Getting their starting quarterback back put a swagger back in the St. Thomas More Knights offence.
The AAA varsity Knights proved the truth of their head coach’s words, putting up 36 unanswered points in the second half behind the return of pivot Chase Malcolm to defeat the Kelowna Owls 51-8 at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna on Friday.
The third-quarter start was the first for Malcolm since suffering an injury in the team’s season opener against Notre Dame more than a month ago.
“When you get a guy like Chase (Malcolm) back in the lineup, it gives the team a lot of confidence,” said head coach Bernie Kully. “We had our swagger in the third quarter.”
Leading 15-8 at half time, Malcolm came in and completed five-of-seven passes for 62 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 48 yards on his own and a second TD in one quarter of action.
“We had such a disappointing week last week in terms of playing to our potential and expectations it was nice to rebound this week with improvement to our practices and that it translated into a better performance,” Kully added.
Malcolm Lee put up 100 yards of total offence, including a touchdown passing.
Shane Noel rushed for 87 yards and another score. Andrew Flett also had a rushing TD, while Kevin Marshall caught five passes for 79 yards and a touchdown. Marshall also contributed on defence with six tackles against the Owls.
The STM defence also had a turnaround week.
Defensive back Raf Posypanko ran an interception back for a six-point score, while Noah Usherwood and Anthony Carteri led the team in tackles with nine and seven, respectively.
The win lifted the Knights back into contention behind the second-place Terry Fox Ravens – the No. 2-ranked AAA team in the province.
STM fell out of the top-five rankings following last week’s shutout loss to the Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers.
This week’s matchup will be every bit as challenging, admitted Kully.
“We definitely have to be prepared up front,” Kully said. “Our athletes have to utilize their strengths and you can never underestimate the importance of protecting the ball and winning those turnover battles.”
The Knights take on Terry Fox at Percy Perry Stadium in Coquitlam on Friday at 7 p.m.
