Hyacks’ offence can’t be touched, nor stopped in crucial victory
The New Westminster Hyacks have had a whirlwind of a 2025 season to say the least. They have lost to three of the top ten teams in the province by a combined 13 points. If one or two plays had ended differently, the team could have been in the driver’s seat as the postseason approached.
Instead, they took to their home turf at Mercer Stadium for what might have been a do-or-die game against their rivals from just down the block, the St. Thomas More Knights. With the possibility of their season on the line, the Hyacks’ offence exploded, putting up 58 points to the Knights’ 28 in a thrilling back-and-forth affair.
For those of you who love a good old-fashioned shootout, the first half of this game was just what the doctor ordered. Each team’s defensive unit had a mere one stop and the scoreboard reflected as such.
When the teams entered the break, it was 26-20 in favour of the Hyacks. With the Knights’ star fullback Cristian Coletta out, Milano Peloso picked up the slack with a dominant performance. He racked up yards on the ground, rushing for two touchdowns and adding an electric kick return for a major as well.
Speaking of electric returns just prior to Peloso’s return, Mateo McDonell had an 85-yard kickoff return touchdown of his own. McDonell’s first of three majors got the scoring started for the Hyacks, after costly unforced errors had put a stop to their opening drive.
From that point forward, the Hyacks’ wing-t attack could do no wrong.
“Really proud of the players and their efforts. We only had the ball on Offence for 40 plays, but were able to put up 51 points and around 500 total yards,” said Hyacks offensive coordinator Darnell Sikorski.
“STM is well coached and were smart about their defensive keys, but we were able to distribute the ball to different guys and score in multiple ways.”
“Our offensive line has really improved over the last few weeks. Gavin Rai had time in the pocket to deliver the football and paved the way in our running game.”
And deliver the ball Rai did. The Hyacks’ starting pivot showed incredible touch on his deep passes, hitting receivers Joey Baker and Nigel DeRasp as they burned their defenders all game, finishing with 180 yards passing and 2 touchdowns.
DeRasp was particularly impressive. Having been nursing an injury since early in the season, the cornerback/receiver has been dominant in the past two weeks, putting up 125 receiving yards against the Knights.
Not only was DeRasp a headache for the Knights’ defenders, but he made the biggest play of the game defensively for his team as well. With the Knights driving again just after halftime, a Knights’ ball carrier took the ball outside looking for space.
DeRasp flew downhill from his cornerback spot and levelled the Knights runner with a picture-perfect hit, jarring the ball loose. McDonnell fell on that loose ball and the momentum of the game changed for good in the Hyacks’ favour.
From that point on, fans at Mercer Stadium were once again treated to the Kah’ri Johnson show. The conference all-star averaged a ridiculous 20 yards per carry and rushed for 260 yards and 3 touchdowns to close out the Knights.
“I’m really proud of how our players responded this week. We knew our season was potentially hanging in the balance and our players responded with their best performance of the year thus far,” said Hyacks head coach Andrew McKechnie.
“Our offensive staff had a great game plan. Once our defence stayed disciplined against STM’s option offence and followed Chad Oatway’s game plan and halftime adjustments, I thought we played the best overall team defence we have all season.”
The Hyacks will now set their sights on their round of sixteen matchup back at home, in a rematch against the G.W. Graham Grizzlies.
Seven Straight: Fighting Irish Triumph Over Notre Dame to Claim 67th Archbishops Trophy
Courtesy: VC Athletics
Under the crisp November skies on O’Hagan Field, the Vancouver College Fighting Irish defeated the Notre Dame Jugglers 14–7 to capture their seventh consecutive Archbishops Trophy in the storied rivalry.
From the opening kickoff, it was clear both teams came ready for a battle. The Irish defence, known for its physicality and discipline, set the tone early, limiting the Jugglers’ offence and forcing them into long drives that yielded little success. The only Notre Dame touchdown came from a short four-yard push, but beyond that, the Fighting Irish defence held firm all game long.
Offensively, the Irish relied on standout performances from key players. Game MVP Tristan Perdido led the charge with an impressive 200 yards and a touchdown, slicing through the Jugglers’ defence with his trademark speed and vision. Nicky Noguera added another score for Vancouver College, providing the offensive edge needed to secure the victory. In the trenches, Jaxson Farac earned Best Lineman honours, anchoring a defensive line that consistently controlled the line of scrimmage and sacked the running back a number of times.
For Notre Dame, Caleb Parrotta was recognized as Best Back, making crucial plays and keeping the Jugglers competitive in a tight, hard-fought matchup.
Head Coach Bryan Chiu (VC ’92) praised both teams after the game, saying, “It’s always a tough battle when playing Notre Dame for the Archbishop’s Trophy game. Both defences played great.”
Jugglers’ head Coach Dennis Kelly loved his team’s effort despite the loss.
“The staff was extremely proud of the entire team for a big bounce-back performance after a disappointing outing last week at South Delta. Defensively, we limited VC to only a few big plays and we displayed a good offensive attack despite some key injuries. Looking forward to next week and the start of playoff action.”
With the Archbishops Trophy secured once again, the Fighting Irish now set their sights on the postseason, as they prepare for their round of 16 match-up against OKM.
The Jugglers will set their sights on the STM Knights in a rematch from earlier this year.
Vikings PG Bowl champs
The Nechako Valley Vikings are PG Bowl champions. The Vikings played winning football, pounding the rock behind their stellar offensive line and stiffling defence on their way to a 24-6 win over the College Heights Cougars.
“It was a great team win. The boys came out ready and played a very sound Football Game,” said Vikings head coach Sheldon Brown.
Ryder Lybbert followed his dominant offensive line for two rushing scores on the day. Quarterback Linden Buchanan stood tall in the pocket and found his targets. Buchanan connected with running back Charles Cuesta on a screen pass for the Vikings’ lone major through the air.
As we all know, defences win championships. As great as the Vikings’ offence play was, their defence was even better. Brown had high praise for his defence postgame.
“Our Defence was fantastic and pitched a shutout. (The only score was a kick return TD) Our DL led by Gaje McKee and Brayten Gould made some great plays and terrorized the Cougars’ backfield all game long.”
“LBs Myer Himmelright and Ivan Legebokoff made some amazing plays, including 2 huge Interceptions by Legebokoff. Overall, it was a great team effort and the boys are pumped to be Northern Champs.”
The Vikings will enjoy this one for the rest of the weekend, but will quickly shift their focus to preparing for their quarter-final matchup against the number one-ranked Vernon Panthers.
Crusaders win fourth straight
From 0-4 to 4-4, the Holy Cross Crusaders have flipped the script from their early struggles of the 2025 season and now find themselves firing on all cylinders, as they showed in their 37-14 victory over the Abbotsford Panthers.
“We have really turned things around and are beginning to find our groove offensively and our Defence is always ready for a battle,” said Crusaders head coach Conrad Deugau.
“We were down 14-7 in the first half, and at that point, we changed our offensive and defensive approach, which tilted the game in our favour,” he continued.
You wouldn’t think the Crusaders’ offence had ever struggled watching it once those adjustments were made. The team’s running game really dictated the pace of play the rest of the way, including a 13-play drive where the Crusaders ran the ball every play, eating the clock and scoring.
The Crusaders’ offensive line paved the way for 311 total rushing yards. Luke Tamis took full advantage of his line’s stellar play, rushing for 193 yards, as did Matthew Royer, who finished with 118 yards and 3 majors of his own.
Grade 12 receiver Cole Eby added to the Crusaders’ lead when he caught a deep ball from quarterback Kaine O’Conner. Eby also had a crucial interception, saving a touchdown.
The Crusaders will look to continue their momentum as they surge toward the AA playoffs next week, when they take on the Mount Douglas Rams.