The Sardis Falcons, on pins and needles awaiting clearance to travel on Highway 7 to the B.C. tourney's Burnaby site from Chilliwack, thank the soccer gods upon their arrival Wednesday afternoon. (Photo property of Falcons Athletics 2021. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Soccer

As Sardis Falcons’ team bus reaches Burnaby Lake, 16-team draw for 2021 B.C. senior boys AAA Coastal soccer championships becomes official: Full schedule is here!

Somewhere on Highway 7, on a roundabout from Chilliwack en route to Burnaby, the 16-team draw for the 2021 B.C. senior boys AAA Coastal high school soccer championships was finalized when a school bus carrying the Sardis Falcons was given the green light to its final destination at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex.

(See full draw below)

“We’re working our way towards Mission, we haven’t quite hit Mission yet,” explained relieved Falcons’ assistant coach Richard Tagle, who along with head coach Shaun Calver, were no doubt appreciating the fact that their student-athletes were able to experience something positive amidst a 10-day span which, due to massive flooding and road closures, has been filled with uncertainty regarding the sports they love to play.

“Highway 1 is still closed, and so the only route from Chilliwack through to Vancouver is through Agassiz on Highway 7.”

Last night, however, the province had ruled the route open only to essential travel.

“But buses were allowed through,” Tagle added of the mode of transportation shuttling the Falcons towards their Burnaby hotel in time for a team dinner and a Lower Mainland sleep ahead of the squad’s 11 a.m. Thursday clash with the Nanaimo District Islanders in its first of three pool-play games.

Sardis had already qualified for the tournament by virtue of winning its Eastern Valley zone title, yet the final draw couldn’t be released until it was know whether or not they could actually make it to the championship site.

“They are all pretty excited,” Tagle added of the Falcons. “They were all on pins and needles this morning and when we got the go-ahead to go, they were all pretty pumped.”

The three-day event features 16 teams playing out of four different pools.

Each team plays games against the other three teams in its pool, a part of the competition which ends with the final round of games Friday morning. The champions of each pool then move on to the Final Four semifinals.

On Friday afternoon, the 12:45 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. games determine which teams play for what placings on Saturday.

The semi-final matches will be a part of the 2:45 p.m. schedule.

Saturday’s action resumes at 9 a.m., with the championship final slated for an 11:45 p.m. start.

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