LANGLEY — That true fall football feeling has seeped into the environment, and as we enter the third-to-last weekend of the regular season, here’s our All-You-Can-Eat weekend B.C. High School Survival Guide.
We’ve got our Top 5 Games of the Week, the full conference schedule, last week’s complete scoreboard, and Varsity Letters’ Big 5 rankings, the latter published earlier this week but included here to give you an all-in-one place to location from which to follow all the action.
Don’t forget to check back on Friday and Saturday nights for our weekly B.C. High School Football Reports.
Here we go!
VARSITY LETTERS TOP 5 GAMES TO WATCH
1 No. 1 NEW WESTMINSTER (4-0) at No. 3 VANCOUVER COLLEGE (3-1)
Triple A West
Saturday, 1:30 p.m., Vancouver College (O’Hagan Field)
The skinny — Only three teams have spent time at No. 1 this season, and these are two of them. The faces change, but over the past few seasons, this rivalry has been one of the marquee matchups in all of BCHSF. Savour its intensity, than ask these two questions:
*Can the Hyacks continue to have a chance to remain perfect in league play heading into its season finale at South Delta in a few weeks?
*Can the Irish get the win which instantly restores their juice and their mojo heading towards an eventual Archbishops Cup clash with Notre Dame?
And have these two teams met when their respective run games have been this lethal?
Daesaun Johnson and Greyson Planinsic are among the big-play backs to watch for the Irish and Hyacks respectively.
2 No. 5 ST. THOMAS MORE (4-0) at SEAQUAM (3-1)
Triple A East
Saturday, 12 p.m., Seaquam
The skinny — Surprising Seaquam had its perfect record in conference play spoiled last week in a 14-12 loss to visiting Lord Tweedsmuir, the former No. 1 who have the personnel to run roughshod over any foe.
The Seahawks will have to find a way not to leave any points on the field, especially missed convert attempts of either variety if they expect to get by a Knights’ team which has been on the greatest upward trajectory in terms of game-to-game improvement of perhaps any team in the province over the past three weeks.
STM runs it, are rapidly showing how well they can throw it, especially in the red zone, and their defence is becoming a confident and dangerous group led by Kaishaun Carter.
You can bet the Knights’ run D is targeted on Seaquam’s star RB-1 Christian Carlon-Diaz.
3 SARDIS (2-1) at RUTLAND (3-0)
Triple A Pacific
Friday, 4 p.m., Apple Bowl (Kelowna)
The skinny — In case you missed it, both of these teams are not shy on offence.
Jhavoun Blake is the game-changing force at running back for the VooDoos, who also has shown an incredible knack for making teams pay with his penchant for both defensive touchdowns as a linebacker, and wherever he is stationed on special teams.
Josh Janssen is the Falcons’ quarterback putting up video game numbers in the passing game, with favoured target DJ Stephens lighting up the scoreboard.
4 TERRY FOX (1-3) at ABBOTSFORD (2-2)
Triple A East
Saturday, 5 p.m., Abbotsford Secondary
The skinny — Visiting Terry Fox is going through its biggest rebuild in program history, but the one thing that remains constant is its tough, hard-nosed approach to each week under its veteran coaching staff. The question to ask this week: Has there been enough growth and is there enough grit to hold back an Abbotsford team which may or may not have its star running back, Jalem Catlin, back from the sprained ankle which knocked him out of action two weeks ago?
The Panthers come into the game with designs on getting right back to its place among the East’s elite while the Ravens are hoping their hard work will offer a reward that kick starts them into a season-ending run to build on.
5 NOTRE DAME at HANDSWORTH
Triple A West
Friday, 3 p.m., Handsworth Secondary
The skinny — After being blown out at Mt. Douglas two weeks ago, we called for a gut-check effort from the Jugglers last week and they delivered, losing a tough, hard-fought 48-40 decision last Saturday at No. 2 South Delta. Now it’s up to Notre Dame and its superb running back/linebacker Vincenzo Nardulli to build on that promise.
Handsworth has been pesky and unflappable while enduring the toughest back-to-back games of any team in B.C. the past two weeks. The key now, for the Brett Birch-Jones quarterbacked team which lost 30-6 at No. 2 South Delta and then 26-7 at No. 1 New Westminster, is to put everything together with its best game of the season.
SCHEDULE
AAA
FRIDAY
WESTERN CONFERENCE
1 p.m. — Carson Graham at Mt. Douglas (Royal Athletic Park)
3 p.m. — Notre Dame at Handsworth
5 p.m. — South Delta at Belmont (Goudy Field)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
2 p.m. — Centennial at Lord Tweedsmuir
6:30 p.m. — Mission at Kelowna (Apple Bowl)
PACIFIC CONFERENCE
NORTH DIVISION
5 p.m. — Earl Marriott at Nanaimo District
SOUTH DIVISION
3 p.m. — Sullivan Heights at Eric Hamber
4 p.m. — Sardis at Rutland (Apple Bowl)
NON-CONFERENCE
6 p.m. — Mt. Boucherie at W.J. Mouat
SATURDAY
NORTH DIVISION
WESTERN CONFERENCE
1:30 p.m. — New Westminster at Vancouver College
EASTERN CONFERENCE
12 p.m. — St. Thomas More at Seaquam
3 p.m. — Terry Fox at Abbotsford
THE BIG 5 RANKINGS
TRIPLE A
1 New Westminster Hyacks (5-1, 4-0) (LW-1)
LW — Def. Handsworth 26-7.
TW — Saturday at Vancouver College.
2 South Delta Sun Devils (6-0, 4-0) (2)
LW — Def. Notre Dame 48-20.
TW — Friday at Belmont (Goudy Field).
3 Vancouver College Fighting Irish (5-1, 3-1) (3)
LW — Def. Carson Graham 36-6.
TW — Saturday host New Westminster.
4 Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers (Surrey) (4-1, 3-1) (4)
LW — Def. Seaquam 14-12.
TW — Friday host Centennial.
5 St. Thomas More Knights (Burnaby) (4-2, 4-0) (5)
LW — Def. Abbotsford 40-6.
TW — Saturday at Seaquam.
Honourable mention
Mt. Douglas Rams (Victoria) (3-2, 2-2) (HM)
LW — Def. Belmont 34-0.
TW — Friday host Carson Graham (Royal Athletic Park).
Seaquam Seahawks (3-2, 3-1) (HM)
LW — Lost 14-2 to Lord Tweedsmuir.
TW — Saturday host St. Thomas More.
Kelowna Owls (3-3, 2-2) (HM)
LW — Def. Centennial 71-0.
TW —Friday host Mission (Apple Bowl).
Abbotsford Panthers (4-2, 2-2) (HM)
LW —Lost 40-6 to St. Thomas More.
TW — Saturday host Terry Fox.
LAST WEEK
SCOREBOARD
AAA
FRIDAY
PACIFIC CONFERENCE
SOUTH DIVISION
Sardis 50 Sullivan Heights 0
Rutland 85 West Vancouver 20
NORTH DIVISION
W.J. Mouat 19 Earl Marriott 14
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Vancouver College 36 Carson Graham 6
South Delta 48 Notre Dame 40
Mt. Douglas 34 Belmont 0
New Westminster 26 Handsworth 7
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Terry Fox 6 Mission 0
Kelowna 71 Centennial 0
St. Thomas More 40 Abbotsford 6
SATURDAY
PACIFIC CONFERENCE
SOUTH DIVISION
Eric Hamber 26 Mt. Boucherie 20
EASTERN CONFERENCE
14 Lord Tweedsmuir Seaquam 12
AA
THIS WEEK
FRIDAY
WESTERN CONFERENCE
2 p.m. — Ballenas at Windsor
EASTERN CONFERENCE
7 p.m. — Langley at G.W. Graham (Exhibition Stadium)
INTERIOR CONFERENCE
3:30 p.m. — Salmon Arm at Okanagan Mission
7 p.m. — South Kamloops at Vernon (Greater Vernon Athletic Park)
NORTHERN CONFERENCE
4:30 p.m. — Nechako Valley at Kelly Road (Masich Stadium)
7 p.m. — College Heights at Prince George (Masich Stadium)
NON-CONFERENCE
2 p.m. — Holy Cross at John Barsby (at Nanaimo District)
SATURDAY
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1:30 p.m. — Robert Bateman at Frank Hurt
THE BIG 5 RANKINGS
DOUBLE A
1 Vernon Panthers (4-0, 2-0) (LW-1)
LW — Did not play.
TW — Friday host South Kamloops (Greater Vernon Athletic Park).
2 Langley Saints (5-0, 2-0) (2)
LW — Def. Robert Bateman 42-6.
TW — Friday at G.W. Graham (Exhibition Park).
3 Ballenas Whalers (Parksville) (5-0, 1-0) (3)
LW — Did not play.
TW — Friday at Windsor.
4 G.W. Graham Grizzlies (Chilliwack) (2-2, 2-0) (4)
LW — Def. Holy Cross 22-13.
TW — Host Langley (Exhibition Park).
5 Robert Bateman Timberwolves (Abbotsford) (3-3, 0-1) (5)
LW — Lost 42-6 to Langley.
TW — Saturday at Frank Hurt.
Honourable mention
Holy Cross Crusaders (Surrey) (3-3, 0-2) (HM)
LW — Lost 22-13 to G.W. Graham.
TW — Do not play.
Windsor Dukes (North Vancouver) (3-1, 0-0) (HM)
LW — Def. Frank Hurt 16-0.
TW — Friday host Ballenas.
South Kamloops Titans (5-1, 2-0) (HM)
LW — Def. Salmon Arm 35-14.
TW — Friday at Vernon (Greater Vernon Athletic Park).
College Heights Cougars (Prince George) (4-0-1, 4-0) (HM)
LW — Def. Kelly Road 46-16.
TW — Friday at Prince George (Masich Stadium).
LAST WEEK
SCOREBOARD
AA
FRIDAY
WESTERN CONFERENCE
John Barsby 46 Argyle 26
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Langley 42 Robert Bateman 6
G.W. Graham 22 Holy Cross 13
INTERIOR CONFERENCE
South Kamloops 35 Salmon Arm 14
Clarence Fulton21 Okanagan Mission 7
NORTHERN CONFERENCE
Nechako Valley 34 College Heights 20
Kelly Road 24 Prince George 6
SATURDAY
NON-CONFERENCE
Windsor 16 Frank Hurt 0
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