Covered well by Mt. Douglas defenders, this might have been the only ball Notre Dame cornerback and receiver Antonio Conte did claim as his own on Friday at Burnaby Lakes. (Wilson Wong photo property of Wilson Wong 2021. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Football

Domino and Conte put on a show, No. 3 Notre Dame can’t be slowed following decisive win over No. 2 Mt. Douglas at Burnaby Lakes!

AAA WEST

No. 2 MT. DOUGLAS 7 at No. 3 NOTRE DAME 26

(To read the entire B.C. High School Football Report, click here, or go to VarsityLetters.ca)

BURNABY — B.C.’s most decorated high school football program has only been waiting for what seems like forever to play a game on it own school grounds.

Next week, the Notre Dame Jugglers are finally going to be able to do just that with the opening of their own turf field complex.

And the best part of all?

They’ll be doing it with as much momentum as they’ve had in recent memory.

No. 3 Notre Dame conceded its first points of the season but answered by scoring all its points in unanswered fashion as the Jugglers (6-0, 4-0 Western Conference) beat Victoria’s visiting Mt. Douglas Rams (5-1, 3-1) at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex.

“Notre Dame played a brilliant game,” said Rams’ head coach Mark Townsend. “They out-played and out-coached us in every aspect of the game. And their defense was well prepared. Fast and tenacious.”

On Friday, highlighted performances from what was a genuine team victory were turned in by two seniors: Quarterback/rush end Aiden Domino and wide receiver/cornerback Antonio Conte.

After Mt. Douglas’ running back Miltiadis Koulelis opened the scoring on a six-yard carry, the Jugglers responded quickly with a game-tying touchdown drive of their own, capped by Domino’s five-yard run and kicker Noah Banco’s conversion.

Throughout the second quarter, Notre Dame’s defense started to control the game, constantly making big tackles for little gain and pressuring Mt. Douglas’ senior quarterback Hunter Swift on many occasions.

The rain may have poured down, but Notre Dame’s senior quarter Aiden Domino remained unbowed throughout, his generalship carrying the Jugglers to a decisive win over visiting Mt. Douglas at Burnaby Lake. (Wilson Wong photo property of Wilson Wong 2021. All Rights Reserved)

The end result?

Notre Dame was able to start drives with very favourable field position, and they would cash in with a 15-yard scoring strike from Domino to Conte who made a brilliant catch en route to a 14-7 lead.

On the next Mt. Doug possession, Conte, from his right corner position, intercepted a Swift pass and just before the half, returned it to the Rams 10-yard line. From there, Domino bulled his way home from a yard out for a 20-7 halftime lead.

The third quarter saw both teams struggle moving the ball. The Jugglers finally mounted a drive highlighted by first, Domino’s 20-yard run, and then his 24-yard scoring pass, again to Conte. A failed two-point conversion left the score 26-7.

In addition to Conte’s pick, defensive lineman Phillip Marin had a fumble recovery and corner Anthony Amenta had an interception of his own.

“We are really happy with the performance of our team this afternoon,” stated Kelly. “This is a big shot in the arm for our program and sets us up for a big second half of the schedule.”

Precisely, it means the Jugglers will open their new field at 3 p.m. this coming Friday when the New Westminster Hyacks come calling.

New Westminster improved to 3-1 in the West after it gained a forfeiture win from the Seaquam Seahawks.

Things don’t get any easier for the Rams, who play host to the No. 1-ranked and undefeated Vancouver College Fighting Irish in a 1 p.m. kick-off this coming Friday at Royal Athletic Park. The Irish first play at home Saturday (1:30 p.m.) against Belmont.

The Mt. Douglas offense was led by the bruising Koulelis who in addition to scoring his team’s only touchdown, carried for 71 yards.

On defense for the Rams, Morgan Steves had seven tackles followed by Sebastian Sibbald with six tackles and Gjin Gashi with five. Bronson Pheiffer was solid in the Rams secondary and had an interception.

“Losing is part of the process for improving, and we are going to roll up our sleeves and prepare for another extremely challenging game,” said Townsend of the Irish.

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.

One thought on “Domino and Conte put on a show, No. 3 Notre Dame can’t be slowed following decisive win over No. 2 Mt. Douglas at Burnaby Lakes!

  1. As an ND football alumni and long-time observer of BC High School football I watched this game with keen interest. Mount Douglas was physically imposing with several players over 275 lbs. ND, with the exception of their sizeable QB/DE, were much, much smaller. But the ND kids once again proved the adage; it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog. A great effort by the Jugglers!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *