The St. Thomas More Collegiate Knights completed the most difficult of challenges last weekend.
The Knights knocked off three unlikely rivals en route to winning the Burnaby independent school’s second B.C. high school junior varsity provincial title in the past three seasons, besting Terry Fox 28-0 at B.C. Place on Saturday.
Challenged by their coach Dave Ruzycki to make 2013 a season to remember, the 4-3 Knights did just that, vanquishing four school teams in the post season, including powerhouse programs Vancouver College and Kelowna, while racking up 25 playoff touchdowns.
In the championship final, STM got off to a blistering start, scoring on the second play from scrimmage on a quarterback keeper up the middle by Terrell Jana, who raced 57 yards to paydirt.
Championship MVP Tavin Grant put STM up by two touchdowns on the team’s second possession, scoring his first of two scores from 43 yards out to make the score 14-0.
Outstanding back Grade 9 pivot Liam Feenan, who took over at quarterback after Jana left the game after his long run, scored STM’s third TD of the half on a 19-yard keeper.
“It’s totally like a Hollywood movie,” said MVP lineman Ben Steele, referencing STM’s 14-7 loss to Fox in last year’s final. “We’ve been here twice already, it’s about time we done it.”
But the way in which the Knights achieved their goal was nothing less than remarkable.
STM opened this season giving up a total of 10 touchdowns to Mt. Douglas and College in a pair of exhibition losses. The Knights also fell by a similar 14-7 score to Fox in the final game of the regular season.
But after some mid-season roster juggling and playoff motivation, Ruzycki said the boys bought in hook, line and sinker.
“Attitude, it was all attitude, and a sense of team,” said Ruzycki. “It was something they just bought into. They were resilient.
The JVs responded with an upset 28-14 win over odds-on favourite College in the quarter-finals, before outscoring Kelowna in a semifinal shootout that saw nearly 100 points light up the scoreboard.
But the crowning tag to Ruzycki’s motivational Redemption Trophy was Saturday’s shutout win.
“It’s the way the kids reacted after our starting quarterback was hurt in the first four minutes. They didn’t miss a beat,” said Ruzycki. “It was one team, one goal, one chance. They really did buy in.”
Grant rushed for two touchdowns, including a 22-yard strike in the third quarter, and 172 yards along the ground.
Feenan, who had played less than a half of football at quarterback this season, came in poised and called a great game at pivot, said Ruzycki.
“(Feenan) gets an opportunity to play and manages the football team in the most important game of his life,” Ruzycki added.
STM’s defence was rock solid as well, keeping the Ravens out of the end zone, including a goal-line stand in the fourth quarter.
Grant, Mac Fridfinnson and Demarius Henderson registered quarterback sacks in the first half, while Matthew Smigel, Anthony Prpic, Carlo Malsegna and Jacob Chiu all picked off passes in the latter half to keep the Knights in charge.
“Honestly, it all started with our playoffs,” said Grant. “After we beat VC, I knew we’d be champions. All we wanted to do was to get the ball and get the next touchdown.
“I love being the underdog. This team wanted to be like brothers and wanted to connect. This is what we did. We were all in.”
