The Central Alberta Buccaneers hope to bring back the air show in 2018.
After falling two wins short of a championship in the Alberta Football League last season, the Bucs have a new but familiar face leading the offence.
Brandon Leyh, the 2016 AFL MVP and offensive player of the year is back at quarterback for the Bucs and at Spring Camp on Thursday night in Lacombe, he was direct about the playbook this season.
“We’re looking to air it out quite a bit. A couple years ago we threw the ball early and often and I think we’re going to do that again,” he said.
“At the same time, we’re going to keep it simple. Just use the plays that were working.”
Leyh will split time this year with Judah Knip, who was the Buccaneers quarterback last year and according to the former Mount Allison pivot, the two have a great relationship and should work well together.
“(We) have a really good relationship, going all the way back two years ago. We talk outside of football,” Leyh noted.
“He is a good kid, awesome learner – he was good last year and we have a good understanding of what’s going to happen this year.”
Knip was one of the top quarterbacks in the AFL in 2017 with nearly a 60 per cent completion percentage, 26 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.
Slotback Jesse McPhail, who led all wideouts in yards won’t be back, but wide receiver Axsaiver Lawrence, who was tops in touchdowns is back in the mix. Leyh added they’ll also feature a few players from the 2016 team that lost to Fort McMurray in the league final.
“I think we’re going to have a pretty good squad, returning a lot of guys that were here two years ago. Just ready to rock and roll. Anything less than a championship will be disappointing,” Leyh said.
Mark Fay, one of the Buccaneers team captains is back for another season and is hopeful the team can reach the AFL title game again.
“It’s a men’s league, you get two practices a week then game day on Saturday. For me, I think the biggest thing is to have everyone here to practice and then just showing up on game day and executing,” Fay said.
“I think we’re going to out-prepare teams and I think that’s going to push us over the top.”
One positive to start the year is so far they boast a 65-man roster, which will be a key to sustained success.
A new league alignment this season has been designed to make the games more competitive. Central Alberta will be grouped with Fort McMurray and St. Albert, the top three teams from the past few seasons.
In an eight-week season, each team will play twice and then the schedule will be rounded out with a game against each of the four Division 2 teams – Airdrie, the Calgary Wolfpack, Grande Prairie Lloydminster.
“I thought we were fairly competitive (last year). This league is separated into two or three teams who are elite and then everybody else. We really want to make that push to be the team this year and I think we can do that,” Fay said.
The Buccaneers will open the season on June 2 in Fort McMurray and their first home game will be June 9 at Setters Place at Great Chief Park.
Email sports tips to Byron Hackett
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