Randy SavoieOverview
The Bears are looking to build on a season that saw them win their first game since 2010 and come within one game of making the playoffs for the first time since that same season. The team will be looking to the team to take a big step forward from their usual losing ways and play meaningful games come November.
Key Players
The question on everyone’s mind heading into the 2015 season concerned how the Bears were going to replace Ryan Schwartz and Curtis Dell, their top two quarterbacks from last season. Returning quarterbacks Ben Copczynski and Scott Pearson are expected to compete for the starting job alongside new recruits Reggie Schoeppe, Peter Zajdel, and Brad Baker. The Bears also lost stalwart offensive lineman David Beard to the Edmonton Eskimos in the offseason, resulting in more questions regarding the starters. The rushing attack looks to be a steadying influence on the team though, as both starting runningbacks Ed Ilnicki and Levon Hawreliak return to Canada West’s second best rushing attack from last year.
Last Season
Sept. 20, 2014, the day the Bears beat the Regina Cougars 44-42 to end the most talked about losing streak in the program’s history. The Bears also beat the Manitoba Bisons two weeks laters, and benefitted from a Calgary Dinos forfeit due to using an ineligible player, resulting in a 3-5 record to finish the season. The Bears actually looked primed to make the playoffs heading into the last week of the season, but an upset win from Manitoba over Calgary insured the Bears were tied with Regina for the last playoff spot in Canada West, which the Rams were awarded based on head-to-head point differential. Still, it was a season of enormous growth for the Bears as a team, as few people expected them to compete for a playoff spot at the beginning of the season.
This Season
The Bears kick off the season Sept. 4 at Regina, the team they ended their losing streak against last year. Opposing stadiums were not kind to the Bears last year however, as they were 1-3 in road games, and their one win came as a result of a Calgary forfeit. The actual game was played, and Calgary won 71-3. While teams like Calgary and Saskatchewan look to finish on top of the division again, the Bears should face some healthy competition from teams like Regina, Manitoba, and UBC. That being said, the Bears came within one point of beating Saskatchewan last season, as they suffered a heartbreaking 42-41 overtime loss on a missed field goal, so no team in the conference is unbeatable. Important dates on the schedule include two consecutive games against UBC – who finished below the Bears in the standings last year, and the season ending game against Calgary, which could carry quite a bit of importance for both teams.
Prediction
Despite their personnel losses at quarterback, the Bears potent rushing attack will likely help them to their first playoff spot since 2010.
