ABBOTSFORD — Lockhart MacGregor and Lennon Sharpe each scored a pair of tries and Ethan Beltran supplied a steady toe as the Abbotsford Panthers defeated the Langley Saints 34-27 at Rotary Stadium to win the Fraser Valley junior boys rugby championship..
Locked in a 12-12 deadlock over the latter stages of the first half, the Saints claimed a 17-12 advantage after a try by Htoo Htoo.
With 1:13 remaining before the half, however, Sharpe again knotted the contest by crossing the try line, carrying a 17-17 draw into the break.
The Panthers, however, won the game with their dynamic play over the early stages of the second half.
First it was Sharpe, the No. 8, with a big break and run, followed by Michael Kho off a steal. Beltran was pivotal, kicking coverts on both tries to give Abbotsford a 31-17 lead.
Langley’s Dominik Matusiak kept Saints’ hopes alive with a try of his own to cut it to 31-22 and then Eh Sa Kwa tacked on another, the rallying Langley side to within an unconverted try of a victory, trailing 31-27.
Beltran, however, booted a late penalty to make the 34-27 final complete.
Both sides are back in play Saturday as part of the BCSSRU’s JV provincial quarterfinals.
Here’s the full skinny on all four:
Game A — Abbotsford (FV-1) vs. Rockridge (wildcard), 2 p.m. at Burnaby Lake Rugby Club.
Game B — Shawnigan Lake (Vancouver Island-1) vs. Brentwood College (Vancouver Island-3), 3 p.m. at UVic-Wallace Field.
Game C —St. George’s (Lower Mainland-1) vs. Kelowna (Okanagan), 2 p.m. Parkinson Sports Field.
Game D — St. Michaels University School (Vancouver Island-2) vs. Langley (Fraser Valley-2), 1:30 p.m. at UVic-Wallace Field.
The remainder of the hunt for the B.C. junior title will unfold within the main portion of the BCSSRU’s provincial tournament which runs this coming Wednesday through Saturday at Rotary Stadium.
If you’re reading this story or viewing these photos on any website other than one belonging to a university athletic department, it has been taken without appropriate permission. In these challenging times, true journalism will survive only through your dedicated support and loyalty. VarsityLetters.ca and all of its exclusive content has been created to serve B.C.’s high school and university sports community with hard work, integrity and respect. Feel free to drop us a line any time at howardtsumura@gmail.com.
