Gemmell inspires rebuilding Eagles
BIG GAME: Safety leads Carson Graham into 30th annual Buchanan Bowl against archrival Handsworth
One of the more challenging aspects of covering both the high school and university sports beats at this newspaper are those occasions when the really big games overlap. Last Nov. 28 was a perfect example. There I was at B.C. Place Stadium, following the action at the Subway Bowl B.C. high school Double-A football provincial semifinals between the Carson Graham Eagles and the G.W. Graham Grizzlies, while also following, via a press box TV screen, the UBC Thunderbirds playing the Montreal Carabins in the Vanier Cup final.
Any trained professional will tell you that it’s far from ideal, but on that day, my dual dissection delivered the realization that a moment of history had been achieved by a North Vancouver high school team with a sense of gridiron tradition that’s among the most meaningful in this province.
Back in Quebec City, right around the time that former Carson Graham Eagles star A.J. Blackwell was making a game-saving fourth-quarter interception to help UBC beat Montreal 26-23 and capture its first national title since 1997, a Grade 11 named James Gemmell was doing the same thing at B.C. Place, coming up with a game-saving pick in the fourth quarter to help the Eagles win 24-21.
The following week, Carson Graham beat Abbotsford 53-34 to capture the school’s first B.C. senior varsity football title since 2001.
And now, with a new season upon us, Gemmell and the Eagles have taken on an even bigger challenge.
This year, Carson Graham has taken the ambitious step of moving up a tier to triple-A’s unforgiving Western Conference, the same neighbourhood where powerhouse programs like Mount Douglas, Vancouver College, New Westminster and South Delta reside.
And on Saturday (1:30 p.m.), the school that’s so in touch with its tradition plays host to its 30th annual Buchanan Bowl crosstown clash against the archrival Handsworth Royals.
Played in honour of the late James Buchanan, a longtime teacher and administrator in North Vancouver, and staged in front of generations of fans, it’s a game that defines the B.C. high school football experience like few others.
“It’s one of the big ones,” said Gemmell, the 5-foot-9 senior safety who has risen to a mantle of senior leadership as the defensive captain on an Eagles team that’s deep in numbers but short on experience. “It’s the one for bragging rights.”
Carson Graham head coach Brian Brady is thankful that, on a team purged by graduation at the skill positions, that Gemmell has returned to set a tone for the challenging campaign ahead.
“I think his demeanour really encompasses that of our entire senior class,” said Brady, who last week watched his safety make 11 tackles and return an interception 55 yards on defence while catching four passes for 52 yards on offence in an 8-7 loss to W.J. Mouat.
“He has the attitude, the hunger and the willingness to take on challenges.”
Adds defensive coordinator Larry Donohoe: “James is like a coach on the field.”
Gemmell is both a student of the game and of the school’s football tradition.
“I heard in the locker-room after our game last year that A.J. made that big interception, and I thought it was so cool that one of our guys made a play like that on such a huge stage,” Gemmell said.
“I have always looked up to the older guys like A.J. and Lucas Bill (McMaster). From them I’ve learned how to play some good safety.
“And I love to watch film, diagnosing a play and reading an offence,” he said.
“I love the chess game behind football. All the moves and counter moves.”
On Saturday, Gemmell and the rest of Carson’s senior class, like celebrated alums Jerome Pathon and Paris Jackson before them, play in their final Buchanan Bowl.
The last two meetings have been split, with missed converts making the difference both years.
The Eagles lead the overall series 18-11 and Saturday’s contest marks just the fourth time in the game’s history that one of the combatants comes into the game as a defending B.C. champ.
Gemmell, who has been studying the Royals intently on film all week, puts the game into perspective for both teams.
“Every year,” he says, “it’s like a mini (B.C.) final.”