The junior bantam Cowichan Bulldogs rolled to their third consecutive shutout win last Saturday, trouncing the visiting Southside Dawgs 48-0 at Duncan’s McAdam Park.
Southside had boasted a solid offence in their previous games, with a strong passing attack, but the Bulldogs proved to be too much for the Nanaimo team as they again dominated on both sides of the ball.
The Cowichan defence was missing a few key players, but more than made up for the absences.
“At times the defence bent,” Bulldogs head coach PJ Shea said. “But did it did not break.”
On offence, the Bulldogs set their runners loose, and running back Finn Shea and quarterback Trekker James carried the ball for touchdowns in the early going, and both players finished with a pair of majors. Tight end Gregor MacKenzie also got in on the action with a pair of touchdown catches.
“The team played well in the face of some adversity,” coach Shea said. “Right now, these athletes are playing at a high level. It seems that no matter what is thrown at them, they deal with it. They continue to show a maturity that amazes me.
“Our leaders are truly playing like leaders and setting the team up for success. Staying motived in the face of success can be challenging.”
The Bulldogs have yet to face a serious threat through four games this spring, which in itself creates different challenges for the coaching staff.
“Our job as coaches is now to bolster their motivation to continue getting better, in spite of the current run of success that we are having,” Shea related. “Luck has had no place in these athletes’ success. Everything they have or are accomplishing is because of the hard work that they continue to put in.”
The Bulldogs will head to Victoria this Sunday.