The Regina Thunder are one win away from completing a championship season, but the Westshore Rebels stand between them and a national title.
The Thunder look to add the Canadian Junior Football League's Canadian Bowl championship to their Prairie Football Conference title and Jostens Cup when they meet the B.C. Football Conference champion Rebels on Sunday at Starlight Stadium in Langford, B.C.
Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saskatchewan time.
Regina punched its ticket to the national championship with a convincing 44-15 victory over the Sault College Cougars in last Saturday's semifinal. Westshore earned its place in the final with a 35-28 victory over the Langley Rams in the Cullen Cup championship game.
For Thunder head coach Scott MacAulay, Westshore's challenge starts with an offence capable of creating big plays in multiple ways.
“They can pretty much score at any time,” MacAulay said during an appearance on the SportsCage. “They have a quarterback that's very athletic, and he's very mobile.”
That quarterback is Anthony Cancellare, who has been putting together an impressive playoff run. He completed 70.8 percent of his passes during the postseason and delivered a record-setting performance against Langley.
Cancellare threw for 408 yards and two touchdowns in the Cullen Cup, establishing a new Westshore record for passing yards in a playoff championship game. The Rebels also piled up 659 yards of total offence and 32 first downs, setting new Cullen Cup records in both categories.
Keeping Cancellare contained will be a major priority for Regina. MacAulay has seen how dangerous the Westshore quarterback can be when a play breaks down. Cancellare has the mobility to escape pressure, extend plays and find receivers downfield.
“He'll be in the pocket, and then he'll take off and buy time,” MacAulay explained.
The Rebels also have plenty of weapons on the receiving end.
Zion Brown is the headliner. The CJFL first-team all-Canadian led the league with 908 receiving yards on 47 catches and added four touchdowns. He earned first-team all-Canadian recognition for the second consecutive season.
But MacAulay cautioned that focusing exclusively on Brown would create opportunities for other Westshore receivers.
“They got three receivers that we knew about that we thought were pretty good,” MacAulay said. “And then they have a fourth receiver (Josh Nevin). So (Zion Brown) is their star receiver. That's the guy that you're going to see. He's going to make some plays.”
MacAulay also singled out receivers Kwame Franklin and Aidan Bowles, adding that Nevin has emerged as another dangerous option despite not necessarily receiving as many opportunities.
The Rebels have a sizeable offensive line, a mobile quarterback and multiple receiving threats. That combination will test Regina's defence throughout the afternoon.
The challenge on the other side of the football could be just as interesting. Westshore's defence has struggled over its last two games, according to MacAulay, but the Thunder head coach isn't overlooking what the Rebels are capable of producing.
Earlier in the season, Westshore led the league in takeaways, and MacAulay pointed to a game in which the Rebels recorded six interceptions.
“They got some incredible defensive backs that can close in on the ball,” he said.
That could be particularly important against a Regina offence built around running back Peter Boersch.
Boersch, the PFC's Most Outstanding Player, has been a major part of the Thunder's offensive success. Regina also has quarterback Jayden Zelionka, who has shown he can make plays with both his arm and his legs.
Zelionka completed 69.3 percent of his passes during the regular season and has continued to perform well in the playoffs.
MacAulay expects Westshore to prioritize stopping Boersch, potentially loading the box and putting bigger bodies closer to the line of scrimmage.
“They know we run the rocks. They're going to load up the box,” MacAulay said.
That could create opportunities for Regina's passing game. While the Thunder have relied heavily on their ground attack throughout the season, MacAulay believes his team has the personnel to respond if Westshore commits extra defenders to stopping the run.
Receivers Ben Walz, Lucas Di Iorio and Tanner Donovel provide additional options for Zelionka. Walz, a Crawford, Sask., product, has spent much of the season opening holes for Boersch, while Di Iorio and Donovel give Regina more options on the outside.
If the Rebels make it difficult to run, the Thunder aren't afraid to put the football in the air.
“It's time maybe to open them up now and chuck them the rock, right?” MacAulay said. “If we have to get into a shootout, we're more than comfortable doing that.”
Still, Regina would prefer to control the football and limit opportunities for the Westshore offence.
“The less that their offence is on the field, the fewer chances they have of scoring,” MacAulay said. “Whatever that looks like, ground and pound, high-percentage passes, I think that's a good thing.”
The Thunder have also been preparing for the challenge of facing an unfamiliar opponent.
With no previous head-to-head experience against Westshore, the coaching staff has spent additional time breaking down film and identifying tendencies. MacAulay said preparing for an opponent they haven't faced before requires considerably more work than a typical game week.
However, he doesn't want his players spending too much time worrying about what the Rebels might do.
“Once you know what they're doing, you don't care anymore,” MacAulay said. “You just want to make sure that what we're doing as a team is at the best level we possibly can.”
That approach also means remaining composed when things don't go according to plan.
Regina has been tested throughout the season, including difficult battles against the Saskatoon Hilltops and a tight early-season matchup with Calgary. MacAulay believes those experiences have helped prepare his team for the pressure of a national championship.
He also wants his players to understand that a championship game doesn't have to be won in the opening quarter.
“We're not going to win in the first quarter. We're not going to win in the second quarter. We're not going to win in the third quarter,” MacAulay said. “Stay calm. Next play; next play.”
The Thunder have already accomplished plenty in 2026, capturing the PFC championship and the Jostens Cup. Now they have an opportunity to finish the job against a Westshore program looking for its first Canadian Bowl championship.
Regina is looking for its second national title. The Thunder's first came in 2013, MacAulay's first season as head coach, when they defeated the Vancouver Island Raiders.
Thirteen years later, MacAulay and the Thunder have another chance to bring a Canadian Bowl championship to Regina.
They know the challenge waiting for them on Vancouver Island. Now it's about executing their game plan, staying composed and making the most of one more opportunity to bring home a national championship.
Check out MacAulay's appearance on the SportsCage below.
