Can the Kamloops Broncos find a way back into the BC Junior Football post-season?
The football club last made the playoffs in 2015, since then they’ve toiled in the basement of the standings. They are coming off a 1-9 season in which they finished last in the league.
“It’s a new year and our guys are excited about it,” said 5th year Head Coach Braden Vankoughnett speaking to Radio NL Sports ahead of the season opener.
The Broncos open up the season Saturday night at Hillside Stadium against the Vancouver Island Raiders. The Raiders are coming off a 4-6 season.
“I’m expecting a pretty good football season to come to town. They have a good young coaching staff and good team. It’s going to be a competitive game. We need to protect the ball on offense, take it away on defense and make plays on special teams to come away with a win,” continued Vankoughnett.
On offense many of the familiar pieces return. The team lost All-Canadian KR / WR Kaleb Senz to the University of Regina. That’s a blow but Vankoughnett says they have key veterans back.
#17 WR Colton Meikle
“Colton Meikle (WR) is a great piece for us on offense who makes big plays and draws a lot of attention away from our other players. He’s fresh off a second BC Lions Training Camp. We have Brock Dufort (WR) back who led our team in touchdowns last season. He’s a gamebreaker. We have running back Cam “Bam Bam” Grzegorczyk back as a 5th year back and we expect big things out of him. The O-line is again anchored by Rowen Munson, we pretty much have all our starters returning.”
Defensively the Broncos will need to find a way to stop the opposition running game.
“We have Keegan Curtis (defensive back) back to lead the way. We’ve got a good young linebacking core led by Mitch Landry. On the D-line we’ve had a lot of improvements and veterans coming back so that should bode well,” continued Vankoughnett.
He says the time to improve and make a push is now.
“I think we’re in a position now as a program that’s done a total 180 degree flip to where we were last year. We’ve had a full off-season of recruiting. Now it’s about putting it all together and being more competitive,” according to Vankoughnett.
“Everybody has taken massive steps around the league. Any weekend, any team can come away with a win. It’s exciting.”
Saturday’s game is also on Telus TV. Kick-off is set for 6PM at Hillside Stadium.
