Training camp opened a few days ago for all of the Canada-West teams. 2015 was a remarkable year for the Canada-West, UBC Thunderbirds won their first Vanier Cup championship since 1997. The Thunderbirds actually had a slow start as they were 2-2 after week four. They ending up winning their last eight games on route to winning the Vanier Cup. The Calgary Dinos had a perfect regular season going 8-0 but lost in the Hardy Cup finals for the second straight season. 2016 is guarantee to be another crazy season in the wildest Canadian Interuniversity Sport’s conference.
The six questions that need to be answered for the Canada-West Season
How successful will the Calgary Dinos be this season?
The Calgary Dinos, a year ago finished with a perfect regular season 8-0. The Dinos for the second straight year were loser in the Hardy Cup finals. The 2016 Dinos will be a new look team from previous years as many starters have graduated and move on to the CFL and NFL. Fifth-year quarterback, Jimmy Underdahl will be replacing the two-time Hec Crighton winner, Andrew Buckley as starter .Underdahl was in training camp with the Montreal Alouettes this summer and appeared in one CFL preseason game. His favorite receiver will be Austen Hartley. Hartley was second on the team in receiving last year with 589 receiving yards and four touchdowns. On defence last season’s Canada-West defensive player of the year, Robert Woodson returns for his fourth season at defensive back. Woodson led the CIS in interceptions with five and broke up six passes in eight games last year. Can Jimmy Underdahl lead the Dinos into uncharted territory, a Mitchell Bowl appearance?
Can the UBC Thunderbirds repeat as Vanier Cup Champions?
Last season was a special one for the UBC Thunderbirds as they won the Vanier Cup under new head coach, Blake Nill. The team won the championship with a strong defence presence with defensive-back, Taylor Loeffler, linebacker, Terrell Davis and linebacker, Mitch Barnett. All three are now playing in the CFL. In 2016, the defence will look towards second-year defense back, Stavros Katsantonis for leadership. Katsantonis led team in interceptions with six and had seven broken up passes. On offence, Michael O’Connor returns for his second year at quarterback. He threw for 2,383 yards along with 13 touchdowns in 2015. Two of his favorite targets, Trivel Pinto and Alex Morrison are back. Pinto had six touchdowns and 515 receiving yards while Morrison had six touchdowns for 645 receiving yards in 2015. Will Michael O’Connor have a breakout year and led the Thunderbirds back to the promise-land?
What is to be expect from the Manitoba Bisons in 2016?
The Manitoba Bisons finished third in the Canada-West last season with a record of 5-3. They won the Hardy Cup in 2014. In 2016, the Bisons have a lot of returning players from last season which includes quarterback, Theo Deezar and linebacker, DJ Lalama. Deezar threw for 2,385 yards along with 18 touchdowns last season. Deezar will have one of his favorite targets back in Jesse Walker. Walker had four touchdowns and 533 receiving yards last year. On defence, Lalama returns for his fifth and final year after spending some time in the CFL with Edmonton Eskimos. Lalama had 53 tackles last year. Defensive lineman, Evan Foster is another key player on defence. Foster had 48 tackles last year and was named defense player of the game in the East-West Bowl. On paper the Bisons have strong team but, can they return to glory like in 2014?
Who will get the nod as starting quarterback for Saskatchewan Huskies?
Last season, Saskatchewan Huskies made the playoffs barely with a record of 3-5. They used two quarterbacks, Drew Burko and Kyle Siemens. Both quarterbacks are returning this season, Burko is in his fifth and final year while Siemens enters his third-year. Burko threw for 1725 yards along with nine touchdowns last year. Burko was in training camp with the Montreal Alouettes in June. Burko like Underdahl appeared in a CFL preseason game. Siemens threw for 1099 yards with six touchdowns. Burko had his best game of the season against Regina Rams where he threw for 243 yards and tossed three touchdowns. Siemens had a career game against Thunderbirds, he threw for 520 yards and tossed three touchdowns. Siemens seems to have the better arm while Burko has the experience. Siemens seems to be the best bet to win for the Huskies, can he lead the Huskies into a deep playoff run?
Is this finally the year that the Alberta Golden Bears make the playoffs?
The Alberta Golden-Bears started 2-0 last season and many people believed that they would finally be back in the playoffs after a long five- year wait. Unfortunately, the team went on to lose six straight. The 2016 team is stacked with offensive weapons in running back, Ed Ilnicki and receiver, Tylor Henry. Ilnicki rushed for 754 yards (2nd in the Canada-West) and five touchdowns last year. Henry had 537 yards along with three touchdowns in 2015. Henry impressed the CFL scouts at the East-West Bowl in May. He was the player of the game for the West. He had two touchdowns for 123 receiving yards. Quarterback, Ben Kopczynski returns for his second- year, he threw for 1,659 yards and seven touchdown passes last year. On defence, the team will count on defense-back, Tak Landry. Landry led the Canada-West in tackles per a game with 7.8 and recorded 46.5 tackles last season. If the Golden Bears key players step-up in 2016, will they make their first playoff appearance in six years?
Can the Regina Rams bounce back from a 0-8 season?
The Regina Rams enter last season with a new coach at the helm in Mike Gibson. The team finished 0-8 and Gibson moved onto the CFL to coach the Edmonton Eskimos offence line. The 2016 Regina Rams have forgotten about last season disappointment under new head coach Steve Bryce. They are poise for a breakthrough. Noah Picton returns at quarterback along with his two favorite targets in the passing game, Mitch Thompson and his brother,Mitchell Picton. Picton threw for 2,134 yards along with ten touchdowns. Thompson had five touchdowns along with 526 receiving yards and Picton caught one touchdown for 503 yards. On defence, Mason Rossler returns at defensive back. He led the team in tackles with 49 and in sacks with 3.5 in 2015. Is it possible for the Rams to win three games this season with a strong passing game lead by Picton?
