B.C. Lions: Josh Woods once more proves he has the products in switching from outdoors linebacker to inside

UCLA Bruins alum Josh Woods, who does a podcast on his former collegiate crew, has steadily been shifting up the depth chart with B.C. and might be again within the center Saturday when the Lions tackle Winnipeg.

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Josh Woods’s current run of success for the B.C. Lions comes with a aspect profit, providing him potential materials for his podcast.

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The third-year linebacker, who starred in Saturday’s West Division semifinal win over the Calgary Stampeders and is predicted to tackle a important function in Saturday’s Western ultimate with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, is a UCLA Bruins’ alum, and a proud sufficient one which he hosts Bleav in UCLA Soccer with Orange Nation Register reporter James H. Williams.

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Woods performed with the Bruins from 2015-19, and he and Williams pledge to “speak all issues UCLA soccer” within the podcast.

Woods’s effort with the Lions can be an appropriate dialogue. He had a game-high 11 tackles Saturday, a contest through which he moved from outdoors linebacker to the center spot after Ben Hladik (knee) obtained damage after getting tousled with defensive again Garry Peters on a Peters’ first-quarter interception. Three of the Woods’ tackles have been for losses, and he additionally had a cross knock-down.

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Woods has slowly been working his means up the Lions’ depth chart. He had 15 tackles in B.C.’s first 9 regular-season video games. He had 30 tackles within the ultimate 9, which included 5 begins.

“In the course of the sport altering was somewhat totally different,” Woods, 25, mentioned of shifting positions. “The vast majority of my reps final week have been on the Will (weak aspect linebacker) and there have been numerous issues I didn’t have to consider as a result of I used to be counting on Ben. I used to be like, ‘Ben has it. I don’t have to fret about it.’ However then I needed to go in there and fill that void.


NEXT GAME

Western ultimate

Saturday

B.C. Lions vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers

3:30 p.m., IC Subject.

TV: TSN. Radio: AM730


“I performed somewhat little bit of the whole lot at UCLA. It’s not the primary time I ever performed Mike (center linebacker). I began outdoors after which moved inside after which again outdoors then moved again inside. 

“Just a few instances within the sport I needed to knock the rust off. As soon as the movement began, it was simpler.”

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Hladik, a UBC Thunderbird alum from Vernon, led B.C. in tackles (100) throughout the common season. 

Lions head coach Rick Campbell was itemizing Hladik as “uncertain” early within the week, explaining that “in my thoughts I’m not relying on him however they (crew medical workers) mentioned to present it a day or two.”

Woods says that getting extra apply time within the center will assist if he has to play there in opposition to Winnipeg. 

“Simply watching movie as we speak, I left some performs on the market that I want I may get again,” he added of the Calgary sport. “Every week of preparation would assist me play higher.”

He praised the crew’s management, saying they made it simpler to fill in at such a significant place at such an important time.

“The encouragement and the idea and the love I obtained from the line of defense to the defensive backs to the offence to (kicker) Sean Whyte I felt, and it helped me all through the sport,” mentioned Woods. 

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It was a personality win throughout the board for the Lions. Whereas B.C. did regain the ball on the Hladik damage, they misplaced a key defender on what was Calgary’s second offensive possession and the Stamps had scored a landing three performs into their opening drive.

And B.C. had been siting idle for 2 weeks going into the sport, with a bye within the ultimate week of the common season after dropping 41-16 to Calgary on Oct. 20 to place a wrap on league play for the Leos.

“That would have been it,” Woods mentioned of these early moments on Saturday. “There was no fold, no anger, no arguments. There was no nothing. It was, ‘This occurred. Let’s get again to doing what we wished do.’ I believe we did that, so it was good.”

Campbell has talked up Woods this season. He was “not shocked” when it got here to his efforts in opposition to the Stamps.

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“He matches the CFL mode. He’s athletic and may play sideline-to-sideline. He’s an lively man,” Campbell mentioned of the 6-foot-2, 234-pounder from Upland, Calif. “He at all times learns each positions. He’s needed to be versatile. In a sport, it’s nonetheless spectacular to maneuver spots on the fly and nonetheless get it performed.”

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