Barsby Bulldogs junior football team wins B.C. championship

The junior Barsby Bulldogs are provincial champions. John Barsby Secondary School’s AA junior varsity football team won the B.C. High School Football championship, defeating the Argyle Pipers by a 34-3 score on Saturday, Nov. 29, at McLeod Stadium in Langley. “We started fast and kept our foot on the throttle the whole time…” said Rob Stevenson, the team’s coach. “We played one of our most complete football games.” He said the Bulldogs knew the Pipers had tremendous skill position players, but also knew that the ‘Dawgs had the better offensive and defensive lines and could win at the line of scrimmage. Barsby’s defence came ready to shut down Argyle’s best plays, and only gave up one big play all game. Meanwhile, Barsby’s offence echoed the defence’s physical tone and played to its strengths with a ball-possession game. “It started with preparation all week – basically all year,” Stevenson said. “We were building ourselves to be able to play this type of football game.” He said his team was fundamentally sound, blocking and tackling well and benefiting from the effort they put in on the blocking sled and in the weight room. “To culminate with a game like we played was immensely satisfying and I think it was felt not only be the coaching staff but certainly by the players,” he said. James Coco was chosen game MVP after scoring touchdown runs of 21 yards and five yards. Adyson Lloyd-Walters, chosen outstanding back, opened the scoring with a 29-yard touchdown catch from Baraka Gibson. Gibson also connected with Andrew Wright on a 20-yard TD reception and Barsby’s other TD was a four-yard run from Nathen Wilson. Stevenson thanked Bulldogs parents, alumni and other supporters for being the “loudest voices” in the stadium that day. In other football news, South-Side Minor Football’s junior bantam team won the provincial championship with an 18-16 win against Cloverdale on Sunday, Nov. 30, in Victoria, and South-Side’s peewee team also made it to the championship game this past weekend, finishing as runners-up.