Devil’s in the details for Calvert
South Delta QB likes to spread the love around when it comes to success
Michael Calvert understands leadership and maybe a little team promotion, too.
The quarterback of the South Delta Sun Devils tried to sneak in as many names of teammates as he could into answers about his squad and their run at a triple-A football provincial title this season.
Andrew Kraft and Billy Matwichyna. Doug Jameson, Rylan Tijahyana and Ben McDonald. Jacob Kirk and Morgan Wolsey. Morgan Brumby, Greydon Welch, Riley Gooksetter and Riley Storey, too.
Talking about where this team has been so far and where it might wind up, Calvert tried to add teammate after teammate. If you are a Sun Devil and you don’t get a mention in this story, don’t blame Calvert. Blame us. We’re not as good at the name thing as he is. Sorry.
“He’s a very coachable young man,” explained Jerry Mulliss, a longtime high school bench boss who is handling the quarterbacks with the Sun Devils this season for head man Ray Moon.
“Very smart, very tough, but an allaround very nice kid. Great leader on the team. I can’t say enough good things about him.”
South Delta sits at No. 3 in Howard Tsumura’s triple-A rankings at varsityletters.ca and carries a 4-1 overall record into a 4 p.m. matchup Saturday against the visiting Vancouver College Fighting Irish.
The first name that often comes up regarding the Sun Devils is Calvert, just as long as you’re talking to anyone other than him.
For instance, in a 50-20 win over Victoria’s Belmont Bulldogs last week, he was 20-of-30 for 293 yards with one touchdown and also rushed 11 times for 156 yards and two majors.
The B.C. High School Football website had him leading the triple-A passing yardage chart at last count, throwing for 1,578 yards with 16 touchdowns and one interception in four games. He led the way last year, too, throwing for 1,706 yards with 21 touchdowns and four interceptions in nine games.
“I’m a lot more comfortable than last year,” explained the 6-foot-2, 208-pound Calvert, who is in Grade 12. “Last year, I was scrambling around a lot more. This year, I’m calmer in the pocket and I know the playbook even better.
“Jerry has helped a lot. He’s given me a lot of good tips. He’s coached a long time.”
Moon added of Calvert: “I think he still has more to give. He’s still just learning the trade and you can see him developing into more of a double-threat quarterback who can hurt you with both the pass and the run.”
Moon says he’s had a handful of universities asking him about Calvert. He didn’t get into specifics, other than to say some like him at quarterback and others appreciate his athleticism most of all and see him in another position.
Calvert would like to stay at the pivot. He started playing quarterback in flag football in 2007. His dad Brent was a quarterback in high school. His favourite player is Tom Brady.
He will worry about that down the line, though. His concern now is the Sun Devils making a bid for a B.C. crown.
“We have a lot of talent everywhere,” Calvert said. “It would be great to see all the hard work rewarded.”
Kully loses cancer battle
St. Thomas More Knights head coach Bernie Kully died Saturday after a battle with esophageal cancer. He was 41.
Kully graduated from the Burnaby school in 1994 and had been a teacher, counsellor and coach there since 2000.
The Knights, the No. 5-ranked triple-A football team in the province, will face the No. 1 Terry Fox Ravens of Port Coquitlam Friday (7 p.m.) at Percy Perry Stadium.
“The mood at the school has been very sad,” Aaron Mitchell, who coaches the school’s senior boys basketball team, said via text message Thursday.
“Our students, faculty and alumni are mourning the loss of Bernie and it’s hard. He was part of our community for almost 30 years and will be dearly missed. However, his legacy will live in our halls forever.
“He put everyone before himself, had a deep concern for others and was a true servant leader. This was so evident by the people who showed up to pay their respects to Bernie. It wasn’t just a football group. It was family, friends, current and past students also. He was loved by many.”
For the rest of the high school football schedule, check out www. bchighschoolfootball.com.