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- EXPIRED -

Sun looking for quality over quantity

By Larry Fisher-Kelowna Daily Courier, 05/27/17, 9:30AM PDT

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Michele Vecchio, Jonas Gering and Layne Hull — All-Canadians and all gone.

Quinn Horton, Lucas Machado and Liam Wishart — also impact players and also not returning.

 

The Okanagan Sun are starting the process of securing their replacements at this weekend’s spring camp, which began last night and will wrap up with an 11 a.m. scrimmage on Sunday at the Parkinson Rec Field near the Apple Bowl. There are also two practices today — morning and afternoon sessions — for the 80 prospective players, including 45 returnees and 30-plus recruits.

“There are obviously some glaring positions that we’ve got to fill . . . but you’re always going to have that,” said Sun general manager Jay Christensen. “That was a focus for the coaches, filling out those positions, but with most of the positions, we had really good depth last year.

“It’s not like you’re having to go out and recruit a bunch of people, it’s just trying to cherry-pick some quality to fill some holes.”

The biggest holes are on the offensive line, which was anchored by Vecchio and Horton last year and became a strength as the season progressed — providing protection for the quarterbacks, opening holes for the running backs and dominating in short-yardage situations.

“It sounds like there will be a good crop of O-linemen, which is always the toughest position to fill,” said Christensen, who deferred most of this year’s recruiting to second-year head coach Ben Macauley and defensive coordinator Nathan Mollard.

“There are a couple of big shoes to fill there but, according to Ben, we’ve got a really good number coming and certainly some good quality.”

Generating the biggest buzz amongst the recruiting class — at least in the trenches — are Kyle Zale and Marshall Klein. Zale won a CJFL national championship with the Saskatoon Hilltops and was a former national high school wrestling champ, while Klein, from Winnipeg, was a projected starter for the University of Alberta this year. Jeremy Williams is a key returnee on the offensive line.

Gering and Machado were a dynamic duo on the defensive line and will certainly be missed. Connor Novak and Elias Rodriguez could step into those roles as returnees, while Zakk Fisher — a 6-foot-4 defensive end from Regina — is among the more promising recruits.

Hull was an explosive and punishing linebacker, and Wishart a gifted receiver who paid his dues before starring last season and graduating to UBC.

The Sun are still deep at receiver, led by the likes of Shamar Donelson and Kyler Mosley, while Eli Haynes is expected to lead the linebacking corps in Hull’s absence.

Roster turnover is inevitable in junior football, but the Sun remain in good shape with a solid core to build around.

“Numbers usually aren’t an issue for us, it’s finding those one or two super-impact guys,” said Christensen, noting the season-opening roster in July will likely be rounded out by 20 to 25 newcomers — most of whom are attending spring camp. “Fortunately, it’s a fantastic place to play football, so it’s not too tough to twist guys’ arms to get them to come here and stay here.”