Lord Tweedsmuir, Terry Fox prepare for key clash today
Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers coach Kurt Thornton was paying big compliments to the Terry Fox Ravens’ biggest players Thursday morning heading into the biggest game of the triple-A football season.
The No. 1-ranked Panthers of Surrey host the No. 2 Ravens of Port Coquitlam today (3 p.m.).
Thornton says his team must find ways to combat the play of Terry Fox’s offensive and defensive lines to embrace any success.
That Ravens group is coached by Tom Kudaba, a former B.C. Lions offensive lineman, and features highly regarded Matt Hewa Baddege, a 6-7, 330-pound Grade 12 athlete.
“And they’re more than just him,” Thornton interjected of Hewa Baddege.
“They’re a lot to deal with. “Every year, they put forward a line that’s well coached. That’s a credit to Tom. Even when they haven’t been huge in the past, they play tough and smart and work well as a unit, and this year they have size, too. We’re going to need to be really solid in both our run and pass-blocking schemes and match their physicality up front.”
The Panthers (2-1 overall, 1-0 conference) and the Ravens (4-0 overall, 1-0 conference) have some similarities.
They both have winning histories. Terry Fox has played in the past two triple-A senior high provincial finals, including losing 15-14 to the New Westminster Hyacks last December on a controversial last-second touchdown.
Lord Tweedsmuir has won the triple-A junior varsity B.C. crown the past two seasons.
Quarterback Jevaun Jacobsen was expected to be one of the Ravens’ leaders this season. He instead decided to spend his Grade 12 year at a Florida prep school.
Running back Braeden Hutchinson was slated to be integral to the Panthers.
He suffered what’s being called a season-ending knee injury during a spring scrimmage.
“We are looking forward to the challenge of playing Lord Tweedsmuir. They are a very wellcoached, balanced team that can throw the ball and run it with equal authority. Their defence is also very stout,” said Martin McDonnell, who shares head coaching duties at Terry Fox with Kudaba.
“We have had a decent week of practice but must play better than we have so far to compete with them or, in fact, any of the top teams like New Westminster, Vancouver College, St. Thomas More or Notre Dame.
“We are finding our way with some guys playing in new positions and hope to improve this week and each week throughout the playoffs. We need to play better than we have up to this point for sure.
“It will certainly be a litmus test game but, win or lose, not as important as getting better and getting ready for the rest of the season and the playoffs.”
The Panthers defeated the Ravens 17-0 at Percy Perry Stadium last October in their regular-season meeting. Lord Tweedsmuir lost 25-17 to the South Delta Sun Devils in the provincial quarterfinals last November.
The Hyacks are the No. 3 team in the triple-A rankings.