While the Okanagan Sun awaits a verdict on its appeal with the B.C. Football Conference, head coach Shane Beatty assures his focus is aimed elsewhere this weekend—firmly on the football field.
Whether the Sun’s record is 3-0 or 2-1, the first-year bench boss has done little to change his club’s preparation for Saturday night’s game in Kamloops (0-2-1) against the Broncos.
“We discussed the situation once with the players and now we’ve moved on,” said Beatty. “It hasn’t been an issue at all, we’ve been focusing on our next game, the guys had probably their best practise of the year this week, and we’re just thinking football right now.”
The Sun’s 2013 season hit a snag this week when the BCFC overturned the Sun’s win over the Chilliwack Huskers on July 27 due to an ineligible player on the club’s roster.
Sun defensive back Curtis Kelly was reportedly not granted his release by the Hamilton Hurricanes this summer and was technically still a member of the Ontario Football Conference team.
Canadian Junior Football League rules prohibit the use of such a player, thus the Sun were forced to forfeit their season-opening 65-10 victory over Chilliwack at the Apple Bowl.
The Sun filed an appeal with the BCFC on Wednesday and will await the decision of a soon-to-be-appointed arbitrator.
“We disagree with the decision and have appealed it,” said Sun GM Jay Christensen.
As for the readjusted BCFC standings, the Sun now sits in third at 2-1, one point back of the Huskers and two behind the first-place Langley Rams.
The Sun’s next home action is Saturday, Aug. 24 against the Rams.
In other Sun news, West Kelowna product and Mt. Boucherie grad Curtis Urlacher will join the BCFC club for practise this week. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound linebacker had planned to play in the CIS this season but opted not to follow through with an offer to attend Concordia University in Montreal this fall.
