JAMES CLARKE
sports@pqbnews.com
Team captain Coltin Laplante rushed for 208 yards and three TDs and the Whalers crushed the Ice 41-6 in their BC High School Football Jr. Varsity regular season home opener in Parksville Wednesday afternoon.
All Whalers from the get-go, the boys from BSS had their counterparts from Mark Isfeld Secondary School in Courtenay hemmed in deep on their opening drive, and Coltin, who had himself one whale of a game, sacked their quarterback in the end zone for the safety.
Ballenas scored its first major of the day on the next play when Adam Laycock scored on a 55-year kickoff return and the team rolled from there, taking a 23-0 lead into the half.
“Coltin had an unreal-game,” said Whalers’ co-coach Jim Lynch said after the dust had settled, adding “we played better but we need to play better. We worked hard again (and) we were better conditioned then our opponent. That kickoff return was huge — it really set the tone."
Ballenas Quarterback Cobby Stubbins scored two touchdowns and rushed for 32 yards. Brody Sjelja saved a bad snap and ran in a two-point convert.
Leplante, who finished the game with around 300 all-purpose yards including punt returns, also led a tough Whaler D with 10 tackles. Nick Cessford chipped in with two tackles and a sack, and Shamus Koughan had a knock-down.
MI's only TD on the day, which came at the beginning of the second half, was on defence when they took fumble off a high snap the other way.
GAME ON
The JV Whalers, who compete in the eight-team Island Conference, have this week off — their next game is Friday Oct. 5 when they travel to Langford to take on the Belmont Bulldogs.