The New Westminster junior varsity football team accomplished a pair of program firsts.
The JV Hyacks defeated Lord Tweedsmuir 49-20 to clinch the B.C. high school football league’s Valley division – the New Westminster program’s first-ever outright title at any level. It was also New West team’s first unbeaten regular season.
“This junior group has definitely a different mental focus,” said Hyacks JV head coach Chad Oatway. “We’re bigger up front than we’ve ever been before.”
The size and depth of the boys up front has made Hyack boys a true contender after many seasons as mainly a feeder program to the varsity team.
“It is nice,” Oatway added. “Our (senior) team has always gotten better from our juniors. But these kids have a good base of football. … I think we’re in that upper echelon of teams. We’re definitely a contender.”
Trew Dancey scored rushing touchdowns of 56 yards in the first quarter and 65 yards in the second quarter to go over the 200-yard mark in total rushing yards in the game.
Dancey also set up two more Hyack TDs on 30-plus-yard runs in the second quarter.
Quarterback Lucas Sabau snuck into the end zone from one-yard out following a 38-yard Dancey run two plays earlier.
Sammy Sidhu then made the score 35-6 at halftime after Dancey took the ball to the Tweedsmuir eight-yard line after a 32-yard run.
Josh Olango also had a 50-yard gainer on the ground to open the scoring for New West.
Alan Darby and David Arciaga also scored for the Hyacks from inside the red zone in the final quarter to round out the scoring.
“We will almost certainly get a first-round playoff bye and will play a quarter-final playoff game on Thursday, Nov. 20 at Mercer,” said Hyacks varsity head coach Farhan Lalji.
New West intends to remain sharp with an exhibition game against Notre Dame, another unbeaten junior varsity team, at Mercer Stadium on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
“We’re excited to see what these kids can do down the stretch,” said Oatway.
