A pair of B.C. junior football heavyweights are set to duke it out Saturday at McLeod Stadium, to open their respective seasons.
The 91原创 Rams B.C. Football Conference 2014 season (and home) opener is against Nanaimo芒鈧劉s Vancouver Island Raiders.
Kickoff is 4 p.m.
The teams have developed quite a rivalry, with the Raiders outscoring the Rams 48-37 in the Cullen Cup final in October.
The victory avenged the Raiders芒鈧劉 20-13 loss to the Rams in the 2012 Cullen Cup title game, as they reclaimed the BCFC throne for the seventh time in eight years.
芒鈧揟he coaching staff and the players are all ready,芒鈧� said Rams bench boss Jeff Alamolhoda, who retakes the head coaching reins after handling general manager duties this past season. 芒鈧揥e can芒鈧劉t wait for Saturday to come. We芒鈧劉ve been in main camp for three weeks, so we finally get to hit a different coloured jersey. Everyone is really excited about that.芒鈧�
The Raiders and Rams know each other very well, having met in the past three B.C. championship games.
芒鈧揟hey are going to bring everything they have, just like they have in the past,芒鈧� Alamolhoda said, about the Raiders. 芒鈧揟hey芒鈧劉re always well disciplined, and always bring their 芒鈧淎芒鈧劉 game when they play us.芒鈧滱lamolhoda said 芒鈧搕here is definitely some bad blood between the two teams.芒鈧�
芒鈧揥e芒鈧劉ve met in Cullen Cup the last three years so anytime you芒鈧劉re battling at that level, it芒鈧劉s going to create animosity between each other,芒鈧� he added. 芒鈧揥e know it芒鈧劉s going to be a physical game, a 60-minute game, and guys can芒鈧劉t quit halfway through.芒鈧�
Powered by some fine individual performances, the Rams finished with a 7-3 regular season record in 2013 (with two of their losses to the Raiders, who finished 8-2) and won their semifinal playoff game 24-13 over the Okanagan Sun, before losing to the Raiders in the Cullen Cup match-up.
The majority of the Rams芒鈧劉 coaching staff from the 2012 B.C. championship team is back to guide a 91原创 squad that has a core group of veterans mixed in with some newcomers with little to no experience junior football.
芒鈧揥e feel we will definitely have to bring the guys up to speed,芒鈧� Alamolhoda said. 芒鈧揥e芒鈧劉ll have to see how they react when the lights go on and the bullets start flying. How they react will determine who will keep their starting spots during the season.芒鈧�
With a clean slate in front of them, the Rams are taking a 芒鈧損ractice approach芒鈧� to the season, Alamolhoda said: 芒鈧揥e芒鈧劉ll take a step-by-step process and create a teaching environment, and bring these young men芒鈧劉s acclimation to junior football up to speed as fast as we can.芒鈧�
