Gavin Halvorson had the kind of breakout game he’s been looking for ever since he came to Prince George a year ago to resume his junior football career as a running back with the Kodiaks.
He rushed for 110 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead the Kodiaks to their first win of the season last weekend (July 26) in Kamloops, a 33-13 triumph over the Broncos.
And he did it wearing No. 34 on his jersey, the number his dad Jeff wore for two seasons in two spectacular seasons with the Okanagan Sun before his sudden death on the practice field in Kelowna.
Jeff died at age 21 on Sept. 1, 2004, three months before Gavin was born. An autopsy attributed his death to an airborne virus that affected his lymph nodes which led to heart failure.
The year he died, Jeff was leading the BCFC with 788 yards and 16 touchdowns through six games. Considered the fastest running back in the league, the Wembley. Alta., native scored 32 touchdowns in just 15 games over two seasons. At the time of his death he was married to wife Leah and they had a young daughter, Cheyne, now 22.
“I just heard he was a good guy and a hard worker and he played really well,” said the 20-year-old Gavin. “He passed away before I was born and mom moved back to Sylvan (Lake) with my sister and moved in with my grandparents and went back to school (and studied to be a legal assistant) and I started playing football when I was seven.
“I’ve been around football my whole life, this is my 13th or 14th year. I’ve done a lot of training in the off-season and I have had a lot of good coaches growing up.”
Gavin, a native of Sylvan Lake, Alta., started his BC Football Conference career playing for the Okanagan Sun in 2022 and was a defensive back during their run to the Canadian Bowl national championship. The Sun beat the Regina Thunder 21-19 in Regina to capture the crown.
Gavin scored the first touchdown of the game and first of his BCFC career last weekend in Kamloops, plunging into the end zone from one yard out. He also scored in the second half on a two-yard carry after punt returner Andrew Brown almost ran the ball back all the way
“It was my first 100-yard game and first touchdown in the league,” said Gavin.
“That was a good one for him," said Kodiaks head coach Jamie Boreham. “It was nice that the line was able to get things turning and Gavin was finding holes and hopefully he can continue running the ball effectively.”
Jeff grew up in Grande Prairie and started his BCFC career with the Edmonton Wildcats. The Edmonton Eskimos and BC Lions wore JH helmet decals during a CFL game shortly after his death as a tribute to Jeff.
He was an exceptional athlete and Gavin uses that as his motivation to set the bar high and perform to the best of his abilities, whether it’s on the football field on a game day, running a practice drill or working out in the weight room. His legacy inspires Gavin to keep up that family tradition.
“It does, for sure, especially I’m getting a little older now and I’m in the years that he played, so it’s kind of now or never, I guess,” said Gavin.
“My family are happy I’m still playing and love coming out to games. I had a bunch of family come out to PG (for the season-opener against Westshore) and then my grandparents came to the Kamloops game with their siblings.”
Leah has since remarried and she and her husband Ryan Smith have a younger son, Ronin, 13, who lives with them in Sylvan Lake. Gavin’s sister is a university student in Ohio. Leah tries to get to as many games as she can and she’s elated to see her older son making an impact as one of the Kodiaks’ top performers.
“Gavin is a quiet leader on the field and that is how Jeff was described as well,” said Leah. “Gavin celebrates his teammates' successes louder than his own and that is something Jeff was known for too. Neither were too flashy or were ones to seek out attention. I think Jeff would of course be proud of Gav and just enjoy seeing him working hard and having fun on the field.”
Jeff was a track and field sprinter who made the junior national team in his late teens and won a bronze medal in the 400m event at the national championships in Montreal. Gavin knows he has athletic genes racing through his blood.
“Gavin definitely got his speed from the Halvorson's, but my family is pretty competitive and athletic as well,” said Leah. “We have volleyball and basketball players on my side...neither of which Gavin chose to play growing up, which is a difference from Jeff actually. Jeff played all the sports, while Gav stuck to the ones he loved, being football and lacrosse.”
After winning the national title with Sun in 2022, Gavin took a year off from junior football and instead close to spend the summer at Sylvan Lake playing for men’s league team. Boreham was head coach of the Sun when he originally recruited Gavin to Kelowna and his persistent texts pleading for him to come to PG finally paid off.
“Gavin was one of my neater recruits, that’s for sure, when I recruited him to the Sun, so to have the opportunity to bring him here so he can find a fit and the opportunity he’s looking for - we’re super-excited about him, he’s put the work in in the off-season,” said Boreham.
“Gavin’s embraced his dad’s number as his number and that’s pretty special for a young guy. I hope he has a great game and gets all the things he deserves with his hard work. He runs hard and he understands the system. Every time he’s getting the ball or is he’s blocking you know you’re getting Gavin’s best. He’s just an all-around good kid.”
Gavin says he’s had no problems adjusting to life in Prince George and said Kodiak fans make the games at Masich Place Stadium an unforgettable experience for the players. They felt that love from the fans on the road in Kamloops as well.
“The team feels a lot like family, a good group of guys and it’s a great community up here,” he said. “Everyone’s a lot louder here, I think that’s a North thing. When we played in Kamloops we damn near had a many fans as (the Broncos) did.”
Jeff was on his way to becoming a certified plumber when he died and Gavin says he’ll likely follow a similar career path to get some kind of trade under his belt. In the meantime, Gavin has returned to his summer job working on the maintenance crew at Prince George Golf and Curling Club.
He likes golf but it’s more of a hobby that a passion. If he had to pick a sport other than football to play it would definitely be lacrosse. He played Canada’s national summer sport since he was a kid and was the Sylvan Lake Yetti junior B team for several seasons before he gave that up in 2022 when he went to Kelowna.
“I do miss it,” he said. “I was an offence guy but to be honest I was probably better in defence.”
The Kodiaks (1-1) play the defending BCFC-champion Okanagan Sun (2-0) Saturday in Kelowna. Leah tries to get to as many games as she can and plans to be there.
We are absolutely proud of Gavin and of all his hard work and effort for the game,” said Leah. “It is pretty special to see him wearing No. 34 for the first time, and it will be great to see him wearing it in the Apple Bowl on Saturday.”
Gavin was sidelined with a shoulder injury a year ago when the Kodiaks played the Sun in Kelowna and lost 70-0 – their worst defeat since Prince George joined the BCFC as an expansion team in 2022. He’s looking forward to giving the Sun a much tougher game on Saturday.
The Kodiaks’ defence was dominant in Kamloops, allowing just 102 yards of net offence. They held the Broncos to 18 yards in the entire second half – their best defensive performance in team history. Punter/placekicker Brady Harper hit two of three field goal attempts and his booming punts forced the Broncos to concede three safety touches.
The Kodiaks are loaded with returning players with years of experience in the league and for the first time in their four-year BCFC existence they’re showing signs they’ll be a playoff team this season.
“Everyone here is older, in their fourth of fifth years and we have great coaching,” said Gavin. “All the kids that came in this year are a great fit for the team and we like having them here and they’re playing well. Everything is just working together.”
