Alexandre Dumas likely never worried about reading offenses or the blitz.
But the 19th-century French author of The Three Musketeers likely would appreciate the journey that this year’s New Westminster Hyacks starting linebackers will take as they prepare to launch the team’s 2016 season.
Seniors Trew Dancey, Josh Olango and Connor Pattison certainly bring a vast amount of skills to the defensive side of the field, just as they do when the ball is going the other way. Contributors on offence, what the trio brought to both sides of the ball last year is merely a glimpse of what many expect as the club sets its sights on the 2016 B.C. high school football AAA championships.
Like the characters in Dumas’ famous novel, they are different people from different backgrounds, but united for a cause – a championship.
“Josh is quieter, Connor is very assertive and focused, while Trew just does everything the right way,” noted New Westminster head coach Farhan Lalji. “They each bring something different to their role, but they bring a lunch-bucket attitude.”
As Dancey tells it, the road to their 2016 goal won’t be easy, but it will be worth all the sweat and toil.
“It’s important to have a good start (to the season) but more important how we finish it,” said the six-foot-two outside linebacker, who is eager to carry one of the captain’s letters as a Grade 12.
“What we want is nothing short of a championship.”
Olango slides to inside linebacker after being a staple as a defensive end last year. The five-foot-nine, 190-pound Surrey native enters his fourth season in Hyack colours, eager to make the smooth transition to that of a defensive scrambler.
“Going from defensive end to linebacker, so far I’m seeing that there’s a very big skills gap. Rather than chasing the ball, I’ve got to address the pass and run, read the play and be quick on my feet,” said Olango.
Taking into account all the wrinkles the opposing team can unveil, the duties of the linebacker are a test of quickness, flexibility and strength.
“We’re working on a new defence now, so there’s a lot to learn,” remarked Dancey. “As a player, you have to be coachable, listen to what the coaches say. You have to get rid of your bad habits, and when you’re learning a new position, that’s very important.”
Dancey, like Pattison, has experience at the position to build on. Olango’s skillset made him a good candidate to make the move, said Lalji.
They all take pride in their defensive contributions – and considering their offensive talents, that’s saying something.
All three are capable ball carriers, with Dancey breaking out late last year in the team’s first playoff win – a 61-7 trouncing of Handsworth. The lanky running back scored five times in a contest where New West piled on 546 yards rushing.
Dancey accounted for 225 yards en route to a new club record for most touchdowns in a game. In that match, Olango counted a pair of his own, equalling his regular season total.
Pattison, a five-foot-11 dynamo who also worked the O-line, suffered a pre-season shoulder injury but besides a few practices, didn’t miss a down.
It did create more opportunity for Olango at fullback, which he made the most of.
“We really like what (Olango) did. He has an explosiveness,” said Lalji. “We knew he was fast and explosive, but he’s not a tall player and he’d spin and pirouette. … We needed him to be tougher, be more of a runner and less of a dancer. He got that as the season went on.”
Like the rest of their Hyack brethren, Dancey, Olango and Pattison are taking last year’s lesson – including the 28-12 loss to Vancouver College in the provincial semifinal – to heart.
Although first instinct is to drive the season-ending loss from the memory bank, the real lesson comes from absorbing it beyond the pain and disappointment and converting it to something useful.
Embrace it as part of the motivation and grow from it.
“Obviously the championship is on our minds as a team,” said Olango. “I think we all took last season to heart, and it will only help us going forward.”
The defeat ended a year where New West’s 7-5 record unveiled some tremendous strides as a group. But now a torch is passed from graduating on-field marshals like Jeff Lutgu, Gurvir Ghuman, Shaneet Rishi, Dillon Cusker and Kevin Osea to the young centurions.
In the last win of 2015, the Hyacks took down St. Thomas More in the B.C. AAA quarterfinals 27-13, thanks to a standout defensive performance. Dancey, who scored twice in the contest, Pattison and Olango were part of a polished defence which held the Knights to 175 yards on offence.
That set up a rematch with Vancouver College, who had rolled to a 49-21 win in an October meeting. Although New West didn’t advance to the final, they definitely showed improvement as the gap was squeezed to 16 points.
Still, it remains a major motivating factor for those returning.
The Hyacks averaged 35 points a game during the regular season and collected more than 2,400 yards via the run. But a new season isn’t just about replicating what was done before, but pushing the boundaries for bigger, better things.
Just as they did as 2015 went along.
It was evident in a true statement game last November, when New West knocked off the defending 3A champion South Delta Sun Devils 35-24. Down six points at the half, the Hyacks caught fire and held the Sun Devils to just a field goal, while racking up 20 points through various means.
“That was something we really needed,” Lalji said at the time. “We haven’t been very good in the second half this year… We wanted to build momentum and push it, and that was the big emphasis the whole week.”
For Olango, that was a highlight he personally hopes to use as a stepping stone.
“My biggest game was definitely against South Delta,” he said. “From last year to this one, I think I learned to be aggressive and trying 100 per cent at all times.”
Dancey said despite the accolades and spotlight which comes from scoring, his biggest boost comes from making a game-jarring tackle.
“That’s definitely what I enjoy most – knocking a guy on his butt,” Dancey said. “I’ve gotten stronger, I bring my speed. I think as a team, we’re all in this together and want to show that right to the end.”
Said like a true Musketeer.
The varsity Hyacks play their first game on the new Mercer Stadium field this Friday. Starting at 7:30 p.m., the hometown boys will face off against Notre Dame, a Calgary team ranked third in provincial play in Alberta.
