The Hyacks’ quarterback proved he is a true warrior during the team’s game against the Terry Fox Ravens on Friday.
While the varsity Hyacks fell short of a win over the third-ranked AAA team in the province, Jamie Shiho didn’t give up.
“That kid (Shiho) continues to elevate his game each week, and I’m very proud of the growth he has shown personally and on the field this season. He and Michael Thind are a dynamite combination for us right now,” head coach Farhan Lalji said about Shiho’s commitment during the exhibition game.
The eastern division 2014 champions, Terry Fox are fierce competitors on the field, and Friday’s game in Port Coquitlam was no exception. The Ravens kicked the game off with an early 17-0 lead over the visiting Hyacks, but unlike past games against the New Westminster team, this time the Hyacks didn’t surrender.
The local boys answered PoCo’s lead with a 31-yard touchdown pass from Shiho to senior wide receiver Michael Thind, making it 17-6 for Fox.
“The (first) quarter wasn’t good, but we kept fighting back, (so) I was proud of that. I think there was a lot of things in our control, the amount of times we just didn’t break down on tackles. There was a little too much of that where we had guys in the backfield and gave them a second life on a few of those plays. A lot of that happened in the first quarter,” Lalji said.
In the second quarter, senior running back David Penalver ran for 57 yards, scoring the Hyacks second touchdown of the game and closing the gap between them and the Ravens, but the tight gap would be short lived. Terry Fox returned with another touchdown, making it 24-12 for the Ravens at halftime.
“(The Ravens’) quarterback is good, and their receivers are good. Their skilled kids are very athletic right across the board, and for us we had some coverages we were working onand need to work on and left some guys open,” Lalji said about his team’s opponents. “They have some good athletes, and if you make a mistake, they’re going to make you pay.”
Back on the field for the third quarter, the Ravens managed another touchdown, but the Hyacks’ shining star Shiho answered quickly with a 56-yard rushing touchdown to make it 31-18 for Fox.
Shiho’s touchdown was followed shortly by a 10-yard run by senior running back Marcel Wang, boosting the score to 31-25 with the Ravens still in the lead.
But the Hyacks suffered a blow in the fourth quarter that threw a wrench into the team’s momentum.
Early in the final stanza, with the Hyacks only six points behind the home team, New West tackled the Raven’s quarterback in his own end zone to earn themselves a safety. A penalty on the play, however, voided the two points.
“We would have had it (the ball) in good field position and things may have been a little different,” Lalji said of the safety getting called back. “That hurt us for sure.”
Fox went on to score again, making the final score 39-25 for the Ravens.
Despite the loss, it was a mental win for the Hyacks, Lalji said.
“I’ve never been into moral victories, but I’m very happy with how we fought back in this game. We started very poorly, but the kids stayed with it and kept playing. When we thought we had the safety in the fourth quarter, we had all the momentum and I thought that it was our time. But it was the right call by the officials. Full credit to Fox, they’re a good team that will make you pay for your mistakes,” he added.
This Friday, the New West boys are back at Mercer Stadium for the annual homecoming party and final exhibition game before the regular season kicks off Oct. 9.
The pre-game festivities begin at 4:30 p.m., and the game gets underway at 7:30 p.m. against Chilliwack’s G.W. Graham.
For more info, visit http://nwss.hyackfootball.com.
– With files from Dan Olson
