Computer issues back at the home base prevented our timely publication of our Saturday edition of Varsity Letters’ B.C. High School Football Report.
Included are games from Saturday’s limited schedule, as well as late-filed Friday games and Friday game which have been updated with additional information.
SATURDAY
SEAQUAM 46 at SEHOME (Wash.) 28
BELLINGHAM — Defending B.C. Double A champion Seaquam is making the step up to Triple A this season, and judging by the way they debuted under Friday Night Lights, the winning is just going to keep on happening.
North Delta’s Seahawks built a 28-0 lead over host Sehome as quarterback Josh Haydu and scoring machine Tyson Philpot turned in highlight-reel performances.
Haydu, who went 14-of-22 on the night, threw a pair of touchdown passes to Philpot and ran for one major score himself.
Philpot also returned an interception the length of the field for a score.
Jello Juatco ran the ball between the tackles effectively and rushed for two other touchdowns.
HOLY CROSS 0 at ST. THOMAS MORE 34
BURNABY — No game report submitted.
DOUBLE A
VALLEYVIEW 0 at PRINCE GEORGE 42
PRINCE GEORGE — Noah Williams was making a difference everywhere on Friday as the host Polars pitched a shutout over Kamloops’ visiting Vikes.
Williams rushed for two scores, caught a pass for another, then threw one himself as a running back.
Terence Vohar and Gage Bernard also scored majors for the winners.
“We’ve traditionally had a strong running game but it was great to see a passing game,” admitted PGSS head coach Don Williams as senior Isaac McDermid and Garde 11 Ben Reed split duties under centre.
Reed led the defence with six tackles while Gavin Murray had four tackles.
FRIDAY
TRIPLE A
LORD TWEEDSMUIR 47 at LAKEWOOD (Wash.) 28
LAKEWOOD (Wash.) — Three ball-carriers hit the century mark Friday, including Braeden Hutchinson who rushed for three second-half scores as part of a 108-yard rushing performance as Surrey’s Panthers won a stateside marathon.
“This was a total team effort and a great experience for our kids,” said LT head coach Kurt Thornton of the three-and-a-half hour game. “Both teams fought hard. I’m very proud of the resilience our kids showed, especially in the second half.”
That’s because at one point, Lakewood put three straight touchdowns on the board and were clearly beginning to steal all of the Panthers’ momentum.
Derek Best carried 16 times for 139 yards and two touchdowns and quarterback Walter Dingwall rushed nine times for 100 yards, including a 29-yard scramble to the end zone.
With 1:40 left in the first half, Trey Jones came in at quarterback for Tweedsmuir and led the team all the way down the field, calling his own number from eight yards out, setting the stage for a second-half resurgence.
Kojo Odoom led the winning defence with eight tackles while Mike Mugabo and Jacob Stebbings each had seven.
On the day, Lord Tweedsmuir’s offence put up 420 yards and seven majors.
DOUBLE A
KELLY ROAD 8 at WESTSYDE 29
KAMLOOPS — Quarterback Devon Konst threw for 249 yards and touchdowns to Connor McCoy (six catches, 121 yards) and Branden Lys (seven catches 83 yards) as part of a season-opening win over Prince George’s Roadrunners.
Running backs Talen St. Jean (149 yards) and Julian Ferrigan (61 yards) rushed for one touchdown apiece.
Defensively, Grade 11 linebacker Matteo Viani led the way with 10 tackles and a pass break-up.
“We were pleased with the outcome of the game,” said head coach Cory Bymoen. “All our players had meaningful minutes, we won and, most importantly, we came away from the game relatively healthy. We played hard and came away with a positive result so that’s something to build on.”
MT. BAKER (Wash.) 56 at CLARENCE FULTON 14
VERNON — Second-half touchdowns from Koalden Gudeit-Oakden and Ryan Rumsey came a little too late for the hosts who dropped a decisive decision to their Washington visitors.
“Both of us had our week one opponents cancel and we just came together for the game,” said Maroons head coach Mike Scheller, whose team trailed 35-0 at the break. “We appreciate them making the trip north to play us. They are very good on the offensive and defensive lines and that was the difference in the game. They explode off the ball and hit with intensity. They are experienced and talented and simply better than us. They are well coached and a very good team.”
Gudeit-Oakden scored on a four-yard rush in the fourth quarter while Rumsey went in from 40 yards out in the fourth.
“We had a lot of kids step into their first football game on Friday night and they acquitted themselves well against a tough opponent,” added Scheller, referencing slot receiver/safety Caden Doyle, quarterback Ike Olson, cornerback Nate Banga, Rumsey who also lined up at linebacker, and lineman Seiji Bott.
The Maroons make their annual southern treck to face Omak (Wash.) on Friday, following up the next day in Pullman where they will watch Washington State face Oregon State.
INTER-TIER
HANDSWORTH 15 at HUGH BOYD 13
RICHMOND — A furious late rally and a recovered onside kick in the dying stages filled the host Hugh Boyd Trojans with hope on Friday.
North Vancouver’s visiting Handsworth Royals, however, discovered that their early equity was just enough to pull out a 15-13 win in the season-opening win for both teams.
As part of a 321-yard effort through the air, Royals’ Grade 11 quarterback Tate Williams threw touchdown passes of 52 yards to Keelan White and 11 yards to Ethan Moir.
And Williams also booted a 30-yard field goal that proved to be the difference maker as Handsworth prepped for its epic crosstown showdown Saturday in the Buchanan Bowl against Carson Graham.
The Trojans scored early in the fourth quarter on a short run by tailback Reace Mok, then scored on defence when linebacker Tomo Takeuchi stripped the ball on a quarterback blitz and raced to the end zone from 40 yards out.
“We certainly are pleased with how the kids hung in, and found a way to get back into the game,” said Boyd head coach Bill Haddow. “We struggled offensively, but our defense kept it close until we found a little traction.”
Handsworth’s big start was fueled by top performances.
White finished with seven catches for 144 yards, while Evan Curry caught five passes for 82 yards. Jake Bennett totaled 146 yards on the ground and through the air.
Defensively, Cooper Nelson had two interceptions. James Mooney led the team in tackles with seven while Diallo Ighorewo had six tackles, two sacks and an interception.
FRIDAY GAMES WITH UPDATES
NOTRE DAME 34 at ABBOTSFORD 7 (adds quotes and game information, corrects Notre Dame scoring)
ABBOTSFORD — In its first game sans-Steven Moretto, East Vancouver’s Notre Dame Jugglers unleashed a two-fanged running attack.
Teon Alexander-Amour and Brice Pumares carved up key stretches of real estate, especially in the red zone Friday, as Notre Dame beat Double A No. 1 Abbotsford 34-7 in its first game since losing Subway Bowl 2016 last December to Terry Fox.
“Our execution was surprisingly good for the first game of the season and we played with intensity on defense, limiting the production of (running back Samwel) Uko to just a couple of long runs,” said Notre Dame head coach Denis Kelly.
Doing his part to make up for the void left by Moretto, the team’s dynamic quarterback, Alexander-Amour rushed for three touchdowns, one on a two-yard run that capped a drive in which Pumares proved dominant.
Alexander-Amour rushed for scores of four yards in the second quarter and one yard in the fourth quarter.
Pumares scored his lone major from 15 yards out.
Backup tailback Flixzl Reyes closed out the Jugglers’ scoring with a six-yard run in the fourth quarter.
A key defensive play?
Notre Dame’s Cameron Mah was able to strip the ball from Abby star running back Samwel Uko and return it 50 yards.
“The offensive line (centre Luca Ferronato, guards Cameron Mah and Xavier Venkataya, and tackles Paolo Amenta and Richard Nguyen) did a remarkable job considering that not one of them had started a varsity game before. They opened large holes in the Abby line all afternoon,” added Kelly.
On defense the standouts were linebackers Dylan Rachel and Mah as well as defensive end Pauljeet Dhami.
Rachel showed his speed in catching Uko from behind as he broke one of his runs from scrimmage in the third quarter. Uko was on his way to 99-tard TD run before Rachel ran him down just past midfield.
“This team is starting to develop its own identity after the great 2016 season,” continued Kelly.
WEST VANCOUVER 24 at CENTENNIAL 6 (adds Centennial details)
COQUITLAM — Ben Corbett passed for 180 yards and two scores, settling into a groove behind a promising offensive line as the visiting Highlanders dumped the host Centaurs.
Meanwhile. Connor Chapman, who happened to catch a TD pass, rushed for 135 yards in the victory.
“This was a great win under the lights to start the season,” said West Vancouver head coach Pooya Dourandish. “We opened the game moving the ball well on the ground with some powerful running, our run game opened up the pass game and we were clicking on offence in the first half.
“Defensively we were flying around the field and played as a team, there seemed to be two to three guys in on each tackle. I am super proud of our guys coming together and buying in to the message we have been preaching throughout camp.”
Centre Sebastian Paisley, in his first year of football, helped anchor that offensive line.
Matt Lane and Adib Vahedi had strong games in the secondary for the winners, with Lane capping the win by making a late-game interception on the Highlanders’ goal line.
Max Kennedy, the Centaurs quarterback, rushed for 83 yards, including the team’s lone touchdown on a 58 yard run in the second quarter.
Middle linebacker Uriah Hestdalen had a pair of sacks, and six of team-leading nine tackles came beyond the line of scrimmage.
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