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鈥攖his year鈥檚 Okanagan Sun will play with physicality, grit and resolve.

At the club鈥檚 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.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 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,鈥� said Macauley, entering his second season as the Sun鈥檚 head man.

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

鈥淲e have to have a team that鈥檚 resilient. Our coaching staff will be pushing them, not just physically but mentally.鈥�

Among the newcomers to impress the Sun was Matthew Panattoni, a 6-foot-2, 230 pound linebacker from Aden Bowman Collegiate in Saskatoon. 鈥淗e鈥檚 really athletic and made some big plays out there,鈥� 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. 鈥淐ole really surprised us because he wasn鈥檛 that involved last year, but he really had a good off-season and came in prepared,鈥� said Macauley. 鈥淗e made some really good plays in the scrimmage.鈥�

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

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

鈥淚t鈥檒l be about preparation, we鈥檒l have a better idea what to expect,鈥� said Macauley, who has a coaching staff of 18 to work with in 2017. 鈥淟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).鈥�

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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥攗ntil two co-workers in Port Alberni suggested he give it a whirl.

鈥淚 never considered it, but then they told me about the Okanagan Sun and I thought, OK, I鈥檒l give it a try,鈥� 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鈥檚 size, the Sun head coach was quick to respond.

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

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

While the learning curve will be sizeable, Macauley can鈥檛 help but be impressed with Comeau鈥檚 athleticism and intrigued by his potential.

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

鈥淗e鈥檚 a specimen, for sure. He鈥檒l be a project, but he knows what it鈥檚 like to compete and work hard to play at a high level.鈥�

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

鈥淚t鈥檚 all new to me, so it鈥檚 like being a kid again,鈥� Comeau said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be fun, there鈥檚 going to be some ups and downs for sure, but the more I鈥檓 into it and longer I鈥檓 here, there should be more ups.

鈥淚 do feel like I can do this,鈥� he added. 鈥淚 know it鈥檚 a big learning curve, but I鈥檓 in the gym all the time, always trying to get better.鈥�

As for his impressions of 91大黄鸭 and the Sun football club, Comeau couldn鈥檛 have asked for a better introduction to either.

鈥淚t鈥檚 unreal here, a really nice place,鈥� said Comeau, who had plenty of support from returning Sun players during camp.

鈥淚 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.鈥�