With the start of the B.C. Football Conference season still two months away, the message from head coach Ben Macauley is already crystal clear乌鸦传媒攖his year乌鸦传媒檚 Okanagan Sun will play with physicality, grit and resolve.

At the club乌鸦传媒檚 annual spring camp, the Sun coaching staff had a good look at the new crop of recruits who will help carry out that mantra in 2017.

With soaring temperatures and injuries plaguing close to 20 players, the three-day camp was a test of will and resilience, characteristics Macauley said will be imperative for his team this season.

乌鸦传媒淲e don乌鸦传媒檛 want to be a team who relies on talent, we want to be a team that relies on hard work and making teams a little bit nervous to play us because of the physical stuff,乌鸦传媒� said Macauley, entering his second season as the Sun乌鸦传媒檚 head man.

乌鸦传媒淎 lot of our first-line guys were injured, so the young guys got more repetition. We saw a little of who乌鸦传媒檚 got competition in them and who are the fighters.

乌鸦传媒淲e have to have a team that乌鸦传媒檚 resilient. Our coaching staff will be pushing them, not just physically but mentally.乌鸦传媒�

Among the newcomers to impress the Sun was Matthew Panattoni, a 6-foot-2, 230 pound linebacker from Aden Bowman Collegiate in Saskatoon. 乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 really athletic and made some big plays out there,乌鸦传媒� Macauley said.

Macauley also lauded the effort of KSS grad Cole Stregger, a second-year defensive back who made some big strides over the winter. 乌鸦传媒淐ole really surprised us because he wasn乌鸦传媒檛 that involved last year, but he really had a good off-season and came in prepared,乌鸦传媒� said Macauley. 乌鸦传媒淗e made some really good plays in the scrimmage.乌鸦传媒�

Macauley was also encouraged by the performance of quarterback Keith Zyla who 乌鸦传媒渓ooks pretty confident乌鸦传媒� and is returning to take on the No. 1 job.

As for his second tour of duty at the Sun乌鸦传媒檚 helm, Macauley said he and his supporting staff will be better prepared and should hit the ground running when the season kicks off.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檒l be about preparation, we乌鸦传媒檒l have a better idea what to expect,乌鸦传媒� said Macauley, who has a coaching staff of 18 to work with in 2017. 乌鸦传媒淟ast year we got bogged down with administrative stuff when we should have been worrying about football. I expect this time the focus to be on football when it comes to July 14 (training camp).乌鸦传媒�

The Sun will open the BCFC season July 29 at home to the defending champion Westshore Rebels.

The Rebels defeated the Sun in last year乌鸦传媒檚 Cullen Cup final.

Comeau brings size, raw potential

Prior to last weekend, Carter Comeau had never played a single down of football.

Following the Okanagan Sun乌鸦传媒檚 2017 spring camp, a career on the gridiron just might be in the cards for the Riverton, Manitoba native.

The 6-foot-6, 330-pound Comeau, who grew up playing hockey and is a linesman in the B.C. Hockey League, had never entertained the notion of playing football乌鸦传媒攗ntil two co-workers in Port Alberni suggested he give it a whirl.

乌鸦传媒淚 never considered it, but then they told me about the Okanagan Sun and I thought, OK, I乌鸦传媒檒l give it a try,乌鸦传媒� said Comeau, 21.

His first text to Ben Macauley inquiring about an invitation to spring camp went unanswered, but when the second text revealed Comeau乌鸦传媒檚 size, the Sun head coach was quick to respond.

乌鸦传媒淗e said he hadn乌鸦传媒檛 played football and had played hockey, so I didn乌鸦传媒檛 think much of it to start with,乌鸦传媒� said Macauley. 乌鸦传媒淏ut when he texted again that he was 6-6 and 330, I picked up the phone right away and called him.乌鸦传媒�

Slotted in on the defensive line, Comeau got his first taste of football over three days at the team乌鸦传媒檚 spring camp.

While the learning curve will be sizeable, Macauley can乌鸦传媒檛 help but be impressed with Comeau乌鸦传媒檚 athleticism and intrigued by his potential.

乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 really raw. He hadn乌鸦传媒檛 even put on pads, he had them on backwards the first day,乌鸦传媒� Macauley said with smile. 乌鸦传媒淏ut after that first practise, he was a physical force. He乌鸦传媒檚 330 and there乌鸦传媒檚 not much fat on him at all. He乌鸦传媒檚 athletic and has good, quick feet for his size.

乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 a specimen, for sure. He乌鸦传媒檒l be a project, but he knows what it乌鸦传媒檚 like to compete and work hard to play at a high level.乌鸦传媒�

For Comeau乌鸦传媒檚 part, taking a crack at football is a new adventure, one he plans to throw all his energies towards.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 all new to me, so it乌鸦传媒檚 like being a kid again,乌鸦传媒� Comeau said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 going to be fun, there乌鸦传媒檚 going to be some ups and downs for sure, but the more I乌鸦传媒檓 into it and longer I乌鸦传媒檓 here, there should be more ups.

乌鸦传媒淚 do feel like I can do this,乌鸦传媒� he added. 乌鸦传媒淚 know it乌鸦传媒檚 a big learning curve, but I乌鸦传媒檓 in the gym all the time, always trying to get better.乌鸦传媒�

As for his impressions of Kelowna and the Sun football club, Comeau couldn乌鸦传媒檛 have asked for a better introduction to either.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 unreal here, a really nice place,乌鸦传媒� said Comeau, who had plenty of support from returning Sun players during camp.

乌鸦传媒淚 had a million questions, and there were so many guys to talk to. Answers galore, everybody was so helpful. That makes it a lot more comfortable.乌鸦传媒�