After a couple of tough weeks, the peewee Cowichan Bulldogs finally saw their offence come alive in a 52-19 road win over the Campbell River Eagles on Saturday.
Jesse Kwasny led the Cowichan attack with a number of outstanding runs that led to four touchdowns on the day, while fullback Finn Shea had several yards and one touchdown while showing impressive agility running between tackles. Also scoring was two-way lineman Jayden Strzok, who was given a chance to run with the ball and flattened multiple Campbell River defenders on his way to the end zone. Quarterback Jaxson Jones ran for a major on a bootleg play, and also connected with Chaas Mearns for a passing touchdown.
Both Campbell River touchdowns came on runs to the outside, which continue to be the Bulldogs’ Achilles heel. Everywhere else, the Bulldogs dominated the field thanks to their strong interior line, with the emergence of spark plug Sawyer Ellison.
The junior bantam Bulldogs suffered a tough 18-6 loss to the Eagles, although the shorthanded team continued to make huge improvements.
“On defence, some of the things we have been coaching really started to click and show up on the field,” coach Jeff McDonald said. “Containment was better and the D-line proved to be difficult for the Eagles to handle.”
McDonald highlighted a few players who stepped up.
“Oscela George was very good on the front, while new player Jordan Russell showed that football may be the game for him,” the coach said. “In his first ever gridiron game, Jordan had two sacks and two tackles, an outstanding performance. He proved that tenacity and hard work pays off on the field. The corner combination of Jaden Nelson and James Hagel played well in containment and combined for three tackles. Allen Wilson had a strong game as well.”
Another bright spot was Zac (Shades) Thompson.
“His knowledge of the game, athletic ability and outstanding attitude will prove this player to be outstanding,” McDonald said. “His aggression as linebacker was instrumental in stopping many Eagle runs.
The Cowichan offence struggled until the last minute of play, when a couple of well-executed plays opened a running lane for quarterback Will Hardman to score.
The peewee Bulldogs will be back home at McAdam Park this Saturday to host the Saanich Wolverines at 11 a.m. The junior bantams are off.