Sun, Rams showdown for first place

The top two teams in the BC Football Conference will lock horns Saturday night at the Apple Bowl.

The Okanagan Sun (3-1 pending appeal of an opening game forfeiture) and the regaining BCFC champion Langley Rams (4-0) will meet Saturday for the first this season.

Because of the unbalanced schedule t is also the only time these teams will meet this year in the regular season.

The game should be a battle of the Rams top rated offence against the number one defence in the league owned by the Sun.

Langley has scored a league high 214 points over four games, an average of 53 points a game while the Sun have allowed just 38 points, 26 of those coming against the Westshore Rebels.

"They are a phenomenal team right now. All three phases of their game are very good, they're sound, well coached and they have some really good athletes," says Sun head coach, Shane Beatty.

"I'm looking forward to it. I think we are just as athletic as them. They have given up maybe just one sack this year so it'll be a great test for our kids. I think they're ready to go."

Aside from allowing 26 points against Victoria, 14 of those in the dying minutes, the Sun defence has allowed very little.

They gave up a touchdown on the opening drive of the season to Chilliwack and a touchdown to Kamloops when the Broncos took the ball on the Sun one yard line.

Aside from that, they have given up two field goals and a safety.

"Overall the kids have really stepped up and that starts with (safety) Jack Rush," says Beatty.

"Jack's been phenomenal the last two weeks. I think he felt really bad the way he played (against Victoria) and he's put it all together. He's played really well two of the last three weeks."

Rush and the defence will have their hands full against a Langley team that boasts the number one quarterback in the league (Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren), the number one receiver (Malcolm Williams) and the numbers two, three and four rushers.

The Sun, it should be noted, boast either the number one or a close number two in all of those categories.

While the defence has been stout the offence has had some struggles - specifically holding onto the football.

It's something Beatty says they have been working on this week in practice.

"Non stop. It's frustrating. We've coughed up the ball I think six times and Dillon (Fortune) has put it on the ground three times," says Beatty.

"We just have to make a conscientious effort to put two hands on the ball and hold it high and tight. With Alex Bradley coming back it will take some of the pressure off of Dillon."

Beatty says they'll get blown out if they turn the ball over six times against the Rams.

As Beatty mentioned, veteran running back Alex Bradley will be back Saturday.

Bradley hasn't played since the opening game of the season against Chilliwack when he gained 104 yards and scored a touchdown before leaving the game with an injury.

Beatty also says, while his two quarterbacks will both get some playing time, he expects Theo Deezar to get a bulk of the playing time.

Saturday's game is the final home game for the Sun until they host Chilliwack at the end of September.