Twin terrors take the field

Kaiden and Kyler Banfield have been trying to outdo one another for 22 years.

In sports, and in more recent years the weight room, it’s only natural for the Portage la Prairie-born twins to push each other every day. That healthy competition has bred two football players who are both currently at the top of their respective games.

The twin stars of the Winnipeg Rifles have taken the Canadian Junior Football League by storm this season.

Kaiden, a running back, is the focal point of the Rifles’ offence, while Kyler, a linebacker, is the heartbeat of the defence.

“It’s always been good, because especially as twin brothers, we’ve always been competing and making each other better because of it,” said Kaiden.

“Just knowing that I have him on the other side of the ball, coming ready to play, and what he brings to the table for any team we’re on, it’s a confidence boost, I think, knowing that we have each other for all the games and stuff like that.”

The twins went west to begin their junior football careers in 2021 with the Okanagan Sun, where they spent two seasons before returning close to home to play for the Rifles.

In the last two years, their respective games have elevated to elite status within the CJFL, and the Banfields have been a pair of bright spots during down years for the Rifles.

“I’m playing with a lot of confidence right now, and I think that comes down to the way we’ve been preparing as a team and how we show up to practice,” said Kaiden. “Competing with each other every day, getting the reps in and staying on top of watching film, coming into the games, fully prepared and ready to go.”

A practice roster player with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Kaiden was perhaps underrated entering the year, coming in at No. 30 in the CJFL’s preseason player rankings.

The 6-3, 210-pound back has outperformed that ranking thus far, racking up 370 scrimmage yards and a Prairie conference-leading six touchdowns through four games.

Kyler had a higher billing in the pre-season, checking in at No. 14. The 6-1, 215-pound linebacker leads the conference in total tackles (38), sacks (two) and forced fumbles (three).

Both felt slighted by their pre-season ranking and have used it to their advantage this season.

“I feel like after high school I was being slept on quite a bit by a lot of coaches,” Kyler said. “And then I made the jump from not being ranked last year to 14, so that was a big jump. Even then, 14 is a pretty good ranking, but I still use it as motivation, because I feel like I can be No. 1 in the country if I really put my mind to it.”

Their competitive nature and respect for each other’s game has only fed their development. Both Banfields believe that their twin is best at what they do in junior football, so if they can best the other in practice, they should be fine come game day.

“What I think that makes him the player he is, is his effort level is always 110 per cent,” Kaiden said of Kyler. “He’s flying around the field, he’s not afraid of contact, he’s a smart football player and he makes his teammates around him better.”

Kyler added a scouting report on his brother: “Kaiden is a leader on the offence and very confident in his abilities. Most running backs at this level aren’t over six feet, and I think it’s more of a mobility thing — they can cut to the ground quickly — but Kaiden, he’s also got size, he’s got the same, if not faster, agility than all the other backers that are a lot smaller than him. So he’s a big back, and he can move quickly and very shifty, and if he finds a hole that’s open, he’ll gash you.”

Both will need to live up to that praise when the Rifles (2-2) travel to Regina for an important tilt against the Thunder (3-1) on Sunday (1 p.m.).

Both squads suffered last-second defeats last week and are eager to right the ship in what’s expected to be a gritty contest. The Thunder present a challenge on both sides of the ball, beginning with their offence, which is averaging 37.25 points per game, the fourth-most in the CJFL.

It’s a potent, physical attack led by running back Peter Boersch, who paces the Prairie Conference with 786 rush yards, an average of 196.5 per outing.

“They’ve got a really good O-line — in my opinion, it’s probably the best in the country — so we got to be assignment sound to make sure we’re hitting everything at full speed and no little mistakes,” Kyler said.

The Thunder defence is also one of the stingiest in the country, allowing 15.5 points per game (third fewest). The Rifles’ offence has been respectable through the first month of the season — averaging 28.5 points per contest — but a full 60-minute effort will be required to earn a victory this weekend.

“One thing we really want to work on, this offence, is just understanding the situation better,” said Kaiden. “Just playing smarter football all around, that’s something that’s been a big emphasis in practice this week, and staying consistent. We were good at making big plays, but we got to stay consistent and stay on the field and actually march the field.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jfreysam