The Barsby Bulldogs have enjoyed taking a big bite out of football season so far, and they can’t wait to serve some up for fans in Nanaimo.
The Bulldogs AA varsity football team plays its annual Border Battle game on Friday (Oct. 4) against the Ballenas Whalers.
“It’s got the big red circle around it on the calendar,” said Rob Stevenson, the team’s coach.
Barsby has started the regular season with two road wins, both shutouts.
“I’m really happy with the way we’ve started and coalesced as a football team…” said the coach. “The guys are really hitting their stride in terms of working together.”
The defence, he said, is something to behold.
“We play a real team-concept defence. We don’t hang ourselves out to dry blitzing all the time. We play assignment football and we get a lot of football players to the ball [with] our physical style of play, on top of that. Our guys relish the contact.”
The Bulldogs’ D will have to watch out for both the run and the pass, said Stevenson, as the Whalers can rush the ball inside or throw deep.
“They’re going to come at you hard and they’re going to come at you smart.”
GRID BITS … Kickoff is at 6 p.m. Friday at Merle Logan Field following a 1:45 p.m. game that afternoon between the Nanaimo District Islanders and Windsor Dukes … Admission to the Border Battle game is free but fans are asked to bring a non-perishable food item for John Barsby Secondary School’s hamper program as well as a donation for Barsby’s Chef Bruce Chandler bursary.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com