What would a final season of coaching high school football be without a few long bus trips?
After over four decades of volunteer work, teachers Bill and Bruce Haddow have certainly logged their share of kilometres guiding the Hugh Boyd Trojans. The brothers can also attest to how much traffic has changed in Metro Vancouver since the mid-1970s.
The Trojans headed to Abbotsford last Friday where they spoiled the Robert Bateman Timberwolves’ home opener with a convincing 33-14 victory. This week, they are off to Vernon to take on the No. 2 ranked Panthers to close out non-conference play.
The team will leave Richmond around 7 a.m. Friday morning and it will be a one-day excursion.
“We will grab some dinner after the game and then head back home. It seemed to take forever to get to Abbotsford with just the traffic on Highway 1 so we know what we will be in for,” laughed Bill.
The extensive travelling hardly stops there. The team will use the bye week to head to Eugene, OR to soak in the American football experience. The boys will take in a top tier (6A) high school game on Friday night then watch the Oregon Ducks host California at Autzen Stadium on Sept. 30.
On the field, the Trojans showed nice progress from their narrow season-opening defeat to Handsworth — jumping out a 27-0 halftime lead and cruising past the Timberwolves.
Slotback Zach Jackson showed his excellent speed with a pair of touchdown runs. He would later add a third in the second half. Austin Berry scored on a short run and quarterback Byron Ruvalcaba connected with Shakur Lopez for a 40-yard major as Boyd’s passing game continues to gain traction behind a Grade 10 quarterback.
“Byron certainly has a lively arm but he is still to young and has never seen this kind of pressure or quickness before,” said Bill. “He is used to hanging on to the ball longer and having more time. It’s an adjustment for sure.”
It was a big afternoon for a Boyd defence that produced six turnovers. Standout linebacker Ryan Jensen led the way with an interception and a fumble recovery. Reace Mok and Berry also picked off passes, while Dayton Williamson and Kamron Porbeni were credited with fumble recoveries.
The trip to Vernon Friday will be a rematch of last year's provincial “AA” semi-final game which saw the top ranked Okanagan school prevail 21-7. The Panthers will be led by tight end/linbacker Ben Hladik who was a major force at B.C. Place Stadium last November.
“We know they have some athletes,” added Bill. “It’s going to be a tough game and really so is our entire (non-conference) schedule. We weren’t looking for any easy games that won’t help us get to where we want to be.”