This year’s Canadian Bowl will see two undefeated teams battle it out for the Canadian Junior Football League’s top prize. The National Final game on November 12 will see the Prairie Conference champion Regina Thunder welcome the BC Conference champion Okanagan Sun to Mosaic Stadium at 1:00pm.

The Thunder enter the Canadian Bowl with a perfect 10-0 record and are the Kings of the Queen City. They are coming off a PFC championship game which saw them dethrone the Saskatoon Hilltops by a score of 39-21. The win ended the Hilltops PFC reign as they had won the seven previous conference titles and 10 of the last 11.

The Thunder’s offence was booming in the conference championship game. Back-to-back PFC Outstanding Quarterback Carter Shewchuk threw for 312 yards with one passing touchdown and two more rushing. The Sun secondary will need to stay on their toes on Saturday as Shewchuk spread over 300 yards of passing wealth between eight different receivers.  

While the passing targets may be hard to forecast, expect the Thunder’s running game to include a high chance of carries by running back Ryland Leichert. He has carried the ball a combined 85 times in the Thunder’s last two playoff games.  This almost tripled his number of runs per game over the regular season where he had 124 carries over an eight-game span.  

The Thunder’s defense came crashing down on the Hilltops running game. They held the Hilltops to just 102 yards on the ground versus their regular season average of 222 yards per game.  One of the Thunder’s best defensive players to close the running gaps is PFC Outstanding Defensive Lineman Reece McCormick.   

Now parting the clouds to reveal the Thunder’s opponent the Okanagan Sun. The light has been shining brightly on the BC champion Sun this season. Like the Thunder, the Sun are also undefeated with a 13-0 record heading into the Canadian Bowl. They are heading into the final after a 42-24 National Semi-Final victory over the Ontario Football Conference champion St. Clair Saints. 

Sun running back Jevon Garwood led the way offensively in the National Semi-Final as he ran for 157 yards on 19 carries and three touchdowns. Those numbers earned Garwood the offensive player of the game award. 

If you are looking for protection from the Sun offence, you will need a sunscreen with a very high SPF as they scored the most points in the BC conference this season. They feature a number of options that can put points on the board. Starting quarterback Dominic Britton had a National Semi-Final performance which saw him throw for 210 yards and two touchdowns. Other offensive threats include receivers Noah Bymak and Mike O’Shea. The Sun offensive line was also a force in the Semi-Final as they provided Britton with a stable passing pocket and created ample gaps for Garwood and other backs to run through. 

On the defensive side of the ball, Sun defensive linemen of Kelon Thomas and Romareo Reid have wreaked havoc on teams all season long. They combined for 24 sacks over the regular campaign and made opposing teams earn every yard. 

On the field there is a 100% chance of both Sun and Thunder on Saturday afternoon with a prediction for an outstanding contest. Beyond that the two weather named teams are set to battle for the Canadian Bowl under a real Regina forecast of mixed sun and clouds with a temperature of -10 with a windchill effect of -15.

You can tune in to watch the Canadian Bowl through CJFL TV.