Reflecting on last weekend’s season opening loss in Kelowna, Valley Huskers head coach Tyson St. James hopes the beginning is more indicative than the end.
The beginning was beautiful.
Through one quarter, his Husker upstarts led the perennial BCFC powerhouse Okanagan Sun 7-0.
They rattled off a 19 play drive that included four third-down conversions.
Outstanding.
But the rest was pure ugly, with Chilliwack getting outscored 65-3.
“I think the first quarter kind of emulated what we expect from our team, and the rest of the game goes back in history,” St. James said. “When I say that, I think that our team can do what we did in the first quarter on a regular basis. But when silly mistakes happen, they revert back to old habits.”
Old habits got the Huskers one win combined over the last three seasons, and St. James has zero interest in going down that road again.
“We have to avoid the old culture, and right now we can go one way or the other,” he said, as his team prepares to host Kamloops Saturday afternoon (1 p.m. at Townsend Park. “We’re going to fix those things, and if we can get them mentally sound, get them to take a hit and not fold — it’s the hardest thing in sports, but that’s up to us coaches.”
The Broncos were the one team the Huskers beat last year.
Chilliwack topped them at home in the final game of 2012, and Kamloops returns much of their roster from last year.
The Broncos took it on the chin in week one, losing 51-0 to the defending Cullen Cup champion Langley Rams.
“We line up quite competitively with them, but we have to eliminate dumb mistakes,” St. James noted.
The Huskers will play their first few home games at Townsend Park, while Exhibition Stadium get its makeover.
Saturday’s game will include a special on-field tribute to former Husker Kyle ‘Sunshine’ Osterlund.
DJ Rockadile is performing before the game and Evolution Dance Studio performs at half time.
Everyone’s favourite apes, Bongo and Tongo, will be in the stands, leading the cheers for the home team.
Get BCFC info online at bcjuniorfootball.ca