vecchio, a local product out of Rutland in his fourth season with the Sun.

“Depending how deep we go in playoffs, no one will remember that three-game losing streak,” added starting quarterback Foster Martens prior to the post-season. “This is the part of the year, the point in time, that is the most important and we can still go far.”

The Sun and Rebels split their season series — each winning at home and by six points, with Okanagan downing Westshore 27-21 in their first meeting at the Apple Bowl on Aug. 6 before falling 29-23 in the return game at Victoria on Sept. 10.

Saturday’s kickoff is set for 4 p.m., with the Hilltops also in action, hosting the Calgary Colts in the PFC final at noon PT.

“That would be awesome, especially in this town,” Vecchio said of the Canadian Bowl potential. “We’ve got so much support from the fans — it’s the best place to play in Canada.”