The V.I. Raiders are about to begin the long countdown to kickoff.
Nanaimo’s Canadian Junior Football League team will hold its annual spring camp this weekend (May 6-8) at Merle Logan Field.
Local players have been in football mode for months with throw-arounds at the turf, but spring camp will seek to raise the level. More than 100 players are anticipated to participate.
“It’s going to be a pretty intensive camp,” said Jerome Erdman, Raiders coach. “We’re going to be padded up and what I’m looking for is the compete level. There’s going to be lots of one-on-one type of stuff, stuff that you really can’t do at throw-arounds.”
The Raiders feel they’ve done a great job attracting new players to the program, but spring camp will be a better indicator than highlight videos.
“It’s when you see them in person that you see whether they can walk the walk, so to speak,” the coach said.
Erdman said the club recognized it didn’t have enough depth last season to create the right type of internal competition for spots.
“Honestly, when I looked at it in the off-season, you could say that about every position,” he said. “We tell these guys, when we go out and recruit, I’m recruiting for guys to come in and take your place, plain and simple. That’s the only way you’re going to get better. They’ve got to work harder.”
One position to watch will be at quarterback, as former all-star pivot Liam O’Brien will be moving up to CIS. Last year’s backup Brody Taylor and another former Barsby Bulldogs QB, North Rainey, are potential starters, and there will be four other QBs coming from the Prairies to attend spring camp this weekend.
Spring camp isn’t just about the players showing what they’ve got – it’s increasingly important for football programs to present themselves in the best light at this time of year. Top recruits will sometimes participate in two or more spring camps with different teams as they make up their mind about where to sign.
“They’re going to know what Raider football’s like. We’re not going to change anything to try to impress anybody,” Erdman said. “We’re running what we do and how we do things and what our expectations are and what we’re about and if that’s something that’s a fit for them, then they’ll come play for us.”
GRID BITS … Spring camp will conclude with an intrasquad game Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at Merle Logan Field … In other Raiders news, four players will be attending B.C. Lions evaluation camp on Friday at the CFL team’s practice facility in Surrey. Defensive backs Cole Virtanen and Josh Paisley, wide receiver Dustin Rodriguez and offensive lineman Terrek Bryant were invited to participate.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com