BURNABY — The Earl Marriott Mariners’ football team was put in one of the toughest positions a team can be in their 7-6 Tier 2 provincial title win against Eric Hamber on Nov. 21.
The team was down 6-0 with about a minute to go and their defence on the field. The defensive unit forced two turnovers in the final four minutes, and the team needed them to force one more.
And that’s exactly what they did.
The defence forced Eric Hamber to fumble the ball and, with 40 seconds remaining, the Mariners drove down the field and scored their only touchdown of the game, thanks to quarterback Christopher Ridley scrambling out of the pocket and falling into the end zone.
Ridley’s touchdown tied the game, with the extra point sealing the victory for the South Surrey school.
“It exemplifies their resiliency and determination, and that they weren’t going to be denied,†said head coach Michael MacKay-Dunn.
“I had a hard time teaching. My head was somewhere else,†he said of the Monday following the championship.
See video highlights below: