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3 Ballenas Whalers earn spots on B.C. high school football all-star squad

JV Whalers to compete for wild card playoff slot

The Ballenas Whalers senior varsity team didn't have the greatest season in BC Secondary School Football Association play.

In the AAA/AA hybrid West Division, the Whalers closed out the regular season with only one win, against the Eric Hamber Griffins, to finish in fifth place among the AA schools. 

While they will not be playing in post-season play, three senior Whalers have been named as West Division All-Stars.

Leading the Whalers is rookie Leo Elbert, a Grade 11 exchange student from Germany, who played well in his first football season in Canada as the Whalers' quarterback. He was named a West Division all-star on offence as a QB.

Elberg played six games and recorded completed 48 of 90 passes for 847 yards. His longest completion was 65 yards. He also rushed for 248 yards on 64 attempts. 

Kerman is one the Whalers' graduating players this year. In five games, he recorded 15 receptions for 314 yards. His longest catch was 65 yards while on defence he had 22 tackles and three interceptions.

Halfback and linebacker Riley Wilson, in Grade 11, was named as a defensive all-star as a defensive back. With the Whalers, Wilson also caught the ball 10 times for 235 yards and recorded 11 tackles.

Meanwhile, the Junior Varsity Whalers are competing for a spot in the playoffs. They are scheduled to play a AA wildcard game agains the Holy Cross Crusaders on Thursday, Nov. 7.

The Whalers ranked fourth among the AA schools in the Vancouver Island Division with two wins and three losses. Their two wins were against AAA schools, Spectrum and Nanaimo District.

Last year, the JV Whalers made it all the way to the provincial playoffs at BC Place and hope to repeat that feat again this season. 



Michael Briones

About the Author: Michael Briones

I rejoined the PQB News team in April 2017 from the Comox Valley Echo, having previously covered sports for The NEWS in 1997.
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