Five Ballenas Whalers senior varsity players were named to the B.C. Secondary Schools Football Island Division All-Star team. Offensive linemen Draeden Jones and Matt Crowie, receiver Riley Wilson, linebacker Bennet Switzer and defensive back Malcolm Williams were recognized for their performance during the regular season, assisting the Whalers to advance to the quarterfinals of the provincial playoffs. They will face the Argyle Secondary Pipers on Nov. 14. Switzer, who also plays running back, leads the Whalers defence with 50 tackles in the five games he played, with one interception and one touchdown. “It’s an honour to be placed in that skilled group,” said Switzer, who learned how to play football when he was in Prince George. “It’s cool to be recognized for work that I did in the regular season.” Williams, who is only in Grade 11, has also been a key defensively for the Whalers, having recorded seven tackles and three interceptions to his credit. “It was kind of unexpected,” said Williams. “It’s definitely nice though. It just shows that the hard work I’ve been doing is paying off.” The players named to the all-star team are selected by coaches of opposing teams in the Island Division. Head coach Dan Smith said they are proud to have five Whalers named as all-stars. He added that there are other players worthy of being included who just missed out. He told the other players that “they became all-stars because of the players around them give them opportunities to excel and to show their talents and their skills. That’s really what that’s about.” The Whalers also gave recognition to two of their junior players for helping the senior Whalers whenever they are short of players. Offensive and defensive linemen Bentley Dore-Radil and Douglas Pitt were honoured by the coaching staff as ‘Junior Ironman Call Up Players.’ Junior head coach Mike Seselja, who organizes the Nanoose Bay Halloween Walk involving the Whalers football team, congratulated players who took part in the annual fundraising event. The Whalers program will receive $17,036 and put more than $180 in cash donations, with $5,678 being donated to the the Nanoose Bay Elementary School and $500 to the District 69 Global Roams program. “We’ve been doing this for almost 14 years and it started off as a barbeque at someone else’s house,” Seselja said. “Three years later we did it at our house and then we decided to make it a fundraiser for a hockey team. We made $1,500 I think for the first time we did it. It was just by donation. That weekend has just ballooned into a big event.” The Halloween Walk attracts visitors from all over Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. The success of the annual event is contingent on the participation of players, the support of the Whalers parents, many volunteers, local businesses and also the community. “It’s a huge thing,” said Seselja. “The football program needs that money to carry on, to buy all the equipment, to pay the buses, and all the different things that you have.” Seselja pointed out two players for acting roles as pirates on the night of the Halloween walk. Brothers Oleksii and Yurii Katsevych were awarded the ‘Best Pirate Actors’ at the Halloween Walk. The Whalers are now preparing the for a AA quarter-final clash against the Pipers. The BCSSFA calls the match the featured game of the week that will be played in North Vancouver on Nov. 14. Williams wants to really avenge a earlier loss. “The last game, we were missing a lot of key important players,” said Williams. “This game, we should have them all back and healthy, just trying to dial in the game.” The Junior Whalers will take on the John Barsby Bulldogs in their AA quarter-final playoff match at Harewood East Artificial Turf on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 5:30 p.m.
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