Ex-Lion’s son has it down cold
Matt Chapdelaine puts Quebec winter training to good use, earns Mouat a win
When he was knee-high to a snowman, Matt Chapdelaine spent hour after freezing hour catching footballs thrown by his father Jacques in the backyard of the family home in Lennoxville, Que. Young Matt had no idea at the time how important that regular winter ritual would become.
But Jacques Chapdelaine must have known something. The former B. C. Lions wide receiver and current offensive coordinator was developing a son with sure hands and quick feet — both of which came together in dramatic fashion late Saturday night at B. C. Place Stadium.
With only 1: 53 remaining in the Subway Bowl B.C. high- school AAA championship game, Matt Chapdelaine caught a 41-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Austin Teer that lifted Abbotsford’s W. J. Mouat Hawks into a 6-6 tie with the Vancouver College Fighting Irish.
Chapdelaine beat three Irish defenders to the ball. The play was converted by kicker Tanbir Sahota, who gave the Hawks a 7-6 margin of victory.
“ All those cold winter nights back in Lennoxville have finally paid off,” a beaming Chapdelaine said after leading the Hawks to their second provincial championship and accepting the titlegame MVP award. “My dad and I stayed out there in the freezing cold every night, playing throw- and- catch for what I swear was four hours at a time. There was always snow on the ground, so I developed a sense of balance at a very young age.”
Chapdelaine’s heroics erased a 6- 0 Vancouver College lead early in the fourth quarter, when tailback Oscar Tapia rushed for a 20-yard touchdown. Brody McKnight’s convert attempt was blocked, however, setting the stage for the Hawks’ comeback.
“ All I did was throw the ball up there in a kind of short Hail Mary way,” said Teer. “I knew that Matt was going to go big on the play. He made an incredible catch against triple coverage, but he’s been doing that kind of thing all season. If I can get the ball anywhere near him, he usually comes up with it.”
It was Vancouver College’s fourth appearance in a B. C. championship game in five years. The Irish have been beaten each time, including a 52- 27 loss to the Hawks in the first provincial championship game between the teams in 2002.
Saturday’s win capped an 11-0 season by Mouat. Vancouver College suffered its first loss in 10 games against B. C. opponents.
danstinson@shaw.ca