Thankfully, tomorrow is another day.
It’s good advice in presidential elections as it is in high school football – at least for those football teams that made the playoffs.
The New Westminster Hyacks will take last week’s 42-14 loss to the South Delta Sun Devils and boil it into something motivational, as they prepare to face the Mount Boucherie Bears on Friday, 7:30 p.m. at Mercer Stadium.
It launches the 2016 AAA playoffs, with the winner slated to meet the victor of Abbotsford vs. Lord Tweedsmuir a week later.
Going on recent history, a loss has been a successful springboard to a win streak when it comes to New West.
“The guys weren’t happy with how they performed (against South Delta),” said coach Farhan Lalji. “They know it was a poor effort, but we absolutely believe that this team has shown they respond in situations like this.
“We don’t know how to deal with success, but we seem to deal much better with adversity.”
Saturday’s setback locked the Hyacks into the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference.
Sammy Sidhu scored both touchdowns for the Hyacks, the first one staking the visitors to an early 6-0 lead. But South Delta struck back, as quarterback Michael Calvert scrambled and threw his way to six touchdowns (three rushing, three via the air).
“We did a pretty poor job of dealing with their athletic quarterback and the (weather) conditions,” remarked Lalji of a game which was played under wet, and at times torrential, skies.
He noted that if anything, the loss was a good test for what will come down the road – and first and foremost that road starts against the Bears.
“We just can’t look past anybody, we’re not good enough of a team to do that,” said Lalji. “What we know is, there is no team in the league we can’t beat, and there is so much parity that we can take any one opponent lightly.”
It will be the final game of the year at Mercer Stadium, as a win catapults the winner to BC Place.
The team also saw five players receive recognition as Western Conference all-stars.
Earning the honours were: running back Lucas Sabau, who posted 775 yards and seven TDs; offensive lineman Sarban Sidhu, a captain and fourth-year starter; defensive end Prento Durigon, third in the team with 36 tackles; linebacker Connor Pattison, a captain who finished third in the league with 73 tackles and two sacks; and defensive lineman Ben Tjernagel, who scored three times on kick returns and counted 22 tackles.
