It’s come down to this, a one-game take-all situation between what were the two best regular-season teams in the B.C. Football Conference battling it out for the right to hoist the Cullen Cup which, for the first time ever, will be held in Victoria.
The Westshore Rebels (8-1-1) play host to the two-time defending-champion Okanagan Sun (7-3) today at 4 p.m. at Westhills Stadium. The teams not only split their two regular-season matchups, but held identical point-differential totals in the two clashes.
These teams have met four previous times in the championship final with the Sun winning three. The only Rebels’ title came in 2003 under then head coach Matt Blokker.
The Rebels, now under the guidance of head coach J.C. Boice and associate Shane Beatty (who led the Sun to their last two championships), are coming off three-straight 2-8 campaigns. To be within one win of not only advancing to the Canadian Bowl, but hosting it as well, is an accomplishment in itself.
“It’s super exciting, especially for the guys who have been here for a while and experienced those 2-8 seasons,” said Rebels offensive lineman Connor Bryan, who suffered through two of those years. “This year’s been a huge turnaround and we couldn’t be more excited or honoured than to be in the Cullen Cup this week, not to mention host it.”
It’s billed as a classic matchup of Westshore’s bruising offensive line and two of the best runningbacks in the league, in Jamel Lyles and Trey Campbell, against the league’s stingiest defence. The battle of the line of scrimmage will likely dictate the winner.
But discipline and turnovers will be an area to watch today as the Rebels have struggled with both this season, amassing numerous penalty yardage and turning over the ball at critical stages of games.
The Rebels have, however, displayed an incredible resiliency in second halves of football games all year, including a final two-minute drill two weeks ago in the 34-29 semi-final win over the Vancouver Island Raiders.
Ashton Mackinnon, recently named the league’s top quarterback, pulled it together to charge his team downfield in that win. It came after a dismal first half in which he completed just one of eight passes with two interceptions and a fumble.
The Sun experienced its own excitement in a 26-23 overtime win over the Langley Rams in the other semifinal.
“It’s a great opportunity for both programs, but especially for us because of where we’ve come from,” said Beatty. “Obviously, for me playing against the Sun, there’s an added carrot there and I’m excited.
“The Sun is a great organization, it’s a great program and with guys like Jonas Gering, Lucas Machado and Layne Hull, who is a special player, not to mention the offensive line with guys like Michele Vecchio and those cats ... . We’re going to have to stop the running game and we’ll get after Shamar Donelson a little bit and just execute our game plan,” added Beatty, who co-ordinates the Rebels’ defence.
The highest respect will have to be paid to Rashaun Simonise, who was in the Cincinnati Bengals NFL camp earlier this season.
“They added Simonise near the end of the season, but we’re prepared and we’ll double [coverage] him all game long,” insisted Beatty. “Offensively, we need to run the ball well, control the clock, win the turnover game.”
It’s everything Okanagan is saying as well, so it will come down to who executes in front of what will be a pro Rebels’ crowd.
“When we beat Langley I knew how significant that would be in having home-field advantage,” said Boice. “We know that we play very good football at home. We love playing in front of a crowd and this crowd is going to see a great football game.
“These games come down to who doesn’t turn the ball over, who tackles well and who executes and plays with the attitude. It’s going to be a tough game, but I love the kids that I’m going to war with and the coaches that I’m going to war with, and I think we have good odds here,” stressed Boice.
It all comes down to one game.
“Nothing would be better, especially in my last season, than to come in here and win a Cullen Cup. That would be amazing and to be able to host a national championship would be an honour,” said Bryan, 22.
Should they win, the Rebels will host either the Saskatoon Hilltops or Calgary Colts in the Canadian Bowl on Nov. 12, at 1 p.m.
