Week 4 AA Varsity Season 09

WEEK 4

Friday October 2nd

Sands at Abbottsford Collegiate
This game is going to be a tough contest for Abbey as the Scorpions are playing rock-solid physical ball. There are easily two tiers within AA itself and Sands is “top rail” in this contest.

Gridiron’s Pick: Sands by 32


Frank Hurt at John Barsby

Frank Hurt may have an opportunity in this game as the Barsby squad is reeling from a heartbreaking loss to the Handsworth Royals this past Friday. Barsby has a veteran squad and is now at 1-2 on the season, playing with a touch of desperation. The Hornets are pretty young across the roster and have better days ahead of them if they stick with it. A ferry trip and a rejuvenated Barsby squad will be too much.

Gridiron’s Pick: Barsby by 24

Mission at Langley

Very evenly matched contest in Langly this Friday with playoff seeding on the line in a big way. Langley is getting closer to breaking into the top echelon of AA varsity play while Mission is in a bit of a rebuild it seems. Should they keep turnovers and mistakes to a minimum, Langley will be tough to beat.

Gridiron’s Pick: Langley by 8 in a back and forth game.

Seaquam at Rick Hansen

Ah yes, a big time game in the Valley. Both teams are hitting their full stride offensively and they are playing some good Defense as well. The two big questions headed into the game: 1) Can Hansen survive the Seaquam onslaught on the ground and 2) Will Seaquam be able to pressure a balanced Hurricane offensive attack?

Gridiron’s Pick: Seaquam by 6 in an “upset”.

Ballenas at Belmont

Ballenas got whacked at South Delta last week physically and mentally. Belmont underachieved against Timberline. One thing is for sure, the atmosphere at Bear Mountain Park is electric and the Belmont players really get off on the crowd. Look for a surprisingly close game if Belmont mans up and decides to run power football. Ballenas is in danger of a dire playoff situation if they lose this game; likewise Belmont.

Gridiron’s Pick: Belmont is close to a breakthrough game but just doesn’t have the killer instinct to win the close ones yet. Ballenas by 6 and then its back to Parksville listening to the 70’s hit Stayin Alive.

Norkam at Valleyview

Norkam just rolled a AAA squad up in Salmon Arm! Well done guys!! Valleyview is really in tough in this game. You gotta go with momentum in this contest and Norkam has it all.

Gridiron’s Pick: Norkam by 22

Pitt Meadows at Hugh Boyd

The Trojans are very, very good and are under the radar a bit on the provincial scene. They will find that their stealthy ways are quickly becoming exposed as they host PMS. Pitt, is solid, but not ready to jump into the same category as Boyd, Sands, Seaquam and Hansen just yet.

Gridiron’s Pick: Hugh Boyd by 21


Saturday, October 3rd


Clarence Fulton at Mt. Baker

Coach Scheller has a very good squad this year as was evident as his Maroons went out and dismantled the visiting AAA Earl Marriot Mariners last week. Next up for a good on-field beating is the newbie Mt. Baker squad from Cranbrook.

Gridiron’s Pick: Fulton by 40

Windsor at South Delta

Great stuff here! Windsor travels to S. Delta for a key Coastal conference tilt. The Sun Devils are very tough to beat at home and will be primed for this game! The wildcard however is the fact that Windsor has opened their season with three cupcake games and Coach Schuman has not had to flex his playbook beyond some garden variety power football out of his I-Back package. S. Delta will have to go back to the video archives of past seasons to have any worthwhile prep for this game. Look for some Windsor wrinkles that catch their opponents flat footed more than once in this game. South Delta may have to play from behind for awhile in this game but their roster is stronger from a purely athletic perspective. In the end, speed and brawn will be tough to overcome.

Gridiron’s Pick: South Delta by 10



Handsworth at Mt. Douglas

Another good game when you look at both team’s ability to execute their respective s’s and o’s. Mt. Douglas clearly has a more athletic roster in terms of size and speed. Handsworth is a game bunch that Barsby found out has little or no quit in them. It is tough to see a Royal victory in this tilt however.

Gridiron’s Pick: Mt. Douglas by 21

Kalmalka (Tier 2) at Okanagen Mission (Exhibition)

OKM is good and Kalmalka is not. Nuff said.

Gridiron’s Pick: OKM by 34

WEEK 3 PICKS

OK Gang,

Big apologies for the week two lapse! Life's priority list was not kind to ol GridIron and his picks. The dust has settled and it is time to "go to work"!

WEEK 3

Friday, September 25th

Exhibition

Earl Marriot (AAA) at Clarence Fulton

Marriot is stuggling mightily in 09 and their freshman year at AAA ball will likely be unkind. This said, their trip to Vernon to lock horns with the Maroons ought to play out well.
Gridiron's Pick: Marriot by 14.

Norkam at Salmon Arm (AAA)

Salmon Arm has a good squad this year and will be too much for Norkam to handle. Gridiron's Pick: The Golds roll by 28

Valleyview at Mt. Douglas

The Vikings are outmatched in just about every area I can think of in this game. Tenth grade running back sensation Terrel Davis of the Rams will have a field day against the Valleyview Defense and the Rams will be throwing the ball at will.

Gridiron's Pick: Mt. Douglas by 40

Saturday September 26th

Mt. Baker at Penticton (Tier 2)


League

Friday, September 25th

Handsworth at John Barsby

This is shaping up to be a very key game in the Coastal Conference with the winner having the inside track to a playoff berth and the loser facing an uphill battle getting into the post-seson dance. Barsby is at home and Handsworth has a ferry trip to deal with. Both sqads are coming off of impressive victories last weekend.

Gridiron's Pick: Barsby by 4

Windsor at Frank Hurt

Windsor has by the scheduling Gods come across an opening three weeks of cupcake games. Frank Hurt will be a further tune-up for the surging Dukes headed into a tough as nails October schedule.

Gridiron's Pick: Windsor by 44

Abbottsford Collegiate at Hugh Boyd

Hugh Boyd will again play the whole roster as they get important reps in headed into the October smash mouth contests ahead. Abbottsford looks to improve week to week and will certainly be given a litmus test of their progress to date vs the Trojans.

Gridiron's Pick: Boyd by 36

Pitt Meadows at Rick Hansen

If there is going to be an upset this week, it is going to be this game. Pitt roasted the West Van AAA squad last week and there has been some muttering on the net about Hansen underachieving thus far. I think Hansen gets better each week as a product of their coaching style. Pitt has some dandy athletes.

Gridiron's Pick: Hansen by three!

Sands at Mission

Sands likes to play smashmouth ball..Mission is all about finesse. Rock-em-Sock-em rules.

Gridiron's Pick: Sands by 18

Saturday, September 26th


Belmont at Timberline

Belmont played a six point game vs Barsby for the first half last week. Belmont has stud athletes and lots of em. Their game will only get better. Belmont will win by a good score.

Gridiron's Pick: Belmont by 14
Ballenas at South Delta

Langley at Seaquam

Seaquam's juggernaut on the ground will face a big, tough Langley roster. Time to see if Langley has turned the corner to being competitive in the upper echelons of the league. I won't believe it til I see it.

Gridiron's Pick: Seaquam by 24

GRIDIRON'S PICKS WEEK 1

Gridiron's Pick's Week 1 2009

We're Back Baby and it's about dad gum time for some BC AA HS Football!! This year's AA league is by far the most muscular and competitive group of squads in the history of BC High School Football and boy oh boy is it going to be fun to watch things unfold week by week!

The first three weeks will be a mixed bag of exhibition and league tilts due to the uneven number of teams in the conferences and the standings will reflect this.

A note to all AA enthusiasts out there in cyber-land; this blog will become a lot more interesting if you log on as a member and share your candid and appropriate thoughts each week. Everyone is welcome but again, be appropriate.



Gridiron's Week 1 Rankings

Top 10

1. Rick Hansen
2. S. Delta
3. Windsor
4. Mt. Douglas
5. Sands
6. Seaquam
7. John Barsby
8. Hugh Boyd
9. Mission
10. Handsworth

Honorable Mention: Ballenas, Clarence Fulton, Pitt Meadows

Gridiron's Picks

Zero Week Exhibition



Friday, September 4th



Mt. Douglas at Jefferson Oregon: The Mt. Douglas Rams are a monster squad this year chalk full of size, speed and experienced talent. These veteren players have won down south of the 49th before and are looking to bond as a program on this trip while solidifying their on-field game in preparation for week 1 league play. A great move by the coaching staff in scheduling this trip!



Gridiron's Pick: The Rams by 18 points.



Week 1 Exhibition



Friday, September 11th



Rick Hansen vs WJ Mouat (AAA) : A huge rivalry in the Valley and a win-win for both teams no-matter what the score. Hansen will only get better any way you slice this one and though they are surely big-time underdogs, the Hurricanes will be stepping on to the field with no shortage of motivation.



Gridiron's Pick: Mouat has too much talent for Hansen to handle. This game will be a blowout by half-time. Mouat will be getting a good look at it's second and third string during the second half. Look for Hansen to pull out all the stops in the first quarter which could make things interesting for a bit. Hawks by twenty plus by game's end.



Nanaimo (Tier 2) at Sands: This game will be a controlled scrimmage format. Nanaimo is in a big re-build year and Sands is returning to AA ball after a two year hiatus. Don't read too much into this game other than getting a good preview of athletes and base schemes. A lot of eyes are on Sands this year and hopefully the Scorpions give em some positives to report back to the league.



Gridiron's Pick: Sands in a cakewalk. Nanaimo comes away knowing they can go head-to-head with a powerhouse and survive. Tier 2 competition against the better squads in the league thereafter will not be a mental hurdle after this trip.



Burnaby Central (Tier 2) at Langley: The Saints are in year 3 of their evolving program and have got to be turning the corner this year. Burnaby Central is well...Burnaby Central. This will be a slaughter if the Saints want it to be.



Gridiron's Pick: Langley by 34 plus.



Lord Tweedsmuir (AAA) at Hugh Boyd in Gridiron's Game Of The Week!: Now this game rocks! LT had no problem wading through Hansen in Spring Ball and the Trojans are a special group this year. All things considered, the talent level on both squads measures up even and both programs have a history of fast starts out of the blocks in the Fall. The coaching staff's are superb and Boyd likes a fast track so the artificial turf will play in their favour. Tweedsmuir does a great job in the kicking game and they like to run the football. Boyd's monster Fullback is going to find out just how tough he is in this game. I like Tweedsmuir up front on the offensive and defensive lines and I like the Trojans on the edge offensively and in the defensive backfield. Folks, this is going to be fun!!!



Gridiron's Pick: Tweedsmuir by 10 on a wave of fumble driven momentum. Gotta take care of that ball Trojans.



Clarence Fulton at Kelowna: Gotta tell ya, if this game were played in mid-to late October it would be a lot closer than it is going to be. Kelowna has the roster and experience to dominate in week 1 and will do so. Fulton's Coach Scheller is one of BC High School Football's gems and he knows the Interior competition inside-out so the Maroons are going to be prepared for sure. Kelowna will roll however provided it doesn't start splitting offensive hairs and try to cover its offensive playbook from front-cover to back. The Owls like the pretty stuff on offense so Fulton had better find ways to pressure quarterbacks and cover deep balls to tree sized receivers.



Gridiron's Pick: KSS is too much-too early athlete for athlete in this game. The Owls win by 21.



Saturday, September 12th



Handsworth at Carson Graham (AAA) in the storied Buchannon Bowl



Coach Prepchuck has a battle hardened group of players this year and an exceptional crew of 11's. Carson a team that is quite possibly going to be 2009's AAA surprise. Both coaching staffs know each others bag of goodies very well and the opposing rosters know the symbolic importance of this North Shore rivalry game. Carson usually starts their seasons stronger than the Royals who under Coach Prepchuck will as sure as the rising sun each morning, get better week to week during the season. The mitigating facor for this game is how long Carson keeps its starters on the field and how well they can practice in the pre-season with their big roster numbers as this slows down the learning curve if not handled correctly by the coaching staff. Handsworth will be picking up things quickly as their roster is much smaller in terms of sheer numbers. Secondly, continuity; Handsworth is not changing its scheme a lick from JV to Varsity and most of their players have two or three years if not more in "the system". Carson gets edged here. If the Eagles decide they are going to go run heavy and play power ball this game is going to be much kinder to them. If not, they will be playing the game with better athletes but an exhibition disadvantage.



Gridiron's Pick: Carson by 6. Bigger-Faster-Stronger.



Mt. Boucherie (AAA) at Seaquam: Seaquam is a very, very good AA team with a mean and brash attitude. They are run-oriented at heart and can throw well when need be. Boucherie doesn't play its best ball on the road and will be struggling to reload at the tailback position this year. The Bears are running into a defensive buzz saw if they think they are going to head into this one and run the ball.



Gridiron's Pick: Seaquam by 22



Mission at Chief Leschie Washington: Two years ago I had the privilege of watching an incredible JV semi-final game between Mission and Boyd. Those youngsters are now seasoned varsity players and the speed, size and talent are all there! Mission should not be taken likely by anyone this year. I think they will be better than last year's version and will be featuring an improved ground game as a direct contributor to their on-field success. The whole program has to have a chip on its collective shoulder after 08. Chief Leschi is a very small school that plays some tough ball in it's division. This is a team-building trip for the Roadrunners.



Gridiron's Pick: Mission by 16 plus.



Mt. Baker vs Taber Alberta: Yep Folks, we have a team in Cranbrook this year! I love the possibilities here as their closest competition each week is going to be in Montana, Idaho and Washington! Alberta is not far down the road either and they play some good ball in that province as well. The Mt. Baker program is going to cut its teeth on great football each week and if their coaching staff is wise, they will gobble up every game they can find with their US competition. If they do this, they ought to have a cakewalk in the Interior conference and will be a yearly monster in the playoffs. Get after it Mt. Baker!!



Gridiron's Pick: It ain't gonna be pretty for Mt. Baker out of the gates. Taber by Fourty. Learn from this guys and close the gap.



League Play



Friday, September 11th



Belmont at Windsor: Belmont is much better than last year....so is Windsor. Belmont is huge physically and it has some very good speed in key positions off of the Line of Scrimmage. The Dukes have a Samurai approach and appreciation of technique and they are strong at every position on the field. A very seasoned group of Duke players will step on to the field in week 1 as a squad that I believe will be semi-finalists in 09 as a minimum! Belmont is not doing the little things well and does not have an offensive identity yet which will result in them getting carved-up like Christmas Goose by the Dukes.



Gridiron's Pick: Windsor by 30.



Saturday, September 12th



Mt. Douglas at Rank Hurt: In Frank Hurt's favor the Rams have to travel to play this game. After this, things look bleak for the Hornets. Frank Hurt continues it's rebuild and Mt. Douglas will be coming off of a tilt in Oregon with a talented, veteran squad. This game will post big offensive and defensive numbers for the Rams. Frank Hurt has to set some realistic goals and aim to walk off the field with some positives to build on.



Gridiron's Pick: Mt. Douglas by 40



John Barsby at South Delta: The defending BC Champions look to pick-up where they left off in 08 and that is in the win column. The visiting Bulldogs of John Barsby aim to improve on a BC Quarter-Final season last time round. These are both winning programs that reload each year as opposed to rebuilding. The Sun Devils big, fast and loaded with returning and upcoming talent. Barsby is bigger up front than in years past and has an impact group of 11's stepping up to varsity play. South Delta easily handled a tough Seaquam squad in Spring ball while Barsby had a mixed-bag of results in their spring jamboree. The factor that adds a lot of intrigue to this game is that neither squad or coaching staff knows a lot about the other and game day adjustments are going to be at a premium once the ball is kicked-off. Depth is an issue for Barsby and it is not as big of a concern for South Delta. Size goes to the Sun Devils as does speed.



Gridiron's Pick: The Sun Devils are 21 point favorites.



Timberline at Ballenas: These two Island squads have similar raw talent on their rosters. The difference maker in this game will be coaching depth. Ballenas has at least six coaches who are coordinator type quality and are manning position groups. Timberline has two fine coaches who multi-task very well. Ballenas gets polished faster at the individual position level than probably every group in BC. I went and poured over a good 8 season's of Ballenas varsity ball and took a look at the Whaler losses. In almost every case they were not out finnessed in losing but were basically run over by more physically dominant groups of opposing players. Timberline's version of spread offense does not run people over as a rule and like I said, the raw physical talent is similar. Out finnessing Ballenas is doubtful.



Gridiron's Pick: Ballenas by 21

2009 Pre-Season Projections

AA Varsity 2009

Ranking The Conferences

This one is a bear! The Valley and Coastal conferences are in a dead heat in terms of competitive balance.

Lets look at school size as it is one important indicator of program strength. It all begins with the pool of athletes to recruit from within one's hallways:

Coastal Conference Valley Conference



John Barsby (158) Mission (225)
Ballenas (261) Seaquam (275)
Timberline (270) Langley (308)
Mt. Douglas (289) Rick Hansen (252)
Belmont (516) Abby Collegiate (354)
Windsor (186) Hugh Boyd (211)
Handsworth (277) Pitt Meadows (195)
Frank Hurt (262) Sands (174)
South Delta (290)





Avg. 279 Avg. 250


Strength of Program: Jv's are an important indicator of program strength as are community ball feeder systems. Also, taking into account last year's varsity performance and historic varsity standings it emerges that there is again much parity between the conferences from the top of each heap to the bottom.

Weaker Programs: What may separate the two conferences is the number of weaker or unproven squads this year. Until proven otherwise on the field of play, it breaks down like this:

Coastal: Frank Hurt, Belmont. Valley: Abbottsford, Langley

Again a tight heat and it can be argued that all four of these programs are on the ascendency. What then? Probably coaching, off-season conditioning and ultimately, the number of impact athletes on each team. Failing this, spring scores may give insight.

By the narrowest of margins I am going to rank the conferences as follows:

Coastal: 9 teams seven of which could make a deep playoff run.

Valley: 8 teams, six of which could make a deep playoff run.

Interior: Only Fulton seems dangerous or has consistently proven itself since turn of the century. As JV ball gets established for these guys, the bar will go up. Not there yet.

North: A good team of athletes will emerge from this conference in 09. It may take this group awhile to acclimate to high calibre ball. Time will tell. Not running spring ball in May/June will prove to be problematic. Summer "spring" ball won't be the same with athletes all over the map due to family and work commitments.

Top 10

1. Rick Hansen
2. S. Delta
3. Windsor
4. Mt. Douglas
5. Sands
6. Seaquam
7. John Barsby
8. Hugh Boyd
9. Mission
10. Handsworth

Honorable Mention: Ballenas, Clarence Fulton, Pitt Meadows

Coastal Conference

1. South Delta: The SunDevils lost some key players from last year's championship squad to graduation but they have also retained many important contributors from that group while adding a very good group of players from their feeder system. Coach Moon has been quoted as saying that he thinks they can be better in 09 than they were in 08. There is no reason to doubt him and judging by the way his squad handled a very good Seaquam unit in Spring Ball this is going to be the team to beat in the Coastal Conference if not all of BC. Offensively the Sundevils will be using multiple formations and they are known to quickly exploit what defenses are giving them. Defensively they like to get a lot of hats to the football while not selling out too hard with the blitz. Special teams are very good due to the game breaking athletes that abound on the SD roster. This group is well coached at every position and the complete package in terms of size, speed and experience. The season opener versus a scrappy John Barsby squad will be followed by a week 2 road-trip collission with Mt. Douglas that will have a major impact on the November playoff line-up.

2. Windsor: Watching a Windsor offense carving up opponents is like watching lazer surgery. The offensive line has few rivals in terms of technical proficiency and woe unto opposing defensive coordinators who don't do an honest self-scout heading into a Windsor game. Bend but don't break defense characterizes the Duke approach to keeping opponents out of the endzone. In terms of coaching, Coach Schuman is a preparation animal who if given an eighth day, would likely have the DNA profiles of opposing players on hand for Monday practice. The Dukes are a complete squad who's only knock would be a lack of size. Look for the Dukes to get off to a very fast start in September before wading into what can arguably be characterized as the toughest October schedule in BC. There will be no weeks off in the lead-up to the playoffs and the Dukes will be in playoff mode weeks ahead of their post-season competition as a result.

3. Mt. Douglas: A very big AA school back from four years of AAA ball where they competed quite well, the Rams are licking their chops (no pun intended) as they prepare to tear into AA competition and make a run for the Subway Bowl. The Rams are the biggest team physically in the conference and have a wealth of experience, speed and big play makers. This group has been together since the seventh and eighth grade and they will be entering week 1 play with a US game under their belts. This is the team to beat coming off of Vancouver Island and they are built to challenge the "heavyweights" in the provincial top five. The Rams could very well go undefeated in conference play. A week 2 showdown at home with the BC Champion South Delta Sundevils could be the game that determines who emerges from conference play in November as the number 1 seed.

4. John Barsby: A consistent playoff team since 1999, the "Dawgs" of John Barsby have undergone a bit of an internal rebuild the past couple of years that began to manifest itself in the win column in 08. A seasoned group of veteren players will form this year's squad with playoff experience at the JV and Varsity levels of play. Spring-Ball gave a hint of what is to come with big offensive numbers, but it also exposed a lot of room for defensive improvement. The Dawgs need to stay healthy as depth is an issue in a small school program. The season opener versus the BC Champion South Delta SunDevils will give an indication of where the Dawgs are in the provincial pecking order and a week 3 home contest versus the Handsworth Royals, a squad Barsby has never defeated will be absolutely huge in determining the November playoff picture. Look to the week 6 Border Battle versus Ballenas for some fireworks with the losing squad facing a potential missed or very short post-season.

5. Handsworth: The Handsworth offensive and defensive schemes are tried and true and the coaching first-rate. With the Royals it comes down to the group of players who have to make these X's and O's do their thing. This year Handsworth is on an "up" year and will be very, very competitive headed into the playoffs. Strengths will be on the offensive line and at the quarterback/receiver positions. A solid crew of JV's move up who are well versed in the Handsworth system. Traditionally slow starters, it will be interesting to see how they handle playing league games in week 2. Notwithstanding this, the Royals will be a vastly improved team when it counts come November. Week three and four visits to John Barsby and Mt. Douglas respectively will have a significant impact on playoff seeding for the Royals.

6. Ballenas: On a good day, the Whalers can play with and possibly beat any team in the Coastal Division. They are going to need at least six or seven good days this Fall to obtain a decent playoff seed when it all shakes down in November. The Whalers are a quality group through and through with excellent technical coaching to back up tried and true offensive and defensive schemes. Strengths will be at linebacker and on the offensive line with a quality backfield to accompany. Look for an early exhibition tilt versus Hugh Boyd to give a good indication of how the Whalers stack up against AA's upper echelon. Games versus Timberline, Handsworth and Barsby are going to have a big impact on whether or not the Whalers make or go far in the playoffs.

7. Timberline: At the start of the season the Wolves will be a group of tough kids. By mid-season they will be a group of tough football players. Timberline will have to get a couple of early victories to stay in the playoff hunt late in the season. That is just the math of the thing. Offensivley, the Wolves have big play potential in the air and their O. Coordinator does a very good job of mixing the run-pass game. On defense, this will be a hard nosed, run stopping crew that likes to dust it up. The Wolves will have some decent size to throw into the mix as well and this bodes well for them looking at some of the key games on their schedule. A finish higher than number seven is perfectly possible but.....winning a few games early will be a big part of that kind of a season. The season opener versus Ballenas will be HUGE!

8. Belmont:The blue Bulldogs of Belmont are on the edge of reaching the critical mass of a program that is going to make the jump to being very competitive. Going into year three of varsity play, they are big, fast, and increasingly veteran in terms of their skill set. Mentally, they are starting to get some killer instinct as well. Being on the edge of being competitive is not good enough this year though; they have to BE competitive. Technique, conditioning and unit cohesiveness need to improve for this to happen. I have watched this program with great interest and feel that they are getting better each and every year. This improvement has to be a weekly thing and the "winnable" games against the bottom half of the division have to be won. It is then going to be a matter of confidence headed into the other tilts that will define this year's squad and lay track for the program in the years ahead. Make no mistake, this is a big year for Belmont. If they can get their ducks in a row on the practice field with everyone pulling in the same direction, I believe they will be a big surprise this fall. When this program comes of age, it could be a dynasty....yep....I am saying dynasty at AAA in the years to come. Back to 2009; look for a shocker of a score somewhere on the Belmont schedule and after that, look for a couple more. All you Belmont players, coaches and fans, take offense to a number eight ranking and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

9. Frank Hurt: Headed into the season known as the Hornets this crew had better be showing improvement over their 08 effort. The Hornets are in year two of a regime change at the coaching level and what looks to be a rebuild to go with it. Last season there were positive signs that the rebuild was taking hold. Hopefully, the Hornets will pick-up where they left off and get better week by week. The Coastal Division is going to be very tough in 09 and a big step-up from the opponents they faced in spring ball. What will it be in 09. a swarm of angry hornets reminiscent of the 04-07 era or a gob of dump bees? I am thinking somewhere in between.


Valley Conference

1. Rick Hansen: OK, if the forum scuttlebut is to be believed, Lord Tweedsmuir waded through these guys in spring ball like crud through a tin horn. I don't buy it. Coach Gill and co. were not looking to add a spring exhibition game to their coaching resume as its defining triumph. The Hurricanes got real good as the season progressed last year and wound-up almost knocking off the eventual provincial champions in the semis. The guts of last year's squad is back and they are loaded for bear at every offensive position on the field. The top returning Quarterback in AA ball returns to guide a very, balanced offensive scheme that is complimented by a defense that should be way tougher, way earlier, in the season than in 08. Week 1 against cross-town rival AAA Mouat will be an early litmus test for the Hurricanes and make no mistake, they are coached-up with a proven history of week by week improvement. The Hurricanes are the team to beat in 09 and they ought to get busy sewing bulls eyes on their shirts.

2. Sands: "The return of Darth Vader", "The Boogy Men are Back", "The Rise of Mordor"......and so it goes. They're baaaaack.....Good I say!! Hey, this is going to be a tough, tough team that is going to try to name C Gap "Scorpion Alley" and smash opposing offenses who try to advance the football. Everyone on the Sands schedule is going to have to pick-up their game and on the flip-side, the Scorpions are going to find out that AA ball has gotten tougher the past couple of years. This crew is going to make the year all the better for everyone and for themselves by being back. There will be no shortage of rivalry games week in and week out. Look for the Scorpions to be in the mix, as high as number one and a couple of game day mistakes from number 5. Number two seems about right for now.

3. Seaquam: These guys are a throwback to something rolling out of Pittsburg in the mid to late 70's. They run, trap and tackle hard and like nothing more than a good street-fight in pads. This year's offense will define itself with the run and PAP. Defensively the Seahawks play with a chip on their shoulder and have quietly assembled some serious perimeter speed offensively and defensively. This is a fully re-built winning program who will be playing its best ball late in the year. They will need to be doing just that in 09. A first place finish is not out of the question provided the Hawks stay healthy.

4. Hugh Boyd: The Trojans will be lining up with two backs this year and have a superb group of receivers to compliment their backfield. Importantly the offensive line is an improvement over last year's talented group as well! Defensively the men of Troy feature a very quick crew of ball hawks and run stoppers who play very well as a cohesive unit. Specials will be good and it all adds up to a very solid squad taking the field each week. Key for the Trojans will be the team mo-jo. I hear tell that they are a group with a super attitude who just don't have "quit" in their mentality. This is good because they are going to play in a lot of close games versus the upper echelon of their division. Look for a finish that could be a lot higher than the fourth seed headed into the playoffs.

5. Mission: The Roadrunners have for better or worse thrown the ball and left the run as more than a bit of an afterthought since joining varsity play in 2004. Along the way they have fairly or unfairly earned a reputation for coming up short against power running teams in the big games. I think that there is a mixed-bag of reality in this perception. I also think that Coach Watrin is no slouch and that when he has guys who can run, he uses them well. This year's squad is going to be more balanced and it has the guys up front who can lay down track for the ball carrier. Defensively they are quick and nasty with many veteran players. The Roadrunners are Gridiron's pick to be 09's surprise in their conference. Though ranked fifth in pre-season, the Mission squad has the potential to play right up to number one or two. Anyone who watched their JV's two years ago can vouch for how talented this team is. Keep an eye on the Roadrunners!

6. Pitt Meadows: A solid group of JV's move-up from last years championship appearance and by all counts, PMS is headed upwards as a program. Varsity ball is going to be a sobering experience to those who think this season will be a continuation of last year's JV success. One thing of note however is the pass oriented offensive scheme these guys employ. If they can throw effectively this group won't have to get in shoving matches with more mature and physical squads which could allow them to hang a few unexpected W's in the standings. Defensively, the power running teams like Sands and Boyd are going to be a fearsome challenge. A middle of the pack finish is likely.

7. Langley: The Saints are in year 3 of their program's football oddessy. This group matches up well physically with anyone and it is just a matter of time til they can play the finesse elements of the game at a level that makes em a true threat on both sides of the ball. Last year I thought they would be a break through squad and it just didn't happen for them. This year I think they could challenge up a few spots from their current conference ranking. It ought to be fun to follow this group in the coming months.

8. Abbottsford Collegiate: Word has it there is a good quarterback in Abbottsford who doesn't play at Hansen or Mouat. With some help, this fellow could lead a fairly productive offense in 09. This season however is going to be a particularly tough one to have as your first in AA ball. Big, school, big numbers...who knows? This group could overachieve but at this sitting, it is doubtful.

Interior Conference

1. Clarence Fulton: Early season favorites to place first in the Interior. Coach Scheller knows how to get it done and he has a great group of athletes in pads this year.


2. Okanagen Mission: The Huskies are a mature program who have found their full measure the past three years. This group will challenge the Maroons for top rail.

3. Valleyview: The Vikings are a cruiser weight in this division who can rise above the middle of the pack on a good year. Keep an eye on these guys.

4. Mt. Baker: A good quality exhibition schedule and the surprise factor that comes with distance and a long trip for scouting bodes well for this new squad come league play. Will be fun to watch how they do in 09.

5. Norkam: This could be a breakout year for the Saints. Early season play will give everyone a good luck at their prospects in October.

North Conference

1. Kelley Road: A couple dozen returning players and a good looking option oriented running game. The Roadrunners are built for the late Fall weather and will seed into AAA playoffs at year's end. This is the consensus team to beat in the North Conference.

2. College Heights: Eighteen returning players bolstered by a grade 11 youth movement. A balanced offensive attack with great roster depth will help the Cougars play deep into the season. If they can find a way to slow down Kelley Road's ground game and force a few turnovers the boys on the hill could be sitting atop the pack come November.

3. Prince George: Big school that will pound away with 250 lb wrecking ball running back and this could be a factor in the autumn frost. The Polars could jump up in the mix with effective PAP and a solid defensive group.

4. Nechacko Valley: (Vanderhoof): Last year's Tier 2 Champions loses a quality group to graduation but returns with size and a winning mentality. The Vikings have what it takes to upset a couple of the top three squads and make big moves to a good playoff seed.

5. Dutchess Park: A new coaching staff for the Kondors as they hit the field in 09. Some good talent present on the roster and this could be the sleeper team up north this year!

6. Correlieu (Quesnel): Hanging their hat on a big offensive line and beast running back Kilby Barker. Add some defense and you have a group that could surprise.

7. D.P. Todd: A roster low in numbers spells depth problems for the Trojans down the stretch. Innovative coaching and great conditioning could save the day for this group.

I Want My...I Want My...I Want My DSVeeeeeee

Hey Gang,

Remember that 80's Classic by Dire Straights: Money For Nothing?? Well boys and girls, if you are unfamiliar here is the video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po1TsgvOoOY

The opening was great, with lead singer hitting some cool notes to the effect of " I want my...I want my....I want my MTV." This song ripped up the charts pretty hard and earned status as a classic. Well in the spirit of another 80's phenom (perhaps not so classic) Weird Al Yancovic, I think we could swap around some lyrics to the effect of " I Want My DSVeeeee"

You see, we will all be paying for this technology again this year as a part of our dues and if we all participate as expected, we will take a powerful leap forward in terms of the quality of our games as a result of our much more thorough preparation. See gang, technology is a force-multiplyer and in this instance, DSV has the potential to radically advance our regional game beyond what we clearly see which is scout. There are going to be huge benefits for our players, for our game to be advertised and much, much more.

Sadly, I am not encouraged by what I see thus far.

It starts with BCSSFA executive: Deadlines were issued for the membership to get on board and penalties decreed that fell just short of non-compliers being sent to forced labour and re-education camps in the Muskeg country of northeastern BC. Camps that would make the North Koreans blush. These edicts were passionately decreed by our elected governing body.

The date for uploading everyone's spring video or the last video from 08 season and making it available to all varsity coaches was 22 June.

Upon glancing at DSV anywhere this AM it was great to see Hansen and Barsby have complied.

Some of our executive are HC's/co-HC's of programs and they also include conference and tier reps. Hmmmmm, not setting much of an example fellas. This is akin to an officer rallying his soldiers prior to an attack with " the objective is critical to our success! We must take it with a frontal assault....Men, I will be right behind you all the way." Ah yes, you can feel private Joe Snuffie's enthusiasm drain as his"brave leadership" eggs him m on from behind instead of in front. It is supposed to be "Follow Me" not "in front of me". Gentlemen, do not publish declarations that you are not prepared to fully participate in yourselves...you squander much needed legitimacy that you need to get the overall job done.

Next up for a quick spanking are the long-term coaches and leaders of programs. You guys know better. Do you accept excuses and non-participation from your players?? We voted for this thing...we better step up guys. Deadlines are important. We all have a common, collective stake in participating.

Newbies, you are not excused either. Get with Victor at DSV and ask for help. You will get it. You will get none if you don't take some personal initiative and chase it down. You will find that late August and September are the worst possible times imagineable to try to get caught-up.

If we don't as a group get on the stick with DSV it will be more than money going down the toilet, it will be opportunity. Opportunity lost now is exponential underachievement later.

I want my DSVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

The Turning Point

My-oh-my has HS Football grown in the past decade and change. There was a period of five years or so in the latter half of the 90's where BC HS Football began to morph into its present structure. We began to change from Lower Mainland-Interior to LM-Interior-Island and laid down a base to add Interior AAA ball as well. After reaching a critical mass, we have now gone truly provincial with teams in Prince George, Cranbrook, Quesnel, and Vanderhoof. There are a few voids to fill in Greater Victoria, Williams Lake, Hundred Mile House and the Peace River and I am sure this will happen over the next ten years if not less. We now also have a third tier in the shape of Tier 2 Varsity. My crystal ball shows me an expanded AA varsity league in the coming years. I think AAA will be pretty stable in terms of numbers based on the limited numbers of large public schools and private schools. This is all assuming that we don't go to a three tier system based on school size. We are getting close to that critical mass. Me thinks it would work with a 4th "Tier 2" group still attached. Another discussion I suppose.

Back to the turning point years:

I dug up a few old championship gameday programs and reviewed the numbers this week. I cannot find the 1996 Program which is why that year is absent. Ninety-Six was a crucial year as that is when the Island broke into the mix with Mt. Douglas and John Barsby joining AA Ball. Folks newer to BC HS Football will take note that there are a few programs that are no longer in existence today as well. During the late 90's and early part of this decade BC went to smaller schools as opposed to larger ones and this meant that some programs died or calved into smaller buildings. All in all, this period of years sowed the seeds of the conferences and regional alignments that we see today. There was also the big experiment of bringing up some of the more successful small public schools to AAA ball for awhile in the period 1999-2001. It became clear at the end of this experience that they could compete til the early rounds of the playoffs and then the big schools with their legions of horses just wore em out. This is something to not forget as we head into more growth and change provincially late in this decade and early in the next.



1995

AA Varsity (what we now call AAA) (14 Teams)

North Delta, Carson Graham, St, Thomas More, Notre Dame, Abbottsford,Terry Fox, Handsworth, Steveston

Vancouver College, Richmond, Mouat, Holy Cross. Centennial, Kamloops, West Vancouver, Port Moody

A Varsity (what we now call AA) (13 Teams)

Windsor, John Oliver, Sentinel, South Delta, Seaquam, Delta

Burnaby Central, Frank Hurt, Norkam, Westsyde, Brocklehurst, Rick Hansen, Aldergrove

1997

AAA Varsity (15 Teams)

Notre Dame, Carson Graham, STM, Terry Fox, North Delta, Burnaby Central, Abbottsford

Van College, Holy Cross, Mouat, Richmond, Centennial, Port Moody, Kamloops, West Vancouver

AA Varsity (22 Teams)

Handsworth, Windsor, Sentinel, John Oliver, John Barsby, Aldergrove, Pinetree

Westsyde, Kamloops, Vernon, Fulton, Kalamalka, Brocklehurst, Norkam, John Peterson

Hugh Boyd, R.C. Palmer, Mt. Douglas, S. Delta, Delta, Seaquam, Frank Hurt

1998

AAA Varsity (12 Teams)

Centennial, Holy Cross, John Oliver, WJ Mouat, Richmond, Vancouver College, West Vancouver

Burnaby Central, Carson Graham, North Delta, STM, Notre Dame, Terry Fox

AA Varsity (19 Teams)

John Peterson, Vernon, Kalmalka, Fulton, NorKam,Westsyde

Sentinel, Windsor, Handsworth, Pinetree, Rick Hansen, John Barsby, Timberline

South Delta, Seaquam, Hugh Boyd, Delta, Mt. Douglas, R.C. Palmer

1999

AAA Varsity (20 Teams)

Handsworth, Notre Dame, Carson Graham, Windsor, West Vancouver

W.J. Mouat, North Delta, Holy Cross, Rick Hansen, Burnaby Central

STM, Pinetree, Terry Fox, Centennial, John Oliver

Van College, Richmond, South Delta, Hugh Boyd, Mt. Douglas

AA Varsity (13 Teams)

Abbottsford, John Barsby, Delta, Seaquam, Sentinel, Frank Hurt, Timberline, Clarence Fulton, John Peterson, Kamloops, Norkam, Vernon, Westsyde

2000

AAA Varsity (19 Teams)

Carson Graham, Windsor, Notre Dame, Handsworth, West Vancouver

W.J. Mouat, North Delta, Holy Cross, Rick Hansen, Burnaby Central

STM, Terry Fox, Centennial, Pinetree

S. Delta, Vancouver College, Hugh Boyd, Mt. Douglas, Richmond

AA Varsity (20 Teams)

John Oliver, Frank Hurt, Seaquam, Abbottsford, Port Moody, RC Palmer,

John Barsby, Timberline, Delta, Ballenas, Sentinel

John Peterson, Kamloops, Clarence Fulton, Westsyde, Salmon Arm, W.L. Seaton, Vernon
Kalmalka, Norkam

On The Eve of Battle

At this writing, 30 hrs. til the first snap of the 2009 AA Jamboree. Players seemed restless and ready to go at practice yesterday afternoon. Team and individual photos today after school, final instructions re: hydration, itinerary, transpo and signals. A good night's sleep and lets close with our opponents tomorrow.

Similar feel to the eve of the clash between 7th Cav. and NVA in Ia Drang Valley...We Were Soldiers Once and Young. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00pOrjzMASA