The St. Thomas More Knights put themselves in position to win the Eastern conference in B.C. AAA high school football.
The STM Knights defeated the Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers 20-13 in a come-from-behind match in Surrey last Friday.
"We have a bad habit of starting slow. I don't know why," said STM head coach Bernie Kully. "We haven't played the perfect game yet and come playoffs, we're going to have to do that."
STM turned over the ball five times in the game, including four interceptions by Grade 11 pivot Chase Malcolm, two of which led to early touchdowns by Tweedsmuir.
But the Knights picked it up in the second half, enjoying better field position and better play execution, said Kully.
Malcolm got back on form, throwing for 182 yards and two TDs, including the game-tying score to Malcolm Lee, who finished the game with eight catches for 122 yards.
Dante Vigini also hauled in a touchdown pass from Malcolm for the Knights.
Malcolm came up with the game-winning score, running into the end zone from 17 yards out in the final quarter to cap the comeback.
Jalen Jana was a key player for the Knights on both sides of the ball. The Grade 11 athlete rushed for more than 100 yards, while also contributing seven tackles and one pick on defence.
Lineman Nico Repole led the Knights with 12 tackles and a pair of quarterback sacks. He also forced a fumble in the final quarter that stopped a late Lord Tweedsmuir drive.
Vigini and Elliott Nelson both chipped in with nine tackles on defence. Vigini also had an interception.
The win left STM in a tie for first place in the eastern conference with W.J. Mouat, both with 4-1 records.
STM could wrap up the conference title this week with a victory over 2-3 West Vancouver at Burnaby Lake on Friday. Game time is scheduled for 5 p.m.
"This is a must-win game for us. We want to win the division," said Kully of the pending game against West Vancouver and the Highlanders' nine-touchdown win over New Westminster last week. "Our guys are very aware of this. (The Knights) are a pretty solid group of tacklers."
