Raiders ready for Island clash with Rebels

Vizza added the Raiders need to work on all three phases of the game (offence, defence, and special teams) but this week at practice special teams will be a focus.

“We have the best kicker (Nik Hunchak) in the country in my opinion, but with that we have a lot of young guys on that side of the game.”

In Week 2, the Raiders will again be on the road as they take on their island rivals the Westshore Rebels, at the “hostile” Westhills Stadium.

“A lot of the fans come down and it really helps out,” Vizza said. “The rivalry comes back to 2005 when the teams split and it created this tension. Any time you’re close to a rival team location wise there’s something about it that you can’t really explain. We’re not going to complain, it’s created some of the best football we’ve ever seen.”

Even though the Raiders will have some fan support in Westshore this weekend, the team’s home opener won’t be until Aug.17, 2019 when they host the Kamloops Broncos.

VI will have back to back home games as the Okanagan Sun will travel to Caledonia Park on Aug. 24, before the annual Labour Day bye week.

The Raiders prep for Westshore at practice Aug. 6 at Comox Field

Vizza will be putting his stamp on the team as the season goes forward but he stresses that the Raiders philosophy will remain the same as it was when he played more than ten years ago.

“That was a big turning point in my life becoming a Raider and I guess you could say finding the Raider way. It’s ingrained in everything we do and that hasn’t changed.”

There’s high expectations on the Raiders every year and 2019 will be no different.

Vizza believes having veterans in key positions will help the club get up to speed quickly and continue the winning tradition of junior football in Nanaimo.

dan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On twitter: @danmarshall77

by Dan Marshall

Raiders ready for Island clash with Rebels

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