The final weekend of the regular season is upon us and look at those AAA rankings! (They’re just below).
New Westminster and St. Thomas More sitting 1-2, each school undefeated against B.C. competition and each leading their respective conferences in wins and plus-minus.
At AA, North Vancouver’s Windsor Dukes have openly wondered about their player numbers and their health moving forward, but after No. 1 beat No. 4 John Barsby convincingly last week, Bulldogs’ veteran head coach Rob Stevenson pulled no punches when he said: “Windsor was as advertised and then some. They outplayed us in every phase of the game except special teams. Physically and mentally they were dominant. What a fabulous football team and so very skilled. I have not seen an opponent execute their offence as good at any level in 22 years.”
On a side note, I had a chance to speak with one of B.C. high school football’s top recent grads, former St. Thomas More Knights’ defensive back Malcom Lee who is now an integral part of the UBC Thunderbirds defence at his halfback spot.
Last Saturday, after UBC beat Regina to force a home playoff game this Saturday against the Rams, I asked him how much attention he was paying to the Knights’ 8-0 start.
His eyes lit up, and he spoke to carrying the same inspiration on the field at UBC as his fellow Knights carry into each of their high school games with the senior varsity.
“I have definitely been following,” said Lee. “I mean, they’re doing great. I think they are playing with so much heart.
“R.I.P. to Bernie Kully,” he continued of his former STM head coach who lost his battle with cancer earlier this season. “They are playing it for him, as I am myself.”
Revel in this final weekend and in the four weeks of playoffs that will follow on the road to Subway Bowl 2017.
As usual, here is Varsity Letters’ All U Can Eat B.C. High School Football weekend survival guide!
VARSITY LETTERS BIG 5
TRIPLE A
1 New Westminster Hyacks (8-1) (LW-1)
LW — Def. Carson Graham 30-12
TW — Friday host South Delta
2 St. Thomas More Knights (Burnaby) (8-0) (3)
LW — Def. W.J. Mouat 58-0
TW — Saturday at Mission
3 Seaquam Seahawks (North Delta) (7-1) (5)
LW — Def. South Delta 22-14
TW — Saturday host Mt. Douglas
4 South Delta Sun Devils (7-2) (2)
LW — Lost 22-14 to Seaquam
TW — Friday at New Westminster
5 Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers (Surrey) (6-2) (HM)
LW — Def. Terry Fox 14-0
TW — Friday host Kelowna
HONOURABLE MENTION
Terry Fox Ravens (Port Coquitlam) (5-3) (4)
LW — Lost 14-0 to Lord Tweedsmuir
TW — Friday at Centennial
Notre Dame Jugglers (5-3) (HM)
LW — Def. Belmont 39-14
TW — Friday at Vancouver College
DOUBLE A
1 Windsor Dukes (North Vancouver) (6-0) (LW-1)
LW — Def. John Barsby 45-6
TW — Friday host Ballenas
2 Vernon Panthers (6-1) (2)
LW — Def. Clarence Fulton 14-7
TW — Do not play
3 Abbotsford Panthers (4-3) (3)
LW — Def. Robert Bateman 42-6
TW — Friday host G.W. Graham
4 John Barsby Bulldogs (Nanaimo) (7-1) (4)
LW — Lost 45-6 to Windsor
TW — Friday at Argyle
5 G.W. Graham Grizzlies (Chilliwack) (6-1) (5)
LW — Def. Pitt Meadows 47-14
TW — Friday at Abbotsford
HONOURABLE MENTION
Clarence Fulton Maroons (5-2) (NR)
LW — Lost 14-7 to Vernon
TW — Friday at Westsyde
Hugh Boyd Trojans (Richmond) (3-4) (HM)
LW — Def. Argyle 26-9
TW — Friday at Holy Cross
THIS WEEK
FRIDAY
AAA EASTERN CONFERENCE
2 p.m. — Kelowna at Lord Tweedsmuir
7 p.m. — Terry Fox at Centennial
7 p.m. — Mt. Boucherie at W.J. Mouat
AAA WESTERN CONFERENCE
2 p.m. — Notre Dame at Vancouver College
3 p.m. — Belmont at Carson Graham
7:30 p.m. — South Delta at New Westminster
AAA PACIFIC DIVISION
3 p.m. — West Vancouver at Handsworth
AA EASTERN CONFERENCE
3 p.m. — Langley at Robert Bateman
3:15 p.m. — G.W. Graham at Abbotsford
6:30 p.m. — Pitt Meadows at Samuel Robertson
AA WESTERN CONFERENCE
12 p.m. — John Barsby at Argyle
3:45 p.m. — Ballenas at Windsor
7:30 p.m. — Hugh Boyd at Holy Cross
AA OKANAGAN
3:30 p.m. — Clarence Fulton at Westsyde
7:30 p.m. — Valleyview at South Kamloops
NON CONFERENCE
3 p.m. — Spectrum at Nanaimo District
SATURDAY
AAA EASTERN CONFERENCE
1:30 p.m. — St. Thomas More at Mission
AAA WESTERN CONFERENCE
1:30 p.m. — Mt. Douglas at Seaquam
AA NORTHERN CONFERENCE
9 a.m. — Kelly Road at Nechako Valley
SUNDAY
AA NORTHERN CONFERENCE
2 p.m. — College Heights at Prince George
SCOREBOARD
LAST WEEK
AA NORTHERN CONFERENCE
Prince George 53 Kelly Road 6
FRIDAY
AAA PACIFIC CONFERENCE
Nanaimo District 27 Rutland 14
AAA WESTERN CONFERENCE
Notre Dame 39 Belmont 14
New Westminster 30 Carson Graham 12
AAA EASTERN CONFERENCE
Mt. Boucherie 60 Centennial 12
Kelowna 31 Mission 26
St. Thomas More 58 W.J. Mouat 0
Lord Tweedsmuir 17 Terry Fox 0
AA WESTERN CONFERENCE
Windsor 45 John Barsby 6
Hugh Boyd 26 Argyle 9
AA EASTERN CONFERENCE
Abbotsford 42 Robert Bateman 6
G.W. Graham 46 Samuel Robertson 7
AA OKANAGAN CONFERENCE
Valleyview 41 Westsyde 40
Vernon 14 Clarence Fulton 7
SATURDAY
AAA WESTERN CONFERENCE
Seaquam 22 South Delta 14
Mt. Douglas 26 Vancouver College 13
AAA EASTERN CONFERENCE
NON-CONFERENCE
Handsworth 27 South Kamloops 7
AA NORTHERN CONFERENCE
College Heights 8 Nechako Valley 7
AA WESTERN CONFERENCE
Ballenas 16 Holy Cross 0
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