JV Owls making history, set to play for B.C. title
The KSS Junior Varsity Owls football team is set to make history, representing Kelowna in the B.C. high school football championship game this weekend.
The Owls will be taking on the Belmont Bulldogs from Langford (Victoria) in the 2018 Subway Bowl on Saturday at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. It’s a big accomplishment for any B.C. high school football team, let alone one from the southern interior. Playing the ‘Dome’ at B.C. Place represents the pinnacle of achievement for high school players across the province.
It is the first time that a KSS football team (varsity or junior varsity) has made a provincial championship.
The JV Owls, comprised of students in Grade 9 and 10, finished the regular season undefeated in the Interior BC AAA Hybrid Division. They were then successful in the playoff wild-card round, defeating the St. Thomas More Knights of Burnaby 55-14.
In the quarterfinal, the Owls showed grit in pulling off a 27-12 victory over the Notre Dame Jugglers of Vancouver.
In the semifinal game last Thursday, the Owls delivered again with a decisive 41-0 win over the two-year reigning provincial champions, the Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers of Surrey.
“This group of young men are so hardworking and committed to the process and our culture,” said Owls head coach Chris Cartwright. “High school football is a grind, we practice every day and have games once per week. It forces our kids to take responsibility not only for their athletics, but time management, commitment and team work.”
The Owls’ football program is modelled on Cartwright’s T.O.U.G.H. philosophy, providing players with a conduct paradigm that helps them understand the importance of being committed to something bigger than themselves. It is an acronym as follows: Team — everything a person does on and off the field is what’s best for the team.
Ownership — everyone must take ownership in their decisions and responsibilities on and off the field.
Universal — everyone must strive to try new things and do things unexpected of them. Be an all-round person.
Growth — everyone must strive to grow as a player and person.
Heart — when you commit to something you love, be passionate and bring everything you can to make a memory.
It’s a mantra that these young players seem to have understood, bringing with them all their combined experience in community football, their long-standing relationships with their coaches and their genuine bond with one another.
Asked what is so special about this group of young men, Cartwright said: “This is a very resilient group. There have been times throughout the year that they have faced some adversity, but they have found a way to rise to any occasion and compete against any opponent.
“This group shows that the future is very bright for us at the varsity level. We are so excited for them to have this experience as some of them will be moving to the varsity level next year.”
Cartwright also praised Kendall Gross, the JV head coach who has helped develop this group of players during their community football years.
“Kendall been a great addition to our coaching staff and one of the first people I met in the football community when I moved here. He has done an amazing job preparing these kids for this opportunity.”
Asked how this team is making history, Cartwright explained: “This JV group is the first KSS football team (varsity and JV) to make a provincial championship. There have been great KSS football teams in the past that have made it to B.C. Place for the playoffs (at the varsity level), but they have not gone as far as this group has.”
As for what playing in ‘The Dome’ symbolizes for high school players across B.C., Cartwright said: “(The Dome) has been the provincial stage for high school football for many years. It gives kids the feeling of playing where the CFL professionals play. It has become that goal for all programs to have the experience to play there.
“It symbolizes the provincial championships. It symbolizes hard work and determination. There are only four JV teams in the province who get this opportunity, so it shows that all that hard work gives you opportunities to experience special things,” he added.
The Owls hope to return to Kelowna triumphant with the trophy and title.
Saturday’s championship game will be streamed live online at sportscanada.tv/ bcss/2018-bchsfa.
HISTORY
— KSS brought football back to the school in 2003.
— Roy Anderson was the first head coach of the program and coached for nine years.
— There was football at KSS in the 1960s and 1970s. The team was known as the KSS Cubs.
— KSS’ first-ever football coach was Bob Schutz. Other coaches still in the community include Larry Johnson, who coached the team in the 1970s.
— There was no high school football in Kelowna in the 1980s and 1990s. — Rutland started their program in 2001. — Mount Boucherie in West Kelowna also started their program in 2003.