After the long drive of the off-season, the Okanagan Sun are back on the gridiron in the Canadian Junior Football League.
The season starts today (July 23) for the team as they鈥檙e in Nanaimo to take on the Vancouver Island Raiders. For new head coach Travis Miller, he鈥檚 excited to start on the road.
鈥淚 think it always helps to get those away games done early in the season,鈥 said Miller. 鈥淚t also gives you the opportunity to stay home for a longer stretch.鈥
Last year, the Sun dominated the Raiders, going 3-0 against them, including a win in the playoffs. They finished the 2021 season with a 7-1 record and an unbelievable points-for-and-against ratio as they scored 360 points and allowed only 73. The next closest team scored 207 points.
The Sun are a motivated team coming into the year as they lost in the British Columbia Football Conference championship game last year to the Langley Rams. Thankfully, they have a lot of key players back from last season including quarterback Dominic Britton and star wide receiver Mike O鈥橲hea, who led the league with ten touchdowns last season.
They also received a big boost on defense, as edge rusher Kelon Thomas is back on the line. He played in five games for the Sun last season, averaging almost a sack a game.
Kick off for the season opener is at 5:30 p.m. at Caledonia Park in Nanaimo. The game鈥檚 broadcast will start at 5:15 p.m. on AM1150 radio, or to watch, visit BCFCTV.com.
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