Signed, sealed, delivered

Local products officially sign with Kodiaks on National Signing Day

Jun 3, 2022 | 12:45 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – This week marked a substantial milestone for the Prince George Kodiaks Football Club.

It’s all been letters of intent and verbal commitments, but now players were finally able to put pen to paper and officially sign with the Kodiaks during the Canadian Junior Football League’s National Signing Day on Wednesday, June 1.

When a player signs he is essentially signing for his entire junior football career as the player then becomes the property of that team. For the Kodiaks, it was the foundational players who will be a part of the organization’s inaugural season as they will enter the 2022 season as the Canadian Junior Football League’s newest team.

The Kodiaks are the 19th team in the CJFL, but will spend their regular season schedule playing within the BC Football Conference. The CJFL is made up of three conferences: the BCFC, the Prairie Football Conference (PFC), and the Ontario Football Conference (OFC). Teams stick to within their conference for regular season play. The winners of each conference then compete for the Canadian Bowl.

The week also marked a new chapter for many PG products who have – up until now – had to take their football careers elsewhere, with many already earning experience with other junior teams, primarily those in the BC Football Conference.

Prince George will hold their training camp in early July. They will open up their regular season schedule on the road in Chilliwack against the Valley Huskers on July 23. Their home opener is scheduled for Aug. 6 when they take on the Kamloops Broncos.

Adams brings veteran presence to Kodiaks

While many of the players the Prince George Kodiaks have recruited for their inaugural season are fresh out of high school, there are a handful of players that will bring some much-needed experience to the huddle.

21-year-old Oak Adams was born and raised in Prince George, playing his high school football at College Heights Secondary School. But when he graduated, he hit the road for Edmonton to play for one of the city’s two junior football teams, the Edmonton Huskies. He played two seasons with the club ahead of the pandemic.

He played quarterback in high school ahead of sustaining a shoulder injury, which was when he made the switch to the opposite side of the ball to play defence as a cornerback.

“When I had to come back here because of COVID, I felt like I lost time (playing),” stated Adams following the Kodiaks’ three-day spring camp last weekend. “This is really a gift for me and a lot of young players coming up here in Prince George. I know, in Prince George, football has grown in popularity tenfold since I started in Grade 9.”

This will be his 4th year of eligibility in junior football. He will have two more years after the 2022 season. Adams believes it’s up to him to utilize that experience in order to set an example for the younger players on the roster.

“I have to set the tone for these younger kids. They have to know how to compete. I want to be out there pushing the younger kids, but also letting them grow and supporting them, too.”