Welcome to the Friday Night Lights edition of Varsity Letters’ B.C. High School Football Report.
It’s a small, Labour Day weekend edition with three game reports. The full schedule hits next week.
FRIDAY
TRIPLE A
SCAPPOOSE (ORE.) 51 at No. 2 NEW WESTMINSTER 14
NEW WESTMINSTER — The visiting Indians scored early and often, putting touchdowns on the board in all three phases of the game Friday to top the host Hyacks in their 2017 Mercer Stadium debut.
Scappoose led 32-6 at the half, notching majors via the run, pass, pick-six and kick-off return with three majors covering 84-plus yards.
Matthew Lalim on a three-yard pass from quarterback Kinsale Phillip in the second quarter opened the scoring for the Hyacks.
THURSDAY
TRIPLE A
No. 3 SOUTH DELTA 35 at TACOMA-FOSS 34
TACOMA — Ray Moon was actually glad at the half on Thursday in Tacoma, despite a horrendous start to the 2017 season by his South Delta Sun Devils.
“We had six turnovers and they only scored three touchdowns, so we consider ourselves lucky,” said the Sun Devils’ head coach of an opening half in which his team was picked off four times and lost two additional turnovers to the host Foss Falcons, trailing 20-8 at the break.
“I was surprised that we came out so reckless and the list of things we have to clean up is as long as I am tall,” the 6-foot-4 Moon added.
Yet somehow, the story of a crazy evening wound up being all about just how talented and explosive the Sun Devils are.
Led by the arms and the legs of starting pivot Michael Calvert, South Delta rallied from a 34-20 deficit with four minutes remaining to stun their Tacoma hosts 35-34.
“The redeeming thing for us in the second half was that we recovered two of their fumbles,” said Moon.
South Delta’s first major of the season was an eight-yard scoring run from Andrew Kraft.
Calvert threw a pair of touchdowns strikes (40 yards 32 yards) to Billy Matwichyna, and also called his own number twice, scoring on a six-yard scamper, and also the game-tying TD with 1:36 left from 21 yards out.
South Delta’s Doug Jameson booted the winning extra point.
The Sun Devils’ defence also came up big in the second half.
After Calvert’s second TD pass to Matwichyna had pulled his team to within 34-28, South Delta failed to recover an onside kick.
Foss had a chance to drive a final nail, but the Sun Devils stuffed them on fourth down at midfield, taking possession en route to the game’s decisive scoring drive.
It was an amazing comeback and Moon called it “one of the weirdest games I have ever been involved in as a coach.”
And although it was a game with a positive finish, Moon cringed at so many of the defensive blunders.
“We were perturbed at our tackling,” Moon said. “I was sending blitzes and our guys were running right by their guys. I couldn’t do anything more than get out on the field and make the tackles myself.”
But it was a win, and the Sun Devils try to make it two straight this coming Friday when they face Squalicum at Bellingham’s Civic Stadium.
CARSON GRAHAM 41 at RENTON (Wash.) 12
RENTON — Senior leadership but also, a huge cache of talented incoming Grade 11s.
That’s what head coach Brian Brady saw come together in a positive way as North Vancouver’s Carson Graham Eagles claimed an impressive season-opening road victory.
“The whole team played well and finished well,” said Brady. “It was a complete team effort. I was really happy with how our boys were able to play a complete game.”
Defensively, Ryan Leskiw led the Eagles with 12 tackles, while five of Liam Clark’s seven tackles came behind the line of scrimmage.
Carson quarterback Charlie McMillan went 16-of-23 for 265 yards, firing scoring strikes to Joseph Spooner (9 for 140 yards) and Liam Scott (4 for 36 yards).
Simon Kim rushed for two touchdowns, Scott for one, while Nick Rich had six catches for 96 yards and also managed a pair of interceptions. Spooner also recorded a pick.
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