The Howe Sound Sounders' defence again more than held its own, helping the locals defeat the visiting G.P. Vanier Towhees 20-15 in a non-league football game at Howe Sound field on Saturday (Oct. 1).
The Sounders "D" stood strong, only allowing one offensive touchdown, and holding off the Towhees several times in the red zone.
"It's the old saying - the defence bent but didn't break," said Sounders head coach Joe Gignac. "But I'm really happy with today and happy with the way the defence played."
Gignac pointed to crucial defensive play by Anthony Wuster, who stripped a Towhees receiver and then ran more than 50 yards to open the scoring, as a turning point in the game.
"Anytime you can get the ball in his hands, he makes things happen," Gignac said.
The coach also seemed pleased with the return of the Sounders' running game, after an off week against Timberline last week.
"We got our running game back," Gignac joked. "If our offensive line is stepping up like they did today, I like our chances of getting yards."
The proof is in the numbers, as the Sounders put up 218 yards on the ground, led by quarterback James Kyle, who ran for 80 yards. Also contributing to the ground game was offensive player of the game Swo-wo Gabriel, who earned 54 yards of his own.
It was another show of resilience by Kyle, who threw two interceptions but rebounded in the fourth quarter, scoring a rushing touchdown to put Howe Sound up for good.
"It was a bit of a broken play but it felt good to find some space and score," Kyle said. "I was catching on to their defence by the end of the game and it was nice to help the team win."
Despite the win, Kyle said there's still room for improvement for the team, which will kick off regular-season action next week.
"We didn't play our best today and there's still a lot of work for us to do," he said. "I think both our offensive and defensive lines are doing good but we need to work a little more on team chemistry."
Despite only being in Grade 9, Kyle has impressed Gignac with his poise and noted that he learned a lot about the game playing in the Gordon Sturtridge League (GSL) last year.
"Coach thinks I have a good arm and it's been a lot of fun playing quarterback," he said.
Kyle also excelled on the defensive side of the ball, tying for the team lead in tackles with Wuster, Cam Prouten and Jordan Gosteli with six. Wuster, who scored the aforementioned defensive touchdown, was named defensive player of the game for Howe Sound. The defence also shut down the Towhees' passing game, only allowing one completion for eight yards for the game.
The games start counting for the Sounders starting on Saturday (Oct. 8), when they travel to Vancouver to take on the Eric Hamber Griffins. The regular-season home opener for the team will take place on Oct. 15, when the Sounders host the Frank Hurt Hornets.
For more information on B.C. high school football, visit www.bchighschoolfootball.com.
