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Yale Junior Rugby Team Repeat as Fraser Valley Champions
from Doug Primrose
poste May 20 2009
The Yale Junior Rugby team are Fraser Valley champions again! The Lions repeated as champions by squeaking out a narrow 15-12 victory over Earl Marriott in the Fraser Valley Junior Rugby Championship game. Yale began the game by putting a lot of pressure on Marriott with great work by their big forward pack. Big forwards Tyler Barons, Jon Parkin, and Paul Ahn moved bodies out of the rucks and provided good ball for the speedy backs. The Lions scored when fullback Brandon Storey entered the line and sprinted down the sideline to put the Yale up 5-0.
Yale continued to steal balls, tackle hard, and keep possession of the ball. However, Marriott were also very good at defending and Yale had a tough time cracking through their defensive wall. The foot of Flyhalf Bryce Hewko began to take over the game with great well placed kicks behind the Marriott back three. Finally Yale were able to score again when one of Hewko's kicks took a bounce into the hands of outside centre Christian Styles who raced in for the try. The Lions kept the pressure on with the foot of Hewko and were awarded a scrum on the Marriott 10 meter line. Eighth man Eli Waughtil picked the ball and carried two defenders over the line with him for the try to put the Lions up 15-0 at the half.
The second half Marriott were able to cause many problems for the Lions. They were able to take away Hewko's kicking game by keeping their back three deep and the forwards began to drive Yale backwards. They were rewarded for their efforts with a try to make the score 15-5. The pressure continued on Yale and a second Marriott try, which was converted, made the game very interesting and the many Yale fans who came on a full supporters bus with horns and banners became very nervous as the tide had turned. The Lions closest game of the season was a 22-0 win so it would be interesting to see how they reacted in a close battle. They responded well, by keeping possession and playing the final minutes of the game in the Marriott end. Lock Tanner Dunlop rambled his way into the end zone, but was held up. The game ended when Hewko kicked the ball away and the Lions rushed the field in celebration.
Coaches Clayton Radons and Scott Hunter let out a sigh of relief as they took the field. Radons commented how happy he was with his team and being able to finish the game off well after being under so much pressure. It has been a great season for the Lions who went undefeated all year in both 15's and 7's.
With two Junior Championships in the last two years and two grade 8 Championships in two out of the last three years, the future is looking very bright!
On Saturday the Lord Tweedsmuir Sr. Boys Rugby team will be on the road up to Kamloops for the 1st Round of the AA BC Championships
Conor Larkin
posted May 25 2007
On Saturday the Lord Tweedsmuir Sr. Boys Rugby team will be on the road up to Kamloops for the 1st Round of the AA BC Championships. The Panthers take on 6th ranked Kelowna Christian. The boys from Cloverdale earned their way to the provincial championships after a very good season. At Spring Break the team enjoyed a 4 game rugby tour of the UK and Ireland. Back at home they won the Fraser Valley Southeast division and then opened the Fraser Valley Championships with a win over perennial contender Aldergrove. In the semi-finals Tweedsmuir lost a heartbreaker to Robert Bateman by a score of 17-11, a game the Panthers believe they should have taken but let slip through their fingers. Knocked out of the running for the championship, Tweedsmuir had to settle for playing for 3rd place in the Valley against Southridge. The Panthers had annihilated Southridge previously in the season by a score of 76-5. This time the Panthers were just as dominant and romped to a 50-0 win over the private school. The boys know that they now face a very stiff challenge against the highly rated team at Kelowna Christian and will need to play their best game of the season to compete.
Lord Tweedsmuir is led by its captain and scrumhalf Nick Hammerschmidt. Many of the forwards have had excellent seasons, including prop Mike Lee, hooker Matt Smee, lock Tyler Watt and No.8 Matt Bose. In the backs the Panthers have relied on the scoring of goal kicker and outside half Josh Friend, the try scoring of centre Brad Huber and the steady Matt Clarke at fullback.
Fraser Valley High School Rugby website on Esportsdesk with scores/schedule
by Jivan Dhaliwal
posted April 10 2007
I have created a web site on Esportsdesk called "Fraser Valley High School Rugby" that has league scores/schedules for grades 8-12. It also contains a link to the Lower Mainland Boys rugby league.
Would you be able to post this information on BC Rugby news? I just thought it would a nice extension to the High School Rugby article that was posted yesterday. Here is the Fraser Valley High School Rugby URL - http://www.esportsdesk.com/leagues/pick_league.cfm?clientID=2621&leagueID=0.
Yale Secondary's successful season comes to an end in close loss to Semiahmoo
by Doug Primrose
posted May 18 2006
Yale Secondary's successful season has now come to an end. In the end Yale did not have the depth nor the experience to beat the perennial AAA big boys like Semiahmoo, who Yale got knocked out by in a thrilling double overtime loss! The game started with Yale dominating, scoring in the first 10 minutes between the posts with a Chris Gilding ramble for 40 meters. They continued to dominate, but did not take advantage of many overlaps they had. Their inexperience of wanting to just try and run everyone over hurt them. However, at the 20 minute mark their other center, Joel Kitsul, scored after another long run by the Yale backs. Semiahmoo began to come on late and Yale took many senseless penalties. Semi crossed the line late in the game to make the score at the half 14-5 for Yale.
Yale felt pretty good about the game and then they began to run into the injury bug with dominant center Joel Kitsul leaving the game 10 minutes into the second half, as well as flanker Nick Sasges. Flyhalf Nick Botha took a hard hit and was extremely limited in his play, and after the game it was discovered he had a broken collar bone. To Botha's credit he played through it and did well. Combine those injuries with Semiahmoo's improved play things did not look good. Semi came down and scored a try by smashing their inside center repeatedly. The convert was made and Yale hung on to a 2pt lead. Semi came back and scored again to go up by 5pts and then scored another try to look to put the game away by going up by two tries with only 6 minutes left in the game. However, Yale would make the end of the game even more thrilling. They came back and scored a try late when flanker Justin Kufsky scooped up a loose ball and ran for 40m. On the ensuing restart both teams were told that this would be the last play and next whistle would end the game. Yale took possession and marched to Semi's end. Semi were penalized and scrum half Lucas de Beer took advantage and did a quick tap and made it down to the Semi goal line. The ball was flipped to big grade 10 prop Kelsey Ned who smashed his way through defenders and touched the ball down! Yale was now down by 2pts and it was up to Chris Gilding to make a big kick from near the sideline. He stepped in and slotted it. The game was sent into two 5 minute periods of overtime. The teams were tied on trys and kicks so if it was still a tie after overtime Yale would have won because they scored first.
Overtime was just as thrilling. With only a minute left in the first overtime Yale did a goal line stand to keep Semi out of the endzone and the whistle went for the half. The next overtime went back and forth and with only a minute left Semi went for goal and missed wide. The Yale winger tried running the ball out and got tackled out of bounds to give Semi a lineout on the 20m line. They marched down to the goal line and Yale was penalized again for diving over. This time Semi ran the penalty and Yale stuffed them on the goal line, but they were penalized again on the 3m line. Semi did a quick tap and gave it their big crasher and he fell over the line to give Semi the win!
It was a very good high school battle and Yale's coaching staff of Doug Primrose and Ron Sweeney were very pleased with the effort by the players and the whole season. Yale had to bring up 5 players from the Juniors and all 5 of them were starters. The team has many grade 11's as well and look to take another run at making the BC's next year. They finished the season second in the Tier 2 AAA and won the Abbotsford Cup with an impressive 8-7 win over Bateman. The players will now join the ARFC for summer training and get ready for the U19 season.
Another note, well done Mike Pajic who refereed very well. It was one of those games many dread to referee where every call is critical because it was so close and he kept his composure all game and called it very well. He must be almost ready to hang up those Premier boots so hopefully he will stay in the game by carrying the whistle!!
John James gets feedback from the Valley on High School rugby
by John James
posted Feb 23 2006
Compiled this from several interested BCRugbyNews readers from the valley.
We'll start with Semiahmoo. Half the projected starters played for Bayside
this past year. A tour of Australia this Spring should be a plus.
Outstanding young prospects. Centres Cam Brodie (gr. 12) and Adam Timler
(gr. 11).
Elgin Park has some very strong young players and like Semiahmoo is in a new
Coaching situation. Tim Barrett and Les Griffiths (Brit Lions members...not
Bayside or Surrey) are coaching this year in the abscence of Sal Shebani.
Shebani will be missed, but the program should move forward with this change
in coaching. Probably a third of the team played for Bayside this Spring.
Player to watch is the dominating presence of Jeremy Cutler at #8.
Fleetwood Park is a much deserved pick at #8 and could surely move higher.
This program has been on a steady upward swing since the school's
construction 10 or so years ago. At the heart of the program is it's
godfather David Shields. He doesn't coach the Sr. Boys but does all the work
behind the scenes to get the team good coaching and good opportunities with
tours and touring sides. This year's team should be the best they've
produced. 5th in the Valley as Juniors 2 years ago they are big, strong and
fast. How well they've developed their individual skills will determine
their final standing.
Earl Marriott should have a down year as yet again we have new coaches as
long time coaches Andy Blackburn and Don Wright step aside. Depth is a real
problem at Earl Marriott as getting a commitment from the boys is pretty
spotty. That said the boys they've got can be pretty darn good and a full
half of the team plays for Bayside. Players to watch are #8 Craig
Holowaychuk and Centre Jared Howes.
Rick Hansen of Abbotsford. Always a very competitive Junior program, the
bridge from Junior to Senior seems to be solidifying. If not this year then
certainly next year Rick Hansen will be a real threat. Long time coach Jack
Hendry seems to have the horses he needs and many in the Valley believe Rick
Hansen is the team to beat (along with co-favorite Semiahmoo). Hansen's game
is definitely up front - the "engine room" as Jack likes to call it. Last
year's grade 10s were Fraser Valley finalists. I don't know any of the
players by name so can't give you players to watch...sorry.
North Delta does not play in the top Valley Tier but did qualify for the BCs
last year and I understand that much of their team is back this year. After
years in the wilderness it seems that the North Delta program is on the
improve. The club connections are the Brit Lions as they are coached by
Roger Mansel.
In Summary, look for Rick Hansen, Fleetwood Park, Elgin Park and Semiahmoo
to grab the top 4 Valley spots.
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