They weren’t trying to send a message, but what the New Westminster Hyacks said with their performance on Friday was something very impressive – and loud.
The top-ranked senior AAA football team closed out the regular season and clinched first place in the Western conference with a one-sided 63-16 victory over the South Delta Sun Devils at Mercer Stadium.
Six players shared in the offence, with Sebastian Reid, Lucas Sabau and Sammy Sidhu accounting for two TDs apiece.
It was the kind of performance that Hyacks head coach Farhan Lalji has been waiting for.
“We saved our best game for last and certainly, between the lines, it was our best performance since California (in an exhibition win),” said Lalji.
It was positively dominating, and as per New West’s skillset, didn’t hinge on any one player. The spotlight, fittingly enough on Seniors Night, was big enough for everyone.
Long runs detonated the blowout early, as Sidhu, from 41 yards, Sabau, on a three-yard push, and Kinsale Philip, with a 50-yard quarterback dash, propelled New West into a 21-0 lead. After South Delta put one 11-yard passing play into the end zone, Sidhu closed out the first quarter with an 18-yard run.
In the second quarter, Reid struck on back-to-back runs of 33 and 56 yards to give the home team a 43-8 advantage before halftime.
In the second half, Sabau, from 43-yards out, Juan Cespedes, on a 20-yard dash, and Michael Kingsley, on a 10-yard carry, capped the fireworks for the Hyacks, who avenged last year’s Kushnir Boot Trophy loss in a big way.
The Kushnir Boot is the prize, in honour of former NWSS teacher and coach Bill Kushnir, who was a legendary figure at both New West and South Delta schools. It proved fitting that this year's winner would claim the Western conference crown.
“The Kushnir Boot has developed into a legitimate rivalry, as opposed to a manufactured one,” remarked Lalji. “It was nice to get and bring home, but there were many goals from that game we celebrated more, like clinching first place, earning the bye.”
The Hyacks' offence gameplan stuck strictly to the ground, with Philip making just one pass attempt all game. And considering how the rushing game mowed through the Sun Devils’ defence, it was the right way to go.
New West racked up 551 total yards on the day, while holding the Sun Devils to 190 yards.
Sidhu accounted for 182 yards on nine carries, while Reid tallied 99 yards on just three carries. At the other end, Western conference offensive MVP Michael Calvert was constantly under pressure, as New West's defence put on a blitzing show. Philip finished with a team-high nine tackles and two of the club's five QB sacks. The squad also forced three fumbles.
It’s been a while since the team put such a well-rounded performance together – even while building a 7-0 conference record -- with Lalji regularly using the first exhibition test in California as a measuring stick. Along the way the Hyacks have racked up the wins, but with blemishes often the key talking point. This time, the coach said everything looked fairly polished.
“We had lots to be happy about but there are still a few fixes; we can still improve on our discipline and eliminate those excess celebrations. Those still proved costly, with both (South Delta's) touchdowns coming on drives extended by penalty flags. ... From an execution standpoint this year I’ve felt every game (up until Friday) we didn’t play that well. Against South Delta I thought we played well.”
New West, which enters the playoffs as the No. 1-seed, now has a week to prepare for the Subway Bowl quarterfinals, when they’ll face the winner of Mount Boucherie and Mount Douglas. Depending upon other factors, it may be played Nov. 17 at Mercer Stadium, or part of the B.C. Place schedule. Both teams offer dangerous elements and a stiff challenge, said Lalji.
Mount Doug has gotten two key players – star quarterback Gideone Kremler, and lineman Phil Grohovac – into the lineup since New West handed them a 29-6 loss in September.
“They are a significantly different team with those two in the lineup,” noted Lalji. “But we have to be ready for either outcome, and this week is all about focusing on our game, going over the fundamentals.”
Mt. Boucherie was the opponent last year in New West's first playoff game.
