Here is the Saturday edition of the B.C. High School Football Report.
Coaches, as a reminder, please reply to howardtsumura@gmail.com if you want to make a Player of the Week nomination. The nomination must include name, both offensive and defensive position and all pertinent stats. Please don’t estimate stats, include a photo of the player that is not from another media source along with credentials for crediting. All information must be sent by Tuesday morning.
TERRY FOX 21 at SOUTH DELTA 7
TSAWWASSEN — Owen Sieben is getting in a groove as a senior varsity quarterback.
Terry Fox’s young pivot followed last week’s four touchdown performance with two more Saturday in a win over the host Sun Devils.
Siebin went 10-of-15 for 151 yards, completing scoring strikes to both Mathieu Gale and Isaiah Cooper.
Behind a stout Fox offensive line, fullback Alex Gagnon had his second consecutive 100-yard-plus game, rushing 15 times for 103 yards and a touchdown.
Complementing the rushing load was Xyon Fleary who gained 49 yards on eight carries.
The defence was led by Gagnon who had nine individual tackles. Isaiah Cooper chipped in with five of his own, as did both Tristan Lindsey and Fleary.
Head Coach Tom Kudaba was impressed with the ball control offence in the second half which thwarted South Delta’s offence and kept them off the field.
“Our team’s second half performance was heartening and satisfying since we are emphasizing execution and energy as our goals for every game,” said Kudaba. “Today we showed a stronger effort to work towards these two goals and it showed in their performance in the second half of the game.”
HANDSWORTH 6 at WEST VANCOUVER 37
WEST VANCOUVER — The host Highlanders came out of a two-year slumber looking as good as they have in recent memory.
Quarterback Matthieu Theil threw four touchdown passes and running back Bruce Jones rushed for 153 yards as West Vancouver toppled traditional rival Handsworth.
“We expected a ton of emotion after not playing for the last two seasons,” explained Highlanders’ head coach Dave Hollinshead. “Handsworth always tests us. It’s a healthy North Shore rivalry.”
Defensive end Lucas Perez led a stalwart defence with seven tackles including two sacks.
SULLIVAN HEIGHTS 12 at MISSION 14
MISSION — Youth had its day Saturday for the Mission Roadrunners.
“We certainly had a lot of inexperienced players on the field so it was great they got a chance to see what an actual game felt like,” said Roadrunners’ head coach Danny Jakobs.
Those players not only got on the field, they excelled.
Wes Latour carried 11 times for 112 yards and a touchdown.
“Wes has worked hard all of the last year waiting for this day… which finally came,” said Jakobs. “It’s so great to see all these young men finally getting the chance to play again.”
Hayden Royal, the Roadrunners’ quarterback, made the most of his six pass attempts, throwing a 38-yard strike to Manraj Bhullar late in the second quarter and finishing 3 for 6.
“Hayden is a smart Grade 11 quarterback that will only get better,” Jakobs noted.
Ethan Gailey contributed with 76 all-purpose yard including a 56 yard reception.
On defense, end Michael Balanuik led the way with seven tackles.
“The difference came on two extra points,” said Sullivan Heights’ head coach Gord Randall. “They kicked singles and we failed going for two. We felt like we were the better team today, but they came up big in a couple key moments where we made mistakes. That’s football.”
Josh Swart was a standout on offence in the loss, making a number of big plays, including a 63-yard touchdown reception.
NO. 2 WINDSOR 8 at NO. 5 ROBERT BATEMAN 38
ABBOTSFORD — Nolan Watrin threw touchdown passes to AJ Nguyen, Brandon Groening, and Nolan Dochuk as the host Timberwolves spoiled the season-opening debut of North Vancouver’s visiting Dukes in a marquee AA clash.
“I am really happy with the effort on both sides of the ball today from our team,” said Bateman head coach David Mills. “The offence was efficient and the defence was smothering. Our offensive line did a great job making lanes for our running backs.”
Micah Barker was one of those backs, and he rushed for a pair of majors, including a game-opening four-yard run, and another in the second half after the Bateman defence generated a turnover.
Wartrin had two interceptions on defence, while Nguyen had one.
RUTLAND 47 SALMON ARM 12
VooDoos’ sophomore quarterback Ty Walker threw six touchdown passes and rushed for another as Rutland improved to 2-0 in the preseason.
Walker threw four of those in the opening quarter alone, hitting Vicente Ferreira from 40 and 28 yards, Mehkai Emerenini from 25 yards and Liam O’Flynn from 20 yards.
In the second quarter he went to work again, finding O’Flynn from 21 yards and then, before coming out of the game in the third quarter, connected with Emerinini once more, this time from 15 yards out.
On the evening, Walker went 14-of-17 for 273 yards.
MT. DOUGLAS 50 at ABBOTSFORD 0
ABBOTSFORD — Big plays fuelled Victoria’s No. 2-ranked Mt Douglas Rams to a lopsided win over the host Abbotsford Panthers.
On the day, Mt. Douglas rushed for four touchdowns, none from closer than the 33-yard scamper of Miltiadis Koulelis, which got the Victoria squad off to an early lead it would never surrender.
Matt Ami, who led the way with 110 yards along the ground in the win, counted majors from 61 and then 36 yards, while Malik Gagne-Smith scored from 36 yards.
Rams’ quarterback Hunter Swift threw scoring strikes of 11 yards to Jacob Greenway and 10 yards to Bronson Pheiffer.
“Kudos to Abby Collegiate… they were shorthanded in terms of players,” said Rams’ head coach Mark Townsend. “Their squad included JV call-ups and inexperienced players competed hard on every single play right to the end. We had a ton of respect for (head coach) Jay Fujimura and his entire staff.”
Jayden Kohler-Scott led the shutout defence with three tackles as well as an interception and safety. Morgan Stevens and Ben Meunier had three tackles each.
Meunier also kicked fourth-quarter field goals of 34- and 31-yards to wrap up the scoring.
The Rams are set to open Western Conference play this coming week against the South Delta Sun Devils.
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