Kodiaks defensive lineman Corbin Brown of Vanderhoof relishing his role in final junior football season
The learning curve has been steep for the Prince George Kodiaks, the new kids on the Canadian Junior Football League block.
And what a celebration it was. Defensive lineman Corbin Brown of Vanderhoof, playing his fifth and final junior season after four years in the CJFL with the Edmonton Huskies, said the Kodiaks were feeling the love from the Masich stands and that fan support pushed his team to victory. “In Edmonton, they had all these veterans there and learning underneath them was a big thing,” said Brown. “My first couple games, I didn’t dress for away games, I just played home games in the late fourth . But the young guys here having to take the starting roles right out of high school is a big change for them.
“The crowd all game was a huge factor, they were so loud,” said the 22-year-old Brown. “The refs made our DJ turn off the music and they had to stop the drums in the first quarter and the crowd took into their hands to make it very uncomfortable for Chilliwack’s offence.” Kodiaks wide receiver Andrew Johnson, a Duchess Park graduate, scored two rushing touchdowns, completing drives with a pair of one-yard plunges into the end zone. Running back Keanu Brown was a constant threat, averaging 10.6 yards per carry on his way to a 106-yard rushing game. Prince George rookie quarterback Liam Oczkowski, in his third start, completed 10 of 20 pass attempts for 139 yards.