The final game of the Howe Sound Secondary Sounders seniors boys' football season didn't end in victory, but the season was still the best it's been in four years.
G.P. Vanier beat the Sounders 39-6 on Nov. 11 at Mercer Stadium in a wild card playoff round. If the Sounders had won, they would have been in the provincial playoffs.
"They were just huge," said Rex Reece, the Sounders coach about the players on the Vanier team. "I didn't have anybody on my team who could compete with their size.
"They're just big, hard hitting kids."
The score was close until the third quarter, when the Squamish team, which had fewer players, started to tire out. And there were a few discouraging moments during the game.
"There was a fumble on an interception. They scored a touchdown, and everything sort of snowballed from there," Reece said. "We had a lot of turnovers.
"It was a downer for the boys."
But the team had one solid touchdown. There was an 80-yard pass and run between Gary and Jordan O'Neil.
"I think it was Jordan that scored the touchdown too," Reece said.
It was a big step for the team to make it as far as it did. Since the team formed four years ago, it has only had a couple of wins and every year the team makes it a goal to make it to BC Place Stadium and the playoffs. Although the Sounders made the playoffs, they didn't quite go all the way.
"We came so close this year," Reece said.
But overall, the season has been a huge improvement. The Sounders won the last four regular season games and pulled together as a team. Brad McHaffie took over the defensive line coaching.
"The defence basically kept us in this year," Reece said.
And Vince Fecteau whipped the offensive line into shape.
"He took on the offensive line and it made a huge difference."
The Sounders had a slow start to the season, which may have been because the team didn't start practising until September.
"I never get enough people out to do a pre-season," Reece said. "People don't show up until school gets in. It took us three games to figure out where everybody is supposed to go."
Reece said other teams in the league started practising a few months before the Sounders did. But the attitude toward practice is changing.
"The guys are pretty keen to get going again, so that's pretty good. They saw how it went for us this year."
But the face of the team will look different next year. Around half the team is made up of Grade 12 students, who will graduate in June.
"The numbers don't look that good coming up from the Bantam Titans." Reece said. There is also a big difference in the high school football league.
"It's way tougher, it's way more competitive."
And the Squamish field has been voted the worst field in the league by other teams because it's sloped and the last 30 yards are underwater, Reece said.
There are other reasons for the Sounders to celebrate, however. Jordan O'Neil was named the conference all-star defensive back, and Maury Prevost was named the conference all-star on the defensive line. After another league vote, they could be selected for a provincial AA team.
"I've always known they have they've had the potential," Reece said. "There's no reason they shouldn't have been all-stars."
