LANGLEY — Once again, here’s your survival guide to the weekend ahead in B.C. high school football.
Keep in mind, it’s the final slate of regular-season games with four weeks of Subway Bowl playoff action set to follow!
We’ve got our Top 5 Games of the Week, as well as the full schedule by tier and conference. We’ve also got last week’s complete scoreboard and another look at this week’s Big 5 rankings!
THE TOP 5 GAMES OF THE WEEK
1 No. 4 LORD TWEEDSMUIR (5-1) at No. 5 ST. THOMAS MORE (6-0)
Triple A Eastern
Friday, 7:30 p.m., Burnaby Lake
The skinny — Nothing gets lost in translation here: It’s a winner-take-all battle for the Eastern Division title on the final Friday of the regular season, and these two teams were built for chilly, fall football. Both are run-powered behind bullish O-lines, and both have passing games that can prosper if the need arises. LT’s Terrell Jones and STM’s Kaishaun Carter are just two of a trove of stars, yet if either picks Friday to turn in his very best game of the season, chances are his team will be the winner.
2 No. 1 SOUTH DELTA (6-0) at No. 3 NEW WESTMINSTER (5-1)
Triple A Western
Friday, 7:30 p.m., Mercer Stadium
The skinny — The annual Kushnir Boot arrives with a lot of feeling. Both teams want badly to come away with victories, not only to put themselves in the running for the West crown on the final day of the season, but to keep valuable momentum alive, and to insure the best draw for the upcoming Subway Bowl playoffs. A South Delta win insures a Sun Devils’ division title, but it won’t be easy to come out the Royal City with a W, especially after starting quarterback Ben McDonald’s season-ending collarbone injury a week ago. The Hyacks running back duo of Michael Udoh and Greyson Planinsic has been durable and dangerous the entire season.
3 NOTRE DAME (2-4) at No. 2 VANCOUVER COLLEGE (5-1)
Triple A Western
Friday, 2 p.m., O’Hagan Field
The skinny — The 2019 season has been a frustrating one for the Jugglers, yet they could flip their script in one afternoon in the 63rd annual Archbishops’ Trophy game, this season at Vancouver College. Of course that will not be easy against a determined and talented Irish squad who are riding one of their best win streaks in recent memory. The Irish have won five straight, a stretch which has included just six points allowed over its last four games, three of which were shutouts. The Irish lead the series 33-28 with one tie.
4 KELOWNA (4-2) at SEAQUAM (3-3)
Triple A Eastern
Saturday, 1:30 p.m., Seaquam Secondary
The skinny — Two program which have taken big forward steps this season meet with valuable playoff positioning up for grabs. The Owls, led by quarterback Nate Beauchemin, could still finish as high as second but would need a victory and some help to get it done. The Seahawks want to snap a losing streak and get back over the .500 mark behind running back Christian Carlon-Diaz, who went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark last week.
5 No. 3 G.W. GRAHAM (3-0) at No. 5 ROBERT BATEMAN (2-1)
Double A Eastern
Friday, 3 p.m., Robert Bateman Secondary
The skinny — Geographic rivals from the Valley’s eastern-most climes battle in a game which could precipitate a three-way tie in the division on the final day of the regular season. If the host Wolves can play their game of the year and come away victorious, both they and the visiting Grizzlies, along with the Langley Saints would all finish with 3-1 records. GWG, however, has the inside track. With a win already this season over Langley, it can take the East outright with a victory.
THIS WEEK
SCHEDULE
AAA
FRIDAY
WESTERN CONFERENCE
1 p.m. — Handsworth at Mt. Douglas (Goudy Field)
2 p.m. — Notre Dame at Vancouver College
2:15 p.m. — Belmont at Carson Graham
EASTERN CONFERENCE
7 p.m. — Terry Fox at Centennial (Percy Perry Stadium)
7:30 p.m. — South Delta at New Westminster (Mercer Stadium), Lord Tweedsmuir at St. Thomas More (Burnaby Lake)
PACIFIC CONFERENCE
4 p.m. — Mt. Boucherie at Rutland (Apple Bowl)
5 p.m. — Sullivan Heights at Nanaimo District
7 p.m. — Eric Hamber at Sardis (Exhibition Stadium)
SATURDAY
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1:30 p.m. — Kelowna at Seaquam
3 p.m. — Mission at Abbotsford
PACIFIC CONFERENCE
1:30 p.m. — W.J. Mouat at West Vancouver
LAST WEEK
SCOREBOARD
AAA
FRIDAY
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Vancouver College 41 Handsworth 0
New Westminster 46 Belmont 33
Notre Dame 54 Carson Graham 43
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Lord Tweedsmuir 33 Mission 6
St. Thomas More 21 Centennial 7
Kelowna 36 Terry Fox 0
PACIFIC CONFERENCE
Rutland 47 W.J. Mouat 14
Mt. Boucherie 48 West Vancouver 14
NON CONFERENCE
G.W. Graham 64 Sullivan Heights 8
SATURDAY
WESTERN CONFERENCE
South Delta 28 Mt. Douglas 14
PACIFIC CONFERENCE
Earl Marriott 12 Sardis 7
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Abbotsford 28 Seaquam 14
THE BIG 5 RANKINGS
1 South Delta Sun Devils (8-0, 6-0) (LW-1)
LW — Def. Mt. Douglas 28-14.
TW — Friday at New Westminster (Mercer Stadium).
2 Vancouver College Fighting Irish (7-1, 5-1) (2)
LW — Def. Handsworth 41-0.
TW — Friday vs. Notre Dame (O’Hagan Field)
3 New Westminster Hyacks (6-2, 5-1) (3)
LW — Def. Belmont 46-33.
TW — Friday host South Delta (Mercer Stadium).
4 Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers (Surrey) (6-1, 5-1) (4)
LW — Def. Mission 33-6.
TW — Friday at St. Thomas More (Burnaby Lake).
5 St. Thomas More Knights (Burnaby) (6-2, 6-0) (5)
LW — Def. Centennial 21-7.
TW — Friday host Lord Tweedsmuir (Burnaby Lake).
Honourable mention
Mt. Douglas Rams (Victoria) (4-3, 3-3) (HM)
LW — Lost to South Delta 28-14.
TW — Friday host Handsworth (Goudy Field).
Kelowna Owls (5-3, 4-2) (HM)
LW — Def. Terry Fox 36-0.
TW —Saturday at Seaquam.
Abbotsford Panthers (6-2, 4-2) (HM)
LW —Def. Seaquam 28-14.
TW — Saturday host Mission.
Seaquam Seahawks (3-4, 3-3) (HM)
LW — Lost to Abbotsford 28-14.
TW — Saturday host Kelowna.
AA
THIS WEEK
FRIDAY
WESTERN CONFERENCE
2 p.m. — Argyle at Ballenas, Windsor at John Barsby (Nanaimo District Secondary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
2 p.m. — Frank Hurt at Holy Cross
3 p.m. — G.W. Graham at Robert Bateman
INTERIOR CONFERENCE
TBA — South Kamloops at Okanagan Mission (Hillside Stadium)
7 p.m. — Vernon at Clarence Fulton (Greater Vernon Athletic Park)
NORTHERN CONFERENCE
Third-fourth
4:30 p.m. — Prince George at Kelly Road (Masich Stadium)
Championship final
7 p.m. — College Heights at Nechako Valley (Masich Stadium)
SATURDAY
NON-CONFERENCE
1:30 p.m. — Langley at Earl Marriott
LAST WEEK
SCOREBOARD
AA
FRIDAY
NORTHERN CONFERENCE
PLAYOFFS
Nechako Valley 46 Prince George 8
College Heights 34 Kelly Road 6
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Windsor 9 Argyle 2
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Langley 41 Frank Hurt 0
Robert Bateman 13 Holy Cross 10
INTERIOR CONFERENCE
Vernon 71 Okanagan Mission 7
Clarence Fulton 23 Salmon Arm 0
THE BIG 5 RANKINGS
1 Vernon Panthers (6-0, 4-0) (LW-1)
LW — Def. Okanagan Mission 71-7.
TW — Friday at Clarence Fulton (Greater Vernon Athletic Park).
2 Ballenas Whalers (Parksville) (6-0, 2-0) (2)
LW — Did not play.
TW — Friday host Argyle.
3 G.W. Graham Grizzlies (Chilliwack) (4-2, 3-0) (3)
LW — Def. Sullivan Heights 64-8.
TW — Friday at Robert Bateman.
4 Langley Saints (6-1, 3-1) (4)
LW — Def. Frank Hurt 31-0.
TW — Saturday at Earl Marriott.
5 Robert Bateman Timberwolves (Abbotsford) (5-3, 2-1) (5)
LW — Def. Holy Cross 13-10.
TW — Friday host G.W. Graham.
Honourable mention
South Kamloops Titans (5-2, 2-1) (HM)
LW — Did not play.
TW — Friday at Okanagan Mission.
Windsor Dukes (North Vancouver) (4-2, 2-1) (HM)
LW — Def. Argyle 9-2.
TW — Friday at John Barsby.
College Heights Cougars (Prince George) (6-0-1, 6-0) (HM)
LW — Def. Kelly Road 34-6 in conference semifinals.
TW — Friday vs. Nechako Valley in Northern Conference championship final (Masich Stadium).
John Barsby Bulldogs (Nanaimo) (2-4, 1-1) (HM)
LW — Did not play.
TW — Friday host Windsor.
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