Photo: Castanet/file
Okanagan Sun hold spring camp this weekend
About 120 players will be put through their paces this weekend when the Okanagan Sun hold their annual spring camp.
The camp, featuring veterans and rookies alike, will be held on the east field adjacent to the Apple Bowl as Parkinson Rec Park fields have been closed to accommodate construction of the new recreation centre.
The squad, under the watchful eye of head coach Travis Miller, held one full practice Friday night, with workouts scheduled for 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday.
A full scrimmage will take place Sunday at 1 p.m.
The camp will include veterans hoping to secure their spot on the roster as well as some first year players looking to make an impression on the coaching staff.
Three Central Okanagan players attending their first camp the coaching staff are high on include:
The Sun will open main camp in July ahead of their regular season opener July 19 in Langley.
Photo: Okanagan Sun
Okanagan Sun open 2025 BCFC season July 19 in Langley
The Okanagan Sun will open, and close the 2025 BC Football Conference season away from home.
The Sun will kick off defence of their BCFC championship Saturday afternoon, July 19 in Langley.
They open the home portion of the schedule the following week, Saturday, July 26 when the VI Raiders come to town. Kickoff is 7 p.m. at the Apple Bowl.
Other home dates include:
- Saturday Aug. 2 vs. PG - 7 p.m.
- Saturday Aug. 30 vs. Kamloops - 7 p.m.
- Saturday Sept 13 vs. Westshore - 7 p.m.
- Saturday Sept. 20 vs. Langley - 4 p.m.
They close out the regular season in Kamloops Oct. 4.
The 10 game regular season sees the Sun play Westshore, Kamloops, Langley and PG twice each with single games against Chilliwack and the Raiders.
The national semi-final will be held at the home of the BCFC champion with the Canadian Bowl Nov. 9 at the home of the Prairie Conference champions.
Photo: Greystoke Photography
The Okanagan Mainline Football Society, the organization that operates the Okanagan Sun football club, will hold its annual general meeting Feb. 8.
The AGM is set for the Kelowna Yacht Club beginning at 10 a.m.
The agenda will include a review and adoption of the financial report as well as reports from each of the society’s directors.
Auditors and solicitors will be appointed and a new board elected for 2025.
The general public is welcome to attend.
Photo: Contributed
Former Okanagan Sun running back Elelyon Noa will begin the next chapter of his football journey with the BC Lions.
The Lions announced Tuesday they have signed the running back to a CFL contract.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Noa set the BCFC single season rushing record in 2024, rushing for 1,612 yards. He also set team records for rushing yards, rushing (23) and overall touchdowns (25), carries in a game and in a season.
He capped off his season by being named BCFC and CJFL offensive player of the year.
He was also named the offensive player of the game in both the BCFC championship game and the national semi-final.
He is the second player to sign with a CFL team directly after leaving the organization in the last three years. Defensive lineman Kelon Thomas signed with the Calgary Stampeders following the 2022 season.
"This is great for Elelyon and for the Sun organization,” said Sun head coach Travis Miller.
“Just from a work ethic, tenacity, drive and desire perspective, he’s a guy that embodies all of that. He spent three years in Division 1 football and that doesn’t happen by accident.”
Miller, during the past season said he looked forward to seeing Noa perform at the next level. He’ll now get that chance.
“I personally think he has all the potential to be a starting running back in the CFL.
“He set the record for the most rushing yards in the BC Football Conference…to put up the number of touchdowns he put up this year I think translates well to the professional game.”
Photo: Contributed
UPDATE 7:20 p.m.
The Ontario Football Conference ended a 25-year drought as the St. Clair Saints upended the Okanagan Sun 37-22 to win the Canadian Bowl in front of a home town crowd at Acumen Stadium in Windsor, Ont.
The Sun came out for the second half with a 15-6 lead and, after surrendering a field goal, quarterback Liam Kroeger hooked up with Ty Walker on a 76 yard touchdown strike to extend the lead to 13.
But, it was all St. Clair after that.
The Saints rode the arm of Maurice Sodja and an inopportune penalty to get the ball down to the one, where Sodja found pay dirt to cut the deficit to 22-16.
A tipped pass and interception on their next possession set up Sodja's three yard run giving the Saints their first lead of the game heading to the four quarter.
With the ball at their four, Kroeger mishandled a snap which the Saints recovered at the four. Sodja ran in his third touchdown in less than seven minutes on the next play and the Saints had a 30-22 lead and all the momentum.
The Sun were unable to do anything offensively the rest of the way.
Sodja capped off his offensive MVP performance with an eight yard touchdown pass to close out the scoring.
The Sun defence was unable to corral Sodja who ran for more than 100 yards and the three scores.
On the other side of the ball, Elelyon Noa was held in check after the opening series. He ran for just nine yards in the second half as the Sun were forced to throw the ball in an attempt to get back into the game.
Sun linebacker Jacob Bond was named the defensive player of the game. Bond left late in the game with a left leg injury.
He accepted his award on crutches with an ice bag on his ankle.
It's the first title for the Saints organization since they beat the Sun 32-29 back in 1999.
UPDATE 6:15 p.m.
The momentum has swung toward the St. Clair Saints with one quarter to go in the Canadian Bowl.
Trailing by 13, quarterback Maurice Sodja ran in touchdowns from one and three yards late in the third quarter to give the Saints a 23-22 lead heading to the final 15 minutes.
The go ahead score came after Liam Kroeger's second down pass was tipped, intercepted and returned to the Sun 13 yard line.
The Sun extended their lead 22-9 early in the third when Kroeger connected with Ty Walker on a 76 yard score.
UPDATE 5:30 p.m.
The Okanagan Sun lead the St. Clair Saints 15-6 at halftime of a mistake-filled Canadian Bowl at Acumen Stadium in Windsor, Ont.
Trailing 7-5 in the second quarter, the Saints got within a point on a 27 yard single off a missed field goal try.
But, mistakes by the Saints led to a second Sun touchdown. Liam Attwood missed on a 32-yard field goal, but the Saints returner fumbled the ball at the eight yard line. It was last touched by the Sun giving them first and goal at the eight.
Two plays later, Kroeger found Marcus Burden on an 11-yard fade route giving the Sun a 14-6 lead.
A punt single late in the quarter stretched the margin to nine.
The Saints had a chance to cut the deficit on the final play of the half, however a 32-yard field goal was wiped out by a too many men on the field penalty, pushing the attempt 10 yards further back.
The 42-yard try was no good.
Both teams have turned the ball over twice, three of those on special teams.
The Sun will get the ball to open the second half.
ORIGINAL 4:45 p.m.
The Okanagan Sun lead St. Clair Saints 7-5 after the opening quarter of the Canadian Bowl in Windsor.
The Sun struck first on their opening possession, needing just three plays from midfield to find the end zone.
Running back Elelyon Noa ran for a pair of 13 yard gains before Liam Kroeger hit Sam Melanson from 29 yards out to put the Sun up 7-0.
But, a muffed punt recovered by the Saints deep inside Sun territory led to a field goal.
On the next Sun possession deep in their own end, they conceded a safety rather than kick out of their own end zone.
As the quarter came to a close, the Saints were driving inside Sun territory.
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