Skip to content

Hyacks already eyeing football repeat

Wrestling and lacrosse – that’s what two of New Westminster Secondary’s top football players will be doing this summer.
Hyacks football
Spring fling: Hyacks coach Farhan Lalji

Wrestling and lacrosse – that’s what two of New Westminster Secondary’s top football players will be doing this summer.

Daniel Dordevic and Kinsale Philip both hope to lead their team back to the provincials in football action next school year, but until then, they realize the value of branching out in sports.

Dordevic, who is a heavy-weight wrestler, has been playing football for only two years, but he is a rising star on the team. This summer, he’ll be wrestling at SFU and doing strength workouts and conditioning. This will keep up his stamina and translate straight onto the football field.

“I’m used to not getting tired – wrestling helps me to not give up,” Dordevic explained.

“It benefits you so much to have elements of other sports,” Philip said, adding that athletes who do multiple sports are always more successful than those who just focus on one.

Both Dordevic and Philip were on the NWSS turf with about 60 other players last week, geared up for spring football practice under the tutelage of their coach Farhan Lalji. There were 10 practices over three weeks this spring, which culminated in a jamboree in Bellingham, WA. on Thursday.

Dordevic, a centre and defensive tackle, has been volunteering on and off the field and pushing his peers.

“I wanted to step up and show the coaches I could do the job,” Dordevic said. “I’ve been pushing everyone to take a leadership role.”

His motivation? To see his team repeat last year’s performance and win the provincials in his Grade 12 year.

Philip, a quarterback and linebacker, has been playing football since he was seven years old. He’s a third-year starter with the Hyacks who made the winning pass at last year’s AAA provincial championship against Terry Fox.

As a leader on the defending champions, Philip is feeling the heat.

“This year on the offensive side… there will be a lot of pressure on me,” he said.

Lalji was pleased with the focus of the football players, which included both juniors and seniors.

The senior team this coming year won’t be as deep as last year, but Lalji is confident they’ll still be in the top group to take the provincial title.

“I think last year, we were the favourite – this year we’ll be the contenders,” he said.

The theme at practice on Tuesday was passion – part of their SHARP acronym: Selflessness, Hard work, Accountability, Respect, Passion.

“If you don’t love football, I don’t know why you’re doing it; if you love it, show it,” Lalji said.

Spring practice is about micro-training with a focus on the very technical aspects of the game.

“Right now I have to think small,” Lalji said with a focus on “teach, don’t tell.” “If a kid missed his block, why did he miss it and then give him the tools.”

Six of the 11 graduating Hyack football players have received football scholarships and will be spread across the country, from Burnaby’s SFU to St. Mary’s University in Halifax.

Hyack football players receive scholarships

Lucas Sabau: SFU

Sammy Sidhu: University of Calgary

Sébastien Reid: University of Calgary

Isaiah James: University of Saskatchewan 

Finn Stark: University of Toronto

Yanni Angelopoulos: St. Mary’s University