When you think of dynasties, you think of the Edmonton Oilers in the 80s, the 90s Chicago Bulls, or in more recent memory, the New England Patriots of the 2010s. Well, when individuals are reminiscing about BC High School football in the future, there’s no doubt the 2020s Vancouver College Fighting Irish will spring to mind. The Irish defeated the South Delta Sun Devils 29-0 on their way to the program’s third straight AAA title.
VC’s offensive line dominated this matchup. The big guys up front controlled the line of scrimmage and paved the way for the Irish’s thunder-and-lighting backfield duo of Tristan Perdido and Ryder Quintana all game long.
The Irish pounded the ball on their first drive. Quintana ran outside the tackles while Perdido followed pullers on gap schemes and ran for tough yards inside. Deep in Sun Devils territory, the drive stalled and after a missed field goal VC had nothing to show for their promising first possession.
The Sun Devils had the ball for the first time and hoped to get their explosive offense going. Coming off a 43-point performance the week prior, this South Delta attack is known for scoring in bunches led by the Dumas brothers.
That usually potent offense struggled to sustain drives all night. VC’s defense swarmed Damian Dumas whenever he tried to hit the edge on one of his patented outside runs. Whenever Dominic dropped back, he was pressured by the Irish front four. When the quarterback had time to get the ball out on rhythm, he had to make perfect throws into tight windows.
After the Sun Devils were forced to punt near midfield, VC took over in their own territory. The same plan of attack that was showcased on the first drive repeated itself. Perdido up the middle, Quintana on the edge, and quarterback Parker Orr finding one of his targets to keep the Sun Devils defense honest.
The Irish used that plan to move the ball inside South Delta’s side of the field. On a second and five from the twenty-yard line, VC called on Quintana. The speedy back had his number called on a sprint draw. Quintana took the handoff to his left and followed a massive hole his line had opened up for him and raced down the left hashmark untouched for the first major of the game.
After both teams ‘ defenses forced punts, the Irish had the ball with 11 seconds to go in the half just past midfield. Orr took the snap from the gun and dropped back to pass on the quarters final play.
Orr looked to the left side of the field and may not have believed what he saw. Wide open running a seam up the left hashmark was his star receiver, Nathan Lowden. Orr threw a perfect pass right on the money, which allowed Lowden to catch the ball in stride, break a would-be tackle, and crossed the plain on a 40-yard touchdown to end the half.
That late half score would prove too much for the Sun Devils to overcome. Up by two possessions, VC would lean on their offensive line, and Perdido would bleed the clock. One carry after another, the Irish would wear down South Delta’s defense in the final two quarters.
Perdido looked like prime DeMarco Murray, slashing through open holes, breaking tackles and falling forward for extra yards. The running back would find the endzone twice in the final half to put the game away for good.
As the clock struck zero and Fighting Irish players chased Head Coach Bryan Chiu down the sideline to give him his much-deserved Gatorade shower, it was 29-0 VC; the three-peat was official.
The Sun Devils fought to the very end and should be proud of their incredible season. Their victory last week will go down as one of the best Semi Finals games in recent memory and the Dumas brothers combo was a delight to watch all season.
VC was dominant in all three phases of the game all season long. Their players clearly buy into the program, and their coaching staff has not only had them prepared but has found ways to elevate their very talented roster. They’ll celebrate their third AAA title in as many years because, as Al Davis said best, they continue to “Just win, baby.”