Dominic Dumas shines as Sun Devils win big
The Notre Dame Jugglers and South Delta Sun Devils battled to secure the 2nd seed of the Western Conference. The Sun Devils pulled away in the second half for a 35-7 victory despite the Jugglers holding superstar running back Damian Dumas to his lowest yardage total all season.
Notre Dame was playing their second game of the week after they had to play on Monday due to the atmospheric river flooding their field last Saturday.
The short turnaround didn’t seem to affect the Jugglers too much early on. Notre Dame started with a nice return and moved the ball into the South Delta red zone. The Jugglers wouldn’t be able to finish their drive and would stall out, having nothing to show for their promising opening possession.
South Delta would take the ball on their own 15 and proceeded to move the length of the field with a good balance of run and pass. Dominic Dumas was forced to be the Sun Devil’s star tonight as the Jugglers did anything they could to contain his brother Damian.
Dominic stepped up big time in this one, showing he’s a true dual-threat quarterback with 154 rushing yards, as well as 134 passing yards and four total touchdowns. Dominic led his team down the field on their first drive before he capped it off himself by sneaking it in from the 1-yard line to open up the game’s scoring.
A quick three-and-out from Notre Dame had the Sun Devils with the ball again. South Delta marched down the field before a trick play that saw offensive tackle Alex Fechter catch a lateral and find the endzone. The Sun Devil’s sideline exploded with joy as they saw their big man cross the plain.
Notre Dame answered on a drive of their own. Some quick throws and the mobility of quarterback Caleb Parrotta had the Sun Devils defense off balance. As the first half was winding down, they were able to punch in their first score of the game.
With that score, the Jugglers cut the Sun Devils lead to 13-7 going into the half. With it being a one-score game, all the Jugglers needed was a stop to open up the half, and They’d have a chance to take the lead.
Sun Devil’s return man Koen Hubbard had different ideas. He took the opening kickoff of the second half deep in his own territory. Hubbard took off down the left hash and appeared to run into a wall of Jugglers defenders. Hubbard ran through that wall, breaking three tackles along the way, and cut to the middle of the field, taking the ball all the way to the house for an 85-yard score.
After South Delta’s defense got another quick stop, Dominic Dumas saw the Juggler’s defense stacking the box inside to stop his brother, pulled the ball on a zone read play, and raced down the right sideline for his longest touchdown of the year, an 80-yard rush.
The Jugglers were in shock as a 13-7 South Delta lead had quickly turned into 28-7 with three possessions in the game in just nine plays. With all the momentum, the Sun Devils would add another score before playing great defense and bleeding the clock down for a 35-7 win.
Other standouts for the Sun Devils offensively included Damian with 12 carries for 78 yards, Quinn Sjoberg with two catches for 48 yards, and Holden Hunter with four catches for 40 yards of his own.
Defensively it was Gage Spargo with seven tackles and Tommy Cowan, Dominic Dumas, and Hudson Robinson with five tackles of their own.
Sun Devils Head Coach Ray Moon was glad to see other offensive weapons producing for his team.
“Today, we beat a really solid and well-coached team. They slowed our primary offensive weapon today, but we showed that we can win in different ways. This was a total team effort, especially in the second half, with special teams and defense leading the way. That is to go with a well-balanced offense that was able to spread the ball around today. It was a great way for our Seniors to go out on with their last home game in South Delta,” said Moon.
The Sun Devils will look to finish their regular season strong against the Handsworth Royals next Friday.
Ravens keep on rolling
The Terry Fox Ravens have appeared to turn a corner. The team that had lost multiple close games early on in the season has bounced back with three straight wins. The most recent of those victories was a 36-28 victory over the St. Thomas More Knights.
After both teams exchanged touchdowns in the first quarter, Terry Fox dominated the second frame. The Ravens completely shut down the Knights’ option attack and didn’t allow a point the rest of the half.
Off of those stops, the Ravens blocked not one but two punts to set up their offense with excellent field position. Chase Foston was one of the Ravens who flew through the Knights’s front line to get his hand on the ball.
The Raven’s offense rewarded their special teams unit by capping off both opportunities for scoring majors. The Raven’s special teams unit had completely changed the outlook of the game and took a 22-7 lead into halftime.
Despite having nothing gone their way after the first quarter, the Knights refused to go away and came back fighting. They scored on their opening possession, going to their bread-and-butter play on a 45-yard triple-option run by grade 10 pivot Patricio Cuesta Leon.
Ravens quarterback Zac Golab drove his team downfield using both his legs and his arm. Gollab found Lachlen Bruce for one of his two touchdown receptions on the day to go back up two scores.
Nico Pallares responded for the Knights on an explosive 40-yard run to put STM back within eight. With the ball back, it was time for Golab and the Ravens offense to shine again.
Golab, who finished the day with 15 completions on 17 attempts for 194 yards and three touchdowns, led the Ravens downfield once again, finding the endzone to put his team back up by 15.
Nico Pallares responded for the Knights once again. The quarterback put his team on his back, running over the Ravens’ defenders to get the Knights downfield. Cuesta Leon would finish the drive off by pulling the ball on another option run from 25 yards out to put the Knights back within eight once again.
The Knights’ defense came up when it mattered most and forced Terry Fox to punt the ball with 1:35 left in the game. With a chance to tie, the Knights were on the move.
Cuesta Leon led the Knights down the field from deep in their own territory with a few nice passing plays. Inside Terry Fox’s 30-yard line with under 30 seconds to go, Tristan Jupp jumped in front of a Knights pass. Jupp came down with the ball, and the comeback bid was ended. The Ravens held on for a 36-28 win.
Knights Head Coach Jared Power loved his team’s never-quit attitude.
“I am so proud of how our guys fought tonight. We had multiple injuries and multiple setbacks during the game, and we kept grinding and fighting. Guys had to step up and fill roles tonight and they did so admirably. We will be a better team for this experience,” said Power on his team.
Standouts for the knights included Cuesta Leon, who had a breakout game with over 200 all-purpose yards, rushing for two scores. Cristiano Louie-Silva had three tackles, two pass breakups, a blocked FG, and a blocked PAT, and Alex Pacholko finished with five tackles and a forced fumble on defense.
The Ravens now have their third big win in a row. Ravens Head Coach Tom Kudaba has seen tremendous growth in his team.
“The players are starting to believe in their abilities and although mistakes are still being made, their overall toughness and commitment is improving daily. We are going to hopefully continue our improvement into next week when we play our rival, Centennial,” said Kudaba.
That game kicks off at 7:00 next Friday.
Hyacks win big on Seniors Night
Seniors Night is a celebration of the hard work, dedication and drive of a program’s oldest players. For many coaches, this brings a mix of emotions. On the one hand, coaches are beyond proud of how their players have matured to reach this point.
Every young man or woman has a different story of their time throughout their respective team’s program and any coach will tell you one of the most rewarding things you can do is be part of a players’ development and see them grow as an individual through their four years with your program.
On the other hand, you’re sad that your time together is coming to an end. The New Westminster Hyacks sent their seniors out the right way with a 43-14 win over the Seaquam Seahawks.
After a tight first half, the Hyacks got back to what made them successful all season.
“We were a little cute in the 1st half and while we had some success through the air and on the ground, we were unable to finish a couple of drives. We got back to basics and effectively ran the football in the 2nd half, especially once we were at near full strength,” Hyacks Head Coach Andrew McKechnie said on his team’s second-half adjustments.
The Hyacks pounded the rock at will, led by Nikolas Panesar, who had over 200 yards rushing and two scores, and Tyson Godspower with 100 yards and two touchdowns of his own.
The Seahawks may have fallen short, but it wasn’t due to a lack of effort. Hyacks offensive coordinator Darnell Sikorski was impressed with his opponent’s tenacity throughout the contest.
“Seaquam has some good players on both sides of the ball. They battled extremely hard, and knowing a win would really improve their playoff chances. They fought valiantly,” Sikorski said.
McKechnie loved his team’s second-half performance and was happy his large senior class had a game to remember fondly.
“I’m so happy we were able to finish like we did in the 2nd half, especially for the 20-plus seniors on our roster,” he said.
“It was their best half of football on the year and we hope to really build off that momentum against what will be a very hungry STM team next week. Our players and programs obviously know each other very well so we will need to bring our A-game next week.”
That big game against the Knights kicks off next Friday at 7:30.
Hawks win fourth in a row
The W.J. Mouat Hawks continued rolling Friday night with a 60-13 win over Langley Secondary School. The Hawks continue to display why they are a true contender in AAA.
The Hawks started out hot, scoring quickly on the opening drive with a pass from Elijah Black to Max Pratt, the first connection of three from the dynamic duo.
On the ensuing kickoff, Langley scored on an impressive run back to make it 7-6. Langley then pulled out some trickery and recovered a surprise onside kick, and early on, it looked like we were going to have a tight game.
But from then on, the Hawks Crushed any hopes Langley had. After forcing a quick punt, Black found his favorite target again, Max Pratt, and the Hawks were off and running. This duo is so fun to watch. Their chemistry really shows with the pairs’ timing as they connect through the air.
The Hawks kept rolling from there and were able to put up 40 before halftime. A pick-six from Phoenix Trolland on the first play of the second half set the tone for the rest of the game.
Despite the lopsided scoreline, Langley never quit. They added a score late in the game, but when it was all said and done, the scoreboard read 60-13 in favor of the Hawks.
Hawks defensive coordinator Daniel Mills commended his team’s ability to handle adversity after their rocky start to the game.
“Proud of our team for bouncing back after Langley scored quick on us, the guys stayed focused and were able to march down the field and respond. Credit to Langley; they played hard the entire game. We wish them the best of luck the rest of the way through.”
The Hawks will look to continue their success next week against Mt. Boucherie next Friday.
Irish remain perfect despite scare from Eagles
Another week, another win for the Vancouver College Fighting Irish. This time, the Irish had to fight hard to the end as the Carson Graham Eagles gave them all they could handle in a 21-8 Irish victory.
The Eagles are known for their Air raid attack, but today, their defense held their team in the game till late in the fourth quarter. Defensive coordinator Pooya Dourandish came up with a great game plan to slow down an Irish Offense that has been piling up points all year.
As good as that plan was, the Irish staff always came prepared with a plan of their own, and it showed early in the game. After a perfect punt had the Irish pinned at their own one-yard line, it was time for some history to be made.
Irish running back Ryder Quintana took an inside handoff in his own endzone. The star hit the hole inside formed by the Irish line, quickly cut left, and accelerated, showcasing his blazing speed and leaving the Eagle’s defense in his dust for a record-breaking 99-yard rushing TD. Quintana broke the previous record in which he held himself, a 91-yard run set last year vs. Notre Dame.
Both defenses dominated play for the rest of the half until Tristan Perdido capped off a long Irish drive and punched in a three-yard rushing score. That major gave the Irish a 14-0 lead going into halftime.
Late in the third quarter, the Eagles had the ball and desperately needed to put up points. The Eagles finally put together a well-balanced 12-play 60-yard drive and a two-point conversion to make it 14-8 with just over nine minutes left in the fourth.
The Eagles got a huge stop and held VC on their next drive. The Eagles had the ball back in their own territory with the chance to take the lead on the seemingly invincible Irish. With all the momentum, the game came down to a fourth and eight.
The Eagles dropped back to pass. The Irish, who were showing a pressure look pre-snap, dropped out of the look, and as the Eagles threw a slant over the middle, the ball was batted down at the line of scrimmage, and the pass was incomplete; Irish ball.
With the clock dwindling down, VC got the ball on the Eagles 32-yard line. Five plays later, Jackson Farac scored for Vc to extend the lead to 21-8.
The Eagles refused to give up. On the ensuing kickoff, Célyan Vermeulen returned the kick 69 yards deep into Irish territory. With little time on the clock, the Irish defense stood tall once again and stuffed Carson Graham on fourth and goal to seal the game for good, 21-8.
Irish Head Coach Bryan Chiu loved his team’s effort but knows corrections need to be made for the post-season.
“I appreciate our boy’s effort today. However, we need to stop making mental mistakes. Those errors will come back to bite us in the playoffs if we don’t correct them immediately. Once again, our defense came through for us by holding Carson to only eight points. Full credit to Coach Brady and his staff for having their boys battle the way they did.”
Eagles Head Coach Brian Brady wishes his team could have a couple of plays back.
‘I’m proud of how physical our guys played today, but ultimately 2-3 plays away from the result we wanted.’
Vancouver College will look to finish the regular season with a perfect record if they win in their season finale next Saturday against the Notre Dame Jugglers.
Crusaders winning streak continues
Make it five in a row for the Holy Cross Crusaders. The Crusaders headed into enemy territory and escaped with a 34-16 victory against the Mission Roadrunners.
For Crusaders Head Coach Conrad Deugau, the opposing coaching staff had a bunch of familiar faces. Deugau has close connections with the Roadrunners staff from his days as a collegiate player.
“I have a personal connection with 2 of the Mission Coaches. Line coach Mike Schneider coached at SFU when I was up there (99-04), and receiver Coach Ken McLean was my teammate during those years as well. He was also part of the 99 freshman class that I was also part of, ” Deugau said about his friendships postgame.
During their winning streak, the Crusaders have consistently demonstrated their resilience, pulling off big plays at crucial times. Late in the first half today, it was no different.
Trailing 13-16, quarterback Xander McCrone did what he’s done often this season and worked his magic again. McCrone found his star receiver Kalel Dizon for a momentum-changing touchdown that put the Crusaders up 20-16 at halftime.
Despite only being up by four, the momentum was completely in the Crusader’s favor and stayed with them the rest of the afternoon. In the third quarter, Kalel Dizon scored for the second time with a 65-yard rush.
Dizon has been the Crusader’s most explosive player all year long. Whether taking handoffs as a tailback, returning kicks, or catching touchdowns as a receiver, the Crusaders star can do it all.
With Mission driving downfield on their last chance to get back in the game, Crusaders linebacker Paulo Emata cut in front of a receiver for a game-sealing interception. The Crusader’s defense has been turnover, forcing machines in their winning streak.
The defensive unit hasn’t only been forcing turnovers, but they’ve been scoring off of them and giving their team a huge boost. With the Crusaders playing excellent complementary football right now, they could be dangerous heading into the postseason.
Deugau knows next week is huge for his team’s playoff seeding, and on a personal level, more bragging rights are on the line.
“Next week, we play the always-good Robert Bateman team in the final game of the season. This game will determine who wins the East as we head into playoffs. Bateman’s coach, David Mills, and I are close friends, and there are always some bragging rights with this game.”
That pivotal game will take place next Friday at 1:30.