PREVIEW: PFC Rivalry week, BCFC tripleheader

PFC PREVIEW:

This weekend the PFC kicks off the inaugural Rivalry Week with a full slate of games.

The Regina Thunder will travel to Saskatoon to take on the Hilltops in the battle of Saskatchewan, part 2 this season.

In Week 1 the Thunder squeaked by the Hilltops 19-16 in overtime.  It’s just the sixth time the Thunder have beaten the Hilltops in their history, which puts even more incentive on this weekend’s game as both teams are 1-1.  As a matter of fact, including the PFC final last year, the Thunder have won three straight meetings.

The Hilltops will also unveil the newly renovated Gordie Howe Bowl, now named the Saskatoon Minor Football Field.  Kick-Off is at 1:00pm on Saturday.

Saturday night the Calgary Colts (0-3) host the Edmonton Huskies (1-1).  It’ll be the 44th time these two teams lock up.  The first meeting was in 1965 when the Colts shutout the Huskies 32-0.  All-time the Huskies are 24-18-1, but the Colts are 13-10-1 in Calgary.  That lone tie was in 1971 when the game finished 24-24.

Whenever there is a Calgary-Edmonton, match-up the rivalry of the two major Alberta cities shines through and Saturday night will be no different.  It’s the first of two meetings this season.  

Last year the Huskies won both games and outscored the Colts 87-32, but in 2012 it was the Colts who swept, outscoring the Huskies 74-42.

The largest margin of victory between these two clubs happened in 2010 with the Colts shut them out 58-0.  Only once has a game been decided by a single point and that happened in 1976, the Colts winning 26-25.

Kick-off is set for 7:00pm at McMahon.

On Sunday afternoon the Edmonton Wildcats, the only undefeated team left in the CJFL will host the Winnipeg Rifles at noon to conclude the PFC’s Rivalry Week.

This have been an extremely tight match-up since their first meeting in 2002.   All-time the Rifles hold the slim advantage 8-7 and have won the last four games.

This match-up on Sunday afternoon is an extremely important game with the winner taking possession of first place.  The Rifles (2-1) are on a two game winning streak, as are the Wildcats (2-0), who are coming off a bye.

Over the 15 previous meetings, the Rifles have outscored the Cats 393-360.  The largest margin of victory was 41 when the Rifles beat the Wildcats, in Edmonton 54-13 in 2011.    Both teams have won a game by just one point.  In 2005 the Rifles won 29-28, then in 2008 the Cats were victorious 42-41.  That game in 2008 was the last time the Wildcats beat the Rifles on their home field, as these two teams meet just once a year.

This is the only meeting of the season between the two teams.  Kick-off in Edmonton is set for 12:00pm.

BCFC PREVIEW:

The BCFC schedule gets back into full swing in with a tripleheader this Saturday, September 6.

The game of the week takes place at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna when the Okanagan Sun (4-1) host the Langley Rams (4-1) in a battle for top spot in the league. This is the second of three meetings between the two clubs that have emerged as the powerhouse teams in the league. The Rams were 33-20 winners at McLeod Stadium back in Week 2.

The Rams bounced back from their first loss of the season two weeks ago in a 70-24 romp over the Kamloops Broncos last week. The Okanagan Sun bring a three-game win streak into this contest.

Other games this week:

Valley Huskers (0-5) @ VI Raiders (2-3) – 3pm, Caledonia Park

Kamloops Broncos (3-2) @ Westshore Rebels (2-3) – 3 pm, Westhills Stadium