If you want the real tests, you’ve got to face the best.
The St. Thomas More Knights’ 2016 regular season began Friday with a
beauty, as the Burnaby
senior football team lined up against the No. 2-ranked Terry Fox Ravens, one week after wrapping up the exhibition slate against No. 1 rated Vancouver College.
Although a 37-20 loss to Fox wasn’t the result hoped for, the Knights saw and measured their performance against a top calibre rival – of the likes they’ll have to surpass if they are to get to BC Place come November.
“(We) played hard and didn’t quit,” said More coach Bernie Kully on the positive take-away. “When you’re learning sometimes you have to take your lumps and sometimes you give them. This was one of those experiences where we gathered a lot of info on what we need to do.”
After a rough first half, where Fox built up a 16-6 advantage, the Burnaby squad replied with a quick strike to pull within two points. But the Ravens charged back with a pair of majors, including an 88-yard kick return to lead 30-14 midway through the third quarter.
There were no white flags, however. With 5:20 left in the third quarter, More’s Tyler Eckert broke free and ran 40 yards to Fox’s seven-yard line, setting up the team’s next TD – a short pass from QB Kolby Buljevic to Connor Hayek that made it 30-20.
And while the Knights’ defence held on the next two series, the offence was equally stymied by the Ravens line. After STM failed on a fourth-and-four at its own 40-yard line, Fox’s Jeremie Kankolongo dashed 40 yards into the end zone for his second major of the night and a dagger in More’s comeback hopes.
The Ravens rusher finished with 136 yards.
“To start the third quarter we had a great drive (to get within two) and then gave up a kick-off return for a very long touchdown,” recalled Kully. “Momentum can be a funny thing. When you get it, you have to do what you can as a team to keep it and we made a few errors as a team where we lost it.”
Buljevic had a strong game, connecting on 21 of 32 pass attempts for 298 yards and three majors, with one interception. Anthony Prpic hauled down seven passes for 96 yards and one TD, while Hayek had three catches for 82 yards and two majors. Catching eight passes for 54 yards was older brother Devon Hayek.
Doing his part in a 400-yard offensive game was Eckert, who gained 98 yards on 10 carries. He also tallied five tackles and twin QB sacks. Topping the team in tackles was Mateo Moreira with nine, while Mateo Carteri counted eight.
Up next for STM is a trip to Surrey on Friday to play Lord Tweedsmuir, which won its season opener 47-0 over Kelowna.
“(Tweedsmuir) run the ball well and are well coached – one of their coaches was here at STM for a long time (Tweedsmuir co-coach Laurent Deslauriers). They’re 3-0 and it’ll be a great test for us to try and get back on a positive side of things,” said Kully.
