It’s one of the oldest adages in the sporting playbook but the undefeated and regular-season champion Westshore Rebels know they can take nothing for granted in today’s B.C. Football Conference semifinal game against the fourth-place Langley Rams.
“The playoffs are a different beast,” said Rebels head coach Dexter Janke, as he looked ahead to the game at 4 pm. at Starlight Stadium.
He should know, as a professional player, having played in two Grey Cup games with the Calgary Stampeders before hoisting the Cup in 2019 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Those are post-season experiences Janke can now apply as coach after having learned from the best playing under Mike O’Shea, John Hufnagel and Dave Dickenson in the CFL.
“It’s win or go home. Everyone lays it on the line in the playoffs,” said Janke.
He knows the Rams (5-4) will too, despite the 61-7 drubbing the Rebels (10-0) laid on them two weeks ago at Starlight Stadium. Westshore must also be wary that the Rams, the 2021 national champions, gave the Rebels their closest game of the season in September when Westshore had to rally in the fourth quarter to salvage a 28-21 comeback victory in Langley.
The other BCFC semifinal features the second-place and defending-champion Okanagan Sun (8-1) hosting the third-place Fraser Valley Huskers (7-3) today in Kelowna.
The semifinal winners will advance to the BCFC championship game next Saturday for the Cullen Cup. Westshore will host the Cullen Cup final if it beats Langley today. The Rebels lost in last year’s Cullen Cup final to the eventual national-champion Sun in Kelowna.
The BCFC champion will represent the league in the national junior football championship Canadian Bowl. It is the BCFC’s turn in the rotation to host the Canadian Bowl, which it will do Nov. 11, with the Cullen Cup champion to play the winner of a national semifinal between the champions of the Prairie and Ontario junior football conferences.
That means the Rebels will host the Canadian Bowl at Starlight Stadium if they win the BCFC championship.
“It’s definitely an amazing opportunity,” said Janke.
“But we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves.”
He knows that is Rule 101 of the playoff playbook.
