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Who's Next?

By Ryan Watters (@ryan2tswatters), 06/23/15, 4:15PM PDT

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Can Jonas Gering be the next Steven Doege?

He’s widely considered the best defensive lineman in team history.  Steven Doege played four brilliant seasons (2009-2012) winning the Canadian Junior Football League’s (CJFL) Defensive Player of the Year in 2011. 

When he finished his junior career in 2012, Doege had amassed a CJFL best 43.5 sacks; seven more than the next closest person on the list (Dave Solie, Hilltops) and 15.5 more than the next closest BCFC player (Evan Foster, Rams).

Could Jonas Gering be the next Steven Doege?  Their paths are somewhat similar.

Doege first played the sport of football in Grade 10 in 2006 at Rutland Senior Secondary (RSS).  Three years later he graduated from RSS and began his junior career with the Sun in 2009, tipping the scale at 210 pounds.  He was named the team’s Rookie of the Year and a BCFC All-Star.

In just his second season (2010) he became the team’s All Time Sack leader after compiling 11.5 sacks that year.  He was also named a CJFL All-Canadian, BCFC All-Star and the BCFC’s Top Defensive Lineman.

In the offseason Doege worked on his speed, and it paid off in 2011 as he was named the CJFL’s Defensive Player of the Year.  He collected 28 solo tackles, 11 sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.   He was also named the Sun MVP and established a new BCFC mark for career sacks passing Victoria’s James Llewellyn.

After his record setting 2012 with 34 tackles and 12 sacks, Doege, 21, was 240 pounds and practicing with the BC Lions. His speed was his greatest asset.

Fast forward to the 2015 season and Jonas Gering returns “Doege-esk” bigger, stronger and fully healthy.

Like Doege, Gering got his first taste of football at RSS in his grade 12 year at the age of 18.  Just a year later we was in orange and brown as a member of the Sun, weighing 190 pounds.

His 2012 rookie campaign, Gering was used sparingly but was able to showcase his speed and power with eight tackles, three assists and a fumble recovery.  Perhaps the biggest asset Gering had in his rookie season was his brain.  He was extremely coachable and picked up on schemes and systems very quickly.

In his second season (2013), Gering took what he learned in his rookie year and exploded in his sophomore campaign.  He finished the season with 31 solo tackles, 8 assists and a pair of sacks and was named the club’s Top Defensive Lineman and a BCFC All-Star.

Last year Gering’s season was cut short due to an injury, but in his limited games he collected five sacks and eight solo tackles.

This will be the season to see if Gering can post Doege like numbers.  In his three years with the Sun, Gering has heard the coaches using Doege and his abilities as the standard for defensive linemen.  This season Gering is looking to raise the bar.

The big German was invited to BC Lions Evaluation Camp in the spring and tipped the scales at 252 pounds, 12 pounds heavier than Doege.  Gering has the speed to back it up as well.

Both Doege and Gering have similar strengths, however Doege has the numbers to back it up.   It’ll be up to Gering to use what he has learned during his very long offseason to come back, bigger, stronger and faster when the Sun open main camp on July 4th and the season July 25th at the Apple Bowl.