Sometimes, football is about more numbers than the ones they crunch on paper.
This past Friday, the St. Thomas More Knights had a formidable challenge on their hands when they lined up against B.C. 3-A's No. 1-ranked team, the Vancouver College Fighting Irish.
Just their second game of the schedule, the Burnaby squad was all-in to test their mettle against a perennial B.C. powerhouse. Unfortunately, fate wasn't on their side. Nor were the numbers.
With the equivalent of 16 starters absent from the lineup due to injuries suffered over the past few weeks, the Knights were facing a huge task.
Down 27-0 at halftime and with another handful of players pulled off the field due to injuries, the STM coaches forfeited the game rather than risk more pain.
"In my 18 years of coaching I have never experienced the injury bug to this extent," remarked STM head coach Steve DeLazzari. "Considering the players who play both sides of the ball, we were missing 16 starters going into the game, and then we had four or five get injured during the first half."
With a roster of fewer than 25 players to begin with and more falling each quarter, the team was to the point where they had to put players into positions they had never practiced at. At that point, DeLazzari said the concern level rose.
"It was a case of where you were putting players into impossible positions, where they'd never practiced against a very strong opponent. That's when we decided to (forfeit)."
Despite all the missing bodies, STM put up a brave front for the first quarter, keeping Vancouver College off the scoreboard until just under two minutes left in the frame.
"Once they got that first one, then the flood gates opened," noted DeLazzari. "Full credit to Vancouver College; you can see why they're ranked No. 1 in the province."
Ricky Parsons was a bright light, leading the team in tackles during the 24 minutes of action.
"(Parsons) was a warrior. He played a strong half on defence, leading us in tackles, and had an interception that he returned for a touchdown that was unfortunately called back on a holding call."
The defence came in and played well, despite some key absences.
While a couple of the injuries are considered long term, with possible return before the end of the season, the majority of players are considered day-to-day and should be back in uniform for this Friday's game in Mission, DeLazzari said, which signals the start of the regular season.
"The numbers (on the team) are about the same as last year, but we don't have a large roster," noted the coach. "It's part of what we face, competing at the 3-A high school level with one of the smallest (student populations) in the Lower Mainland."
