Junior football is in Prince George, and Prince George loves it; fans packed the stadium for the Kodiaks’ franchise first home game last (Saturday) night.
“I think we are probably going to have the best atmosphere in the BCFC.”
Head coach Keon Raymond was very impressed with the love the team received from the north last night, as the Masich Place Stadium bleachers were nearly shoulder-to-shoulder from end to end.
“I told our players when we went back in our locker room, ‘they came out here to see you guys. This is something special, take it in,” said Raymond. “I think it may have been a bit overwhelming because a lot of these kids hadn’t played in front of a crowd that big.”
Raymond knows a thing or two about passionate fanbases.
In 2006, he signed with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, then played eight seasons with the Calgary Stampeders, winning two grey cups in 2008 and 2014.
The only thing that would have made the night better is a win for the home team. The Kodiaks fell to the Kamloops Broncos 35-20 and slide to 0-2 in the young season.
“We have to step up, we have to play ball, we have to do the details. The biggest thing in this upcoming game is the details” Raymond said, looking ahead to next week’s rematch with the Valley Huskers in Chilliwack.
The season opened with a clash between those two teams which left the Kodiaks on the bottom of a 31-5 game.
“I think our guys know what the travel is, going down there and understanding we have played against them and they are a little more of a veteran laden team.”
He believes once the little things fall into place, the wins will start to follow, saying “they’re coming. You can see it each and every week, as we go and we play, we have got a talented group of kids.”
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