Welcome to week 3! check in throughout the evening for post-game updates.
Happy homecoming for Crusaders
Two-time Super Bowl champion Tom Coughlin once said, “Football comes down to six or seven plays within a game. The problem is you never know precisely when those plays will happen. “
In the Holy Cross Crusaders’ 21-6 homecoming victory against Cross Surrey rivals, the Sullivan Heights Stars, those crucial plays were won by the Crusaders.
After the Crusaders opened the scoring in front of their home crowd, midway through the first quarter, defense ruled the rest of the first half.
Both team’s units played physical and disciplined, giving each other’s offenses trouble in the process. For the Crusaders, defensive end Prince Davidson gave the Stars trouble all day.
Davidson didn’t allow backs to get outside in the running game, was disruptive as an edge rusher, and even batted a pass away on a crucial passing down for good measure.
For the Stars, Xavier Khinda was incredibly disruptive inside. The Defensive tackle threw away blockers multiple times while wrapping up ball carriers for a loss of yards.
With both defenses not giving an inch, the score remained 7-0 to start the second half. Down only one score with the ball to start the 3rd quarter, disaster would strike for the Stars.
On the first play from scrimmage in the second half, the Crusaders recovered a bad exchange on a handoff deep in Stars territory. Two plays later, Crusaders quarterback Xander McCrone found Kalel Dizon in the endzone on a corner route for six, and after an extra point, it was 14-0.
Later in the quarter, not satisfied with just one passing major, McCrone threw a deep ball over the middle on a key third down. As a Stars safety broke perfectly on the ball, it looked like a sure interception. Instead, the ball sailed straight through the Stars defender’s hand into the waiting arms of Kaleb Orellana, and it was 21-0 Crusaders.
The Stars fought to the end, adding the game’s last score, but the Crusaders proved too much to handle in a 21-6 loss. Crusaders Head Coach Conrad Deugau was very impressed with his team’s effort, particularly his defense.
” Any time two Surrey schools play each other in anything, there is always extra intensity and focus. Defense today was an all-around team effort. Our DLine was outstanding keeping contain and not making it easy to advance the ball. Our LBs made the plays they needed to and our secondary was really good overall, knocking the ball down and getting a key interception by Safety Luc Fillion. It was A great effort by both teams overall and we were able to secure the victory.”
The Crusaders will enjoy this big homecoming victory before they start preparations for their next game against the Abbotsford Panthers at Cloverdale Athletic Park.
Stars head coach Gord Randall was pleased with his team’s effort but knew they left too many plays on the field.
“I was happy with the effort level from our guys. I thought we were focused and put ourselves in the position to make plays and win the game. We just didn’t make them. A few key drops, a bad turnover at a bad time and we put ourselves in a hole we couldn’t get out of. That’s a good team over there, and they will not let you get away with mulligans – we had to be our best and we weren’t quite up to it today.
We still felt like today was a good effort to build on, so our job is to correct the errors and be on the other side of the next week.”
The stars will look to correct those errors before a tough matchup against the Robert Bateman Timberwolves next Friday.
Panther’s defense overwhelms Timberwolves
If you like watching creative defensive football, the Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers are the team for you. The Panthers showcased their versatile scheme in a gritty 21-7 win against the Robert Bateman Timberwolves.
The Panthers defense does a little bit of everything. They show heavy-pressure looks and send the house; they play base defense and rush only four; their corners will play press coverage and other times, they’ll play off with a cushion.
It’s hard enough to run one, maybe two of these looks as a high school defense. The Panthers run all that soundly while flying around the field, making life miserable for opposing offenses.
This dominant unit would play a huge part in the team’s early 14-0 lead. First, forcing and recovering a fumble deep in Bateman territory before quarterback Chase Thurston punched the ball in from Inside the ten-yard line.
On the next drive, after the Panther’s defense forced a three-and-out, Bateman was forced to punt. Panthers defender Kal Basra flew by Batemans punt protection team and got his hands on the ball, blocking the punt. Peyton Mansfield would scoop up the ball and take it in for six. Before you could blink, it was 14-0.
Bateman would show excellent mental toughness. With everything going against them, they managed to collect themselves and answered with a score before halftime to cut the lead to 14-7.
In the third quarter, the Panthers started to pound the rock. Wearing down Batemans front seven, the Panthers would drive the field behind their offensive line before Peyton Mansfield would cross the plain to extend the Panther’s lead to 21-7.
In the fourth quarter, Bateman would Battle and come close to scoring twice before interceptions by defensive backs Mathew Reid and Tristan Ford ended any hope of a Timberwolves comeback.
Panthers Head Coach Michael Carter had this to say on his team’s big win.
“We are happy to leave Abbotsford with a win against a very strong Bateman team. Bateman gave us some real challenges in certain areas, and we’re excited to dive into the film in preparation for regular season games starting next week.”
The Panthers will showcase their multiple defensive scheme against the number one ranked Vancouver College Fighting Irish next Saturday.
Hawks soar over Ravens
The W.J. Mouat Hawks showed why they’re ranked number four in the province with a resounding 62-17 victory over the Terry Fox Ravens.
The Hawks’s offense was unstoppable all night, quite literally. The Hawks scored on all nine of their possesions in this ball game. Despite the lopsided score, this contest was close early.
After the Hawks opened the scoring, the Ravens Awnsered right back on a long drive as Ravens quarterback Zac Golab spread the ball around to multiple targets.
The Hawks responded on their first play from scrimmage after getting the ball back. Quarterback Quarterback Elijah Black dropped back to pass and hit Petreyus Lollard for a 70-yard score.
Black went 20/24 303 yards and 3TDs for a dominant performance through the air. Terry Fox drove down once again field but settled for a FG to cut the lead to 14-10.
With the ball back, the Hawks again made quick work of Raven’s defense as two plays into their drive, running back Joe Muller found the endzone from 25 yards out for one of his three touchdowns on the night.
From that point on, it was all Hawks. Mouat ran and threw the ball at will; the Raven’s defense couldn’t get off the field in a tough 62-17 loss.
Despite the big win, Hawks defensive coordinator Daniel Mills wanted more out of his defense earlier in the game.
“I was not pleased with how our defense played in the first half, but we came out of the break fired up and were able to put a halt to the Ravens high powered offense. They have athletes that we needed to cover and credit to them for making plays on us. Also, credit to our offense for being able to pick us up when we allowed points. That was big to have our offense rebound after allowing scoring drives.”
The Hawks will be in for a battle next Saturday when they take on the South Delta Sun Devils.
Sun Devils win Delta Cup over Rival Seahawks
The Battle for the Delta Cup is a fierce rivalry game between the Seaquam Seahawks and the South Delta Sun Devils. In this year’s matchup, the Sun Devils can hold bragging rights over their inter-city rivals after a 42-0 blowout victory.
Last week, I talked about how explosive a runner Sun Devil’s quarterback, Damian Dumas, was. This week, the converted running back showed us his arm is as good as any other quarterback in the province, throwing for over 250 yards and four touchdown passes.
Spreading the ball around to multiple targets, Dumas looked very comfortable and polished; you’d never know he was a former running back.
With Dumas making a position switch, Anthony De Albuquerque is filling in for Dumas at running back. De Albuquerque had 2 touchdowns on the night, including an 85-yard swing pass he took to the house. On that play, he showed explosive speed, something South Delta’s coaching staff was excited to see.
The Seahawks didn’t quite have the same level of explosiveness. They had their moments offensively where they looked like they were poised to score, but each time, the Sun Devils defense was able to tighten up at the right time and get multiple big stops.
Helping the Sun Devil’s Defense get those big stops was defensive tackle Jun Choi. The interior lineman made life miserable for the Seahawks, finishing with two sacks and constantly disrupting the Seaquams’ run game by shooting upfield and getting into the backfield.
Seahawks head coach Kevin Phillips had high praise for the Sun Devils Postgame.
“We were in tough against a very talented South Delta squad. Seeing them in person it’s hard not to view them as a contender. Even though we had many of our boys play extremely hard it just wasn’t enough against South Delta. We will go back to work Monday and get better.”
The Seahawks will try to recollect themselves and be ready for their battle next Friday against Langley.
The Sun Devils will savor their Delta Cup victory this weekend, but then it’s right back to work Monday as they host the Red hot W.J. Mouat Hawks Saturday Afternoon.
Wolves Upset Eagles
Upset alert! The AA Windsor Wolves entered enemy territory and won their battle against the AAA Carson Graham Eagles 27-16. The Wolves made a big statement, showing they’re a force to be reckoned with in AA.
Windsor is led by a trio of stars on offense, Quarterback Emmet Ward, running back Brady Smith, and wide receiver Xavian Washington. The trio left an excellent Eagles defense looking for answers all afternoon.
Just two plays into the game, Ward completed a 44-yard touchdown pass to running back Brady Smith to open the scoring. Smith is an incredibly versatile weapon for the Wolves. Smith cannot only run the ball between the tackles and pick up tough yards, but he’s also an exceptional pass catcher out of the backfield, as he proved with his 94 receiving yards on the day.
Windsor’s offense may be their strength, but their defense, led by linebacker Samson Sachter, isn’t far behind. Sachter is the kind of backer that coaches would love to have as the heart and soul of their unit.
Sachter’s physicality shows in the run game. He knifes around blockers and blows up running backs as they try to advance the ball downfield. In the passing game, he’s fluid in coverage, has the athleticism to cover receivers one-on-one, and shows great awareness in zone coverages.
Sachter would also showcase his playmaking abilities, forcing a Carson fumble on the Windsor ten-yard line to end a promising Eagles drive. Later in the game, Sachter would make another huge play on 4th and three from the Windsor 5-yard line, making one of his team-leading 14 tackles short of the first down marker for a huge stop.
In the middle of the 2nd quarter, it was Ward’s turn to shine. First, Ward would connect with Xavian Washington from 6 yards out for a score. On the ensuing kickoff, Ward would recover his own onside kick attempt.
Two plays after getting the ball back for his team, Ward threw a dart and connected with Washington for an 84-yard score, capping off an incredible sequence for the Wolves’s Starting pivot.
In the fourth quarter, with Windsor’s lead cut to 20-8, the Eagles had the ball and were driving downfield. As Eagles Quarterback Jack Shih released a pass in the middle of the field, Brady Smith jumped right in front of Shih’s intended target for a massive interception.
With the ball back, Ward put away the Eagles for good, connecting with his favorite target, Washington, this time from 55 yards out for another score. This Capped Ward’s massive day going 17/21 for 330 yards and 4 TDs.
The Eagles would add a late score, but time had all but run out; the final was 27-16 Wolves.
The Wolves coaching staff was ecstatic with the team’s performance, including Xavian Washington, who had six catches for 165 yards and three scores.
The Wolves will look to carry the momentum for this massive upset victory into a pivotal matchup against Argyle next Friday.
Eagles Head Coach Brian Brady commended his opponent’s performance post-game.
“The Windsor coaching staff had a great gameplan, and the players outexecuted us at every level. This was a great learning experience, and we look forward to regrouping over the next week.”
Carson is at home in their first league game against GW Graham next week.
Hyack’s defense picks up slack in win against Jugglers
The New Westminster Hyacks continued their success Friday night, defeating a scrappy, prepared Notre Dame Jugglers Squad 27-10. Despite the victory, Hyacks head coach Andrew McKechnie says his team didn’t play to their high standards.
“Notre Dame is an extremely well-coached team, and like we said last week, they put their kids in favorable positions to make plays. That said, we are not thrilled with our performance tonight. Lots of errors can put a sour taste in your mouth despite the win.”
With Notre Dame possessing the ball for the majority of the game, possessions were at a premium for the Hyacks. Early on, the Hyack’s usually crisp, explosive offense had trouble finishing drives and holding on to the ball.
“We struggled to make the most of our possessions. Two fumbles on their end of the field were absolute killers for us,” said Hyacks Offensive coordinator Darnell Sikorski on his unit’s difficulties.
Luckily for the Hyacks, their defense continues to get huge stops at the most important times. Interceptions by Daniel Penalver, Eli Smith, and a huge 4th down stop on the 1-yard line gave the Hyacks offense time to get going.
Hyacks defensive coordinator Chad Oatway knows how important getting those big stops was for his defense.
“Defensively, we still have quite a few things to clean up, but the kids are gaining more and more belief. Those stops and turnovers inside the red zone will create even more confidence. We need to be more consistent, but when it mattered most, we buckled down and made plays.”
With their backs against the wall, the Hyacks turned to the Hageleit brothers. Antonio found his brother Benny six times for 119 yards and finally got the Hyack’s offense going in the process. Despite the unit’s tough day, Sikorski raved about his star wideout.
“If there was a bright spot for the offense, it was Benny Hageleit. He’s a confident player who runs great routes and has excellent hands. He can make great contested catches and played an excellent game again tonight.”
Behind the star, the Hyacks were able to pull away for good in the final quarter 27-10. The Jugglers had the Hyacks on the ropes and have to wonder if a couple of critical plays ended differently and what the final score could have been.
The Juggler’s top performers were running back/ linebacker Chris Torresan, who had 86 yards on 22 carries and had 11 tackles on defense. Quarterback Caled Parrotta with 13 carries for 75 yards as well as 87 yards passing and had seven tackles on defense. Wide receiver Michael MacLeod stood out with five catches for 65 yards.
Notre Dame starts league play with a game next Saturday against Kelowna.
McKechnie says things need to be different for the Hyacks moving forward.
“We are going to need a much better week of practice from an execution and focus standpoint. Everyone needs to do a much better job this week, starting with our coaching staff. This being a crossover week, it now all counts for real in terms of standings.”
The Hyacks will look to be crisper at home next Friday when they host the Handsworth Royals.