What is arguably the Okanagan Sun's toughest schedule in the club's 32-year history will open up on Saturday night at the Apple Bowl.
In the first of three B.C. Football Conference meetings between the clubs, the Sun will battle the Langley Rams in a 7 p.m. kickoff.
In an effort to address parity issues in the BCFC, the league instituted an unbalanced 10-game schedule with the top three teams—Okanagan, the Rams and defending champion Vancouver Island Raiders—meeting three times each.
The Sun will also play Kamloops twice, and the Westshore Rebels and Chilliwack Huskers once each.
So with six games against two top-flight opponents—including two on the Island against the Raiders—Sun head coach Gavin Lake said his club will have its work cut out.
“It means we better win the games we are supposed to win (Kamloops, Chilliwack, Westshore) or we could be in playoff trouble this year," Lake said on okanagansun.ca.
Lake didn’t hide the fact that he isn’t necessarily a fan of the schedule, especially in light of the fact he is in many ways coaching a Sun team that has been largely rebuilt with approximately 12 new starters this season.
“The issue with this schedule is we (BCFC teams) already play two more games than the PFC (BCFC 10, PFC 8)," Lake said. "You add that fact with six or more really tough, physical games and you have reason to be concerned that the team coming out of B.C. could be really beat up and not have anything left come playoffs.”
The Sun's five home games in 2012 consist of Langley Rams (Aug. 4), Westshore Rebels (Sept. 8) VI Raiders (Sept.15), Kamloops Broncos (Sept. 22), and Langley Rams again Oct 13.