An early morning start time as well as the bright lights of B.C. Place underscored the importance of the game.
But the players for the St. Thomas More Knights Grade 8 football team were not overwhelmed in their battle with the behemoth Vancouver College Fighting Irish at the B.C. final last Saturday.
Although they ended up on the wrong end of a 26-20 score, the Knights demonstrated all the right stuff in putting in a charge, both early and late.
The two Catholic school programs have a strong rivalry, and despite a larger student body enrolment advantage to the Fighting Irish, the determined Knights were full marks for contesting it right to the end.
“We played three times this season and it was a one-touchdown game each time,” remarked STM coach John Freire. “We’re two closely matched teams.”
The Knights took the lead on the second play from scrimmage, when quarterback A.J. Caspillo passed to Denis Glavas, who raced 53 yards to the end zone. Vancouver College hit back with two quick TDs, one a pass by QB Ty Benefield, son of former CFL player Daved Benefield.
Down 20-6, STM battled back with a four-yard rushing major by Kairo Chiang. The Irish struck again, this time a 25-yard passing play, to start the fourth quarter.
Chiang would scamper in for one more TD, this time from five yards out, followed by Caspillo’s two-point convert to make it a six-point difference.
Friere was extremely pleased with his squad’s performance, which capped a 4-3-1 season.
“There was a real team spirit with these guys,” he said. “It was always about the team, how they could help each other. There were no individuals, no personal aspirations, just the team.”
One of only four Grade 8 teams in B.C. that play 11-man football, STM had advanced to the final by beating Earl Marriott 32-6 a week earlier. Van College upset previously unbeaten Notre Dame 22-12 in their semifinal.
The win over Marriott was a major highlight to the year, coming after the Surrey school had handed the Knights a loss in the last game of the regular season.
“Our guys just came out of the gate flying. We got ahead early and executed our plays well,” he added.
Freire said the program reaped the benefit of a handful of experienced players and a number of keen first-timers, who meshed well together.
“We had a lot of speed to this group and we took advantage of it,” he noted. “There was a good leadership core who had played before, and the new players were very coachable.”
Caspillo is one of the players who set the tone during the season.
“He’s played quarterback before and he manages the game well,” said Freire. “He works the huddle and he’s a positive influence.”
As to Chiang, a multisport athlete who recently was honoured for accomplishments in track and field, his first year in the sport was impressive.
“He’s very quick. As soon as he gets an opening he’s was gone,” said the coach.
The hope is this year’s positive experience will see most players stay with the sport and play junior varsity with the Knights next year, said Freire.
“That’s always my hope and when we talk to them we encourage them to keep playing. Our focus is always on them playing in Grade 9 so they don’t lose a year of development. We do our best to get everyone on the field.”
