A critical fourth-and-goal stop on the one-foot line sent the New Westminster Hyacks into the B.C. high school AAA varsity football playoffs.
Western conference all-star defensive back Jonathan Lopez made the season-saving stop in New Westminster's 21-14 victory over the West Vancouver Highlanders at Mercer Stadium last Friday.
The mustwin victory allowed the Hyacks to finish fourth in the Western conference and earn the final available spot into the post season.
"This is why football is the greatest sport in the world. We always talk about life les-" sons being learned on the fourth-andgoal at the one. Tonight our kids lived that and will never forget that moment," said Hyacks head coach Farhan Lalji.
Leading by a single touchdown late in the game, New Westminster had a chance to increase its lead with a 22-yard field goal, but the hold was dropped.
On the turnover, West Van then mounted a long drive downfield, leading up to the pivotal goal-line stop.
"It was a really good moment for the kids," Lalji added. "It's a moment no one will be able to take away."
West Van got on the board first, scoring on a 25yard blocked punt return in the opening quarter.
Kevin Sabau got that score back, scoring on a 13yard run. But New West's
two-point conversion failed, leaving the home team trailing 7-6 after the first quarter.
Sabau led all Hyacks with 114 yards rushing on just six carries.
In the second quarter, New Westminster struck for a pair of touchdowns.
Junior quarterback Tommy Robertson scored from one yard out.
Robertson then found Jeremy Wilson on the receiving end of a 20-yard pass for a third Hyack score. Rafael Rosas booted the convert to give New Westminster a 21-7 lead at the half.
West Van opened the third quarter by recovering an onside kick. Two plays later, Johnny Franklin hit Blake Whiteley for a 27-yard touchdown. But that was it for scoring.
Lopez made 11 tackles to lead the Hyacks, including the game-saving play. He also had two rushes for 32 yards.
Eric Teng and Pavan Mrock were workhorses in the Hyack backfield carrying the ball almost 40 times between them.
Teng rushed for 90 yards, while Mrock had a total of 85 yards on the ground.
New Westminster rushed for 333 total yards.
"I'm also very proud of how (the team) responded throughout the game. Once again, we had a huge breakdown right at the start (the blocked punt). For the past five weeks we've folded at those moments," said Lalji. "Tonight, the kids battled through that and other adversity. They wanted to continue playing and showed it."
New Westminster will take on Centennial, 29-0 winners over Terry Fox in its final league game last week, in the first-round of AAA playoffs at B.C. Place on Saturday. Game time is 5 p.m.
Anything can happen in this situation," Lalji said of the team's underdog status in the playoffs.
"We just have to battle and stay in the game. - It's a challenge and we have to go in believing we can win it."
