Oh brother, what a Subway Bowl battle
FOOTBALL: Hladik siblings played big role for No. 1-ranked Vernon, while Philpot twins power North Delta
Football teams have always repped the theme of brothers-in-arms. Yet for the two combatants in the Subway Bowl B.C. double-A championship final at B.C. Place Stadium, the mantra carries an ever-deeper meaning.
If you have spent any time this season watching the exploits of the No. 1-ranked Vernon Panthers and North Delta’s No. 2-ranked Seaquam Seahawks, especially last weekend’s semifinal contests, then you know that each team’s real-life brother duo has played a huge part in bringing the tier’s top two teams together Saturday (4:30 p.m.) in a winner-take-all finale under the dome.
And while the respective coaches admit it’s tough to speak to the impact the opposing duos have had, their answers speak to a larger picture of the ripple effect created through a locker-room when siblings are able to both challenge and celebrate each other’s daily accomplishments.
For the Panthers, playing in their first senior varsity provincial football final, it’s impossible to ignore the impact senior Ben Hladik and his Grade 11 brother Bradley have had on the team’s fortunes.
Last week in a 21-7 win over Richmond’s No. 4 Hugh Boyd Trojans, Ben, who on Tuesday was named B.C. double-A player of the year, caught a touchdown pass and was his usual dominant self as defensive end/tight end.
Little brother Bradley actually oneupped him, catching a touchdown pass and then scoring the game’s most stirring major on a deflected pick-six play in the third quarter.
“I don’t know if there is a built-in advantage to having brothers on a team, but I would say that Ben has been a huge influence on the younger Bradley in terms of pushing him to work harder in the off-season and setting a great example for him,” said Panthers head coach Sean Smith, whose team will attempt to become the first up-country team since the 1990 triple-A Kamloops Red Devils to win a senior varsity football title.
“Ben’s work ethic and dedication to the game are off the charts and Bradley has a great built-in role model to follow. If Bradley didn’t have Ben as a role model, I’m not sure he’d be the same player.”
Meanwhile, Seaquam’s Jalen and Tyson Philpot, both Grade 11s and identical twins, have turned in so many eye-popping plays this season in all three phases of the game, they have made them the norm.
Between rushing, receiving, punt and kickoff returns, the two brothers combined to produce 3,110 yards and 34 touchdowns during the regular season.
Most impressive? Any time a Philpot touched the ball on offence, the average gain was 17 yards.
“It’s interesting because while they are identical twins with very similar abilities, Jalen is a little better running back and Tyson is a little better receiver,” said Seaquam head coach Jerry Mulliss, who will retire after 49 years of coaching following the game.
“The one thing they both share is a great knowledge and understanding of the game and like many identical twins, they seem to communicate with each other without speaking. It’s eerie.”
The coaches have deep respect for each other’s strengths.
“Ben reminds me a lot of (ex-B.C. Lion) Jason Clermont,” Mulliss said of the elder Hladik. “He is big, physical, runs like a deer and has great hands.”
Added Smith of the Seahawks team speed: “These guys will be the fastest and most athletic group that we’ve had to contend with all season. It would be hard if they had one or two game-changers, but having four or five them of them on offence is going to make things very difficult for our defence to contend with.”