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Rebels face Sun in battle of undefeated BCFC teams

Westshore hosts Okangan at Starlight Stadium
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Zion Brown and the Rebels host the Okanagan Sun on Saturday afternoon. (DARREN STONE, TIMES COLONIST)

It will be a battle of undefeated teams in a marquee ­match-up this afternoon in the B.C. ­Football Conference when the Westshore Rebels and Okanagan Sun meet at at Starlight Stadium.

The defending BCFC-champion and 2023 Canadian Bowl-finalist Rebels are 2-0 while the Sun are off to a 3-0 start to the season. Westshore went undefeated in the BCFC regular-season and playoffs last year and has not lost a league game since dropping the 2022 BCFC Cullen Cup final to the Sun.

Westshore has been led by quarterback Ethan Pickard, who is second in BCFC passing with 633 yards and second in touchdown passes with seven. On the other side of the ball, Rebels defensive lineman Cody ­McMahon leads the league with three sacks.

The Rebels will have to be wary of the Okanagan ground game, which is paced by running-back Elelyon Noa, who has rushed for 377 yards and six touchdowns. Running-back Carter Williams leads the Westshore running attack with a league second-leading 197 yards and three touchdowns but has played one less game than Noa.

“The Sun are playing excellent football and are coming off their best game of the season,” Rebels head coach Mark Townsend said.

“They are very fast and very physical on defence and fly around the football. And their running game is very strong and they balance that with a good passing attack.

“They’re going to be a tough opponent and we’re going to have to play our very best, with great discipline to be successful.”

The Vancouver Island Raiders (1-2), meanwhile, bring their high-octane offence back to the Nanaimo District Secondary School field today at 5:30 p.m. against the visiting Langley Rams (1-1).

Quarterback Sadler Smith of the Raiders leads the BCFC in passing with 968 yards and 12 touchdown throws. Ruben Bonsu has been at the receiving end of many of those and leads the league with 400 receiving yards and five catches for touchdowns.