Preseason games don’t count in the standings, but Friday’s non-conference clash in Kamloops still meant something to the Seaquam Seahawks.
In their first game of the 2013 B.C. High School Football Association season, the Seahawks topped the Valleyview Vikings 22-16 in a contest between two Senior AA teams.
“We accomplished what we set out to do,” said head coach Jerry Mulliss. “First, we wanted to have an overnight road trip from a team-building perspective and then we wanted to get everyone into the game in order to evaluate the players. Finally, we wanted to win. We achieved all three objectives.”
A five-yard touchdown run by Seaquam’s Grade 11 quarterback Joss Secord-Yanciw capped a 60-yard drive and opened the scoring in the first quarter. Secord-Yanciw threw to Sam Ross for the two-point convert.
In the second quarter, Grade 12 quarterback Tom Collier-Pandya entered the game and led the Seahawks on a 65-yard drive that ended with an eight-yard run by Sam Orlick.
Valleyview scored their first points when they blocked a Seahawks punt and recovered the ball for a touchdown, adding a two-point convert to cut the difference to 14-8.
A 32-yard touchdown run by Grade 10 slot-back Masaki Kawanami was Seaquam’s final score of the game. Jayden Mah ran for the two-point convert.
The Vikings added their second major score in the fourth quarter, closing out the scoring.
“Overall I am pretty pleased with what we did,” said coach Mulliss. “We got some questions answered and we a little closer to determining who our starters will be when we open the regular season.”
The Seahawks will be at home against the Senior AAA Centennial Centaurs Saturday for the second of three preseason games. Kickoff is at 2 p.m. at Seaquam Secondary.
The Holy Cross Crusaders, Seaquam’s opponent in the first regular season game on Sept. 21, dropped their Pepsi Bowl contest against the St. Thomas More Knights 43-0 at Holy Cross high school. The Crusaders visit the Abbotsford Panthers for a game Friday night.
The Frank Hurt Hornets play their first game of the Senior AA season tomorrow (Friday) afternoon in North Vancouver against the Argyle Pipers.
The Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers are at home in Cloverdale tomorrow, kicking off their Senior AAA season at 2 p.m. at Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary. The John Barsby Bulldogs of Nanaimo are the visitors.