Moving on through
The Mount Douglas Rams will face the W.J. Mouat Hawks of Abbotsford in the high school AAA football final at B.C. Place on Saturday (Dec. 3).
Mount Doug upset the provinceB次元官网网址檚 top-ranked football team, St. Thomas More Knights of Burnaby, 54-7 in SaturdayB次元官网网址檚 semifinal at UBC.
B次元官网网址淚 would not have expected the score to be that lopsided, even in my craziest, wildest dreams,B次元官网网址� said Rams coach Mark Townsend. B次元官网网址淚t was a dominant performance by our team on both sides of the ball, but still we need to refocus and prepare for W.J. Mouat in the championship game.B次元官网网址�
ThereB次元官网网址檚 chill, and then thereB次元官网网址檚 Mason Swift.
The could-have-been, probably should-have-been all-star running back for the Mount Douglas Rams football team was taking it pretty easy while many football fans were glued to the Grey Cup on Sunday.
In fact, he was having a nap.
And so he should.
The Grade 11 student was recovering from the RamsB次元官网网址� 54-7 upset of the provinceB次元官网网址檚 top-ranked St. Thomas More Knights (Burnaby) in SaturdayB次元官网网址檚 AAA semifinal at the University of B.C., and is resting for the championship final against W.J. Mouat on Saturday.
With provincial MVP Terrell Davis at the centre of the RamsB次元官网网址� hype B次元官网网址� all of it deserved B次元官网网址� many may not realize Swift has been virtually step for step with Davis, splitting the rushing duties. Swift and Davis (Grade 12) often line up on either side of quarterback Jordan Deverill. The running backs shared 31 carries in the RamsB次元官网网址� quarterfinal playoff win over Lord Tweedsmuir with Swift taking the ball 15 times for 153 yards, and Davis 16 times for 160 yards.
In the semifinal win on Saturday, they split 28 carries with Swift totalling 75 yards and two touchdowns while Davis rushed for 163 yards and three touchdowns.
B次元官网网址淏oth Davis and Swift are powerful backs who like to run over defenders B次元官网网址� they are very similar in that respect,B次元官网网址� coach Mark Townsend said.
As a defender trying to stop either, there is no lesser evil to choose from. Both are adept at keeping their legs driving on contact, often breaking tackles and carrying defenders for additional yards.
What Townsend also loves is how unselfish their play is without the ball, B次元官网网址渂locking their tails off for one another.B次元官网网址�
But back to that nap.
ItB次元官网网址檚 all part of the plan to stay real, Swift says.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e pretty high coming off beating (the Knights) as badly as we did and we need to keep down to earth, stay mellow to get the win over Mouat.B次元官网网址�
Then again, Swift deserves his rest after putting in a two-sided effort as a linebacker, scoring one of his touchdowns in the semifinal after scooping up a punt blocked by the RamsB次元官网网址� Nik Larsen.
Whatever the reason, Swift wasnB次元官网网址檛 about to let the Grey Cup interrupt his routine.
B次元官网网址淔or me, playing football is a way to get the second level of education paid for. IB次元官网网址檝e had a couple of looks from universities in Canada, but IB次元官网网址檓 still waiting for those looks from down south,B次元官网网址� he said, adding a spot in Canadian university football would do just fine.
The focus for now is on winning a B.C. championship.
In their only previous meeting this season, Mount Doug and Mouat totalled 100 points in a preseason B次元官网网址渢rack meetB次元官网网址� that ended in MouatB次元官网网址檚 favour, 53-47.
B次元官网网址淲e werenB次元官网网址檛 as polished,B次元官网网址� Swift said.
Maybe not, but the Saanich school certainly is now.
After a close first quarter in the semifinal, the Rams began to pull ahead of the heavily favoured Knights, who had been named the sixth best high school team in Canada last week according to website Canada Football Chat. Mount Doug was listed as the 16th, but moved to sixth on Monday.
B次元官网网址淲e didnB次元官网网址檛 feel it was close at all. (The Knights) couldnB次元官网网址檛 stop our offence.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址� Also scoring in the semifinal was TerrellB次元官网网址檚 brother, Grade 10 player Marcus Davis, who had three carries for 40 yards, scored a touchdown and made an interception. Grade 12 QB Deverill also ran in a touchdown and threw for 70 yards, all of it to receiver Taylor Young, including one TD. Kicker Callum Duke converted six of the eight touchdowns.
B次元官网网址� For the second straight year the junior Rams are headed to the provincial championship as the Jr. Rams beat CoquitlamB次元官网网址檚 Terry Fox Ravens 23-18 in their semifinal. The rivalry grows between the Rams and St. Thomas More Knights as the junior sides will face each other in that AAA final at B.C. Place, also on the weekend. In 2009 the Rams won the senior and junior AA B.C. championships.
