Royal City Hyacks were assured of a B.C. championship title this weekend at the spring flag football provincial finals in Kelowna.
The Royal City Black team took on its Team Orange counterparts in the under-14 championship, with the latter coming out ahead 46-18 in the gold-medal final.
Hyack Orange trailed for most of its semifinal against Cloverdale Cougars until a key first-down diving catch by Matthew Slater sparked a 24-14 comeback win against the Surrey club. Shaye Rathjen saved the victory for Team Orange, picking off a Cougar pass to stymie a go-ahead Colverdale score.
The Hyacks were a perfect 9-0 at the provincials, including six wins by the 29-point mercy rule.
Team Orange did not give up a point until its semifinal against Cloverdale, oustcoring the combined opposition 276-32.
The Royal City Hyacks, including Matthew Glover, Jerrell Cummings, Henry Rankin, Farouq Ibrahim, Evan Nolli, Will Clarke, Cameron Mah, Daniel Sulentic, Malcom James, Rathjen and Slater, lost just two games this season, finishing first in their division with a record of 23-2.
The Hyack Orange team was coached by Burt Cummings, Randy Slater, Rick Raynesford and Mike Glover.
The provincial banner was the first championship of any kind won by the New Westminster Hyacks football program.
