You have to be tough to be a high school football quarterback and Kaiden Witso has that quality in abundance as the field general of the Prince George Polars' offence.
Pain comes with the job at quarterback and Witso learned at a young age in the boxing ring how to suck up those body shots and think on his feet to devise ways to duck the inevitable pressure coming his way as he decides where to distribute the ball.
His father Kristian had a successful amateur career as a light heavyweight for the Inner City Boxing Club and he taught his son at a young age how to defend himself.
Kaiden boxed for three years and had 11 matches in his career before he gave it up this year to focus more on football.
"It's good to have that because it's a contact sport and you're going to get hit - I'm ready for the pain," said the 16-year-old Witso.
"You have to be on your toes and boxing prepared me for that. You have to be ready for anything."
As a Grade 11 student on a team of Prince George Polars loaded with battle-tested seniors nearing the end of their high school careers, Witso has his team on the verge of making history, just like they did two years ago when he quarterbacked the junior varsity team.
No senior team from Prince George has ever defeated another team in the B.C. High School Football Association double-A varsity playoffs and Witso wants the Polars to be the first.
"We're going to go down there and make some history," said Witso, who utilizes his speed drawing double-duty on defence at cornerback.
"My favourite part about our team is we're a family - we all work together and play hard and we have strong players. Overall we're just a great team."
The Polars thrive on the rush and Witso has three top-notch running backs in Trent Price, Isaac Rogers and Reid Williams.
If Witso decides to throw, Noah Williams, Tyrell Laing and Josh O'Neill are capable receivers.
Polars tackle Nick Von Bieker, one of a dozen Grade 12 players on the 21-player Polars roster, sees no reason why his team can't extend its season beyond this weekend.
They're three wins away from a provincial championship but he's not looking beyond the task at hand Friday against Pitt Meadows, which lost 19-16 last week to Robert Bateman of Abbotsford to emerge as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.
"All I really want to do down there is play our best game and hit 'em hard and hopefully come up with the 'W,' said Von Bieker.
"We're like a family, we've played together for years and we bond so well together and we just come out and play good football games.
"We didn't have a lot of competition here but we didn't get cocky. We played to our full potential and want to keep playing to our full potential down south and hopefully we'll come back with the championship."
Two years ago in Kamloops with Witso taking the snaps, the PGSS junior team beat South Kamloops 53-0 in a quarterfinal playoff.
The Polars went on to lose in the semifinal round 28-8 to G.W. Graham, the eventual provincial champions.
That one victory was significant because it marked the first time since Prince George joined the BCHSFA in 2009 a local team had won at the provincial level.
"We're ready - we have a lot of veterans on this team, and this team won a game two years ago at the junior varsity level," said Polars head coach Brett Morrow. "All those guys are back, plus a couple key additions.
"We have to win the line of scrimmage, win turnovers and not take stupid penalties. We'll be ready."
Most of the current senior Polars played on that junior team in 2013 and they want that winning feeling again, having completed a 6-0 season as Northern Conference champions with a 50-13 win over Duchess Park Oct. 30 in the P.G. Bowl.
The Polars, without Rogers, played triple-A Rutland to a 23-23 tie in an exhibition game Sept. 12 in Rutland. Since then they haven't been seriously tested, winning six straight games, all by lopsided scores, except a 2-0 forfeit win over Kelly Road on Oct. 16.
"This year we've got the best seed going in and we're playing the No. 4 team, so we've done everything we can to give ourselves the best chance," said Polars offensive co-ordinator Don Williams.
"We've got 21 players and the team we're going to face probably has 32 players, so it'll be a tough game."
All BCHSFA playoff games must be played on all-weather fields.
Because Hillside Stadium in Kamloops is the closest artificial turf field to Prince George, the Polars play their home games there.
The Polar players have been traveling to Kamloops for playoff games dating back to their time in the Prince George Minor Football Association.
LOOSE BALLS: Citing an insufficient number of players available, the Duchess Park Condors senior team has declined its invitation to contend in the BCHSFA playoffs against Abbotsford, the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
That game would have been played Friday in Abbotsford.
In junior varsity playoffs in Kamloops this week, the undefeated junior P.G. Bowl-champion Duchess Park Condors will face Vernon today at 10 a.m., while the PGSS juniors are matched with Westsyde of Kamloops Friday at 10 a.m.
