A week after a “debacle” that saw the midget Cowichan Bulldogs drive to Victoria only for their game to be cancelled, the team actually got to play this past Sunday and took out their frustrations on the visiting White Rock Titans to the tune of a 26-7 win at McAdam Park.
Nico Harris tackled the Titans returner at the five-yard line on the opening kickoff, which ultimately led to the Bulldogs’ first touchdown, and that series set the tone for the rest of the game: strong defensive play supported by a powerful running game.
Running backs Harris, Stirling Henry and Finn Shea were able to gain yardage behind the improving offensive line, with Henry and Shea running for touchdowns. Shea also completed a touchdown pass to Jesse Kwasny, and Henry returned a kick for a touchdown. Ben Wilson rounded out the scoring with a quarterback sneak.
Shea led the game in tackles at linebacker as the Bulldogs shut down the Titans’ running game. Devin Reithaug and Dillon Wilson kept pressure on the White Rock quarterback, with strong support from John Rostas-Kidd and Gregor MacKenzie.
“This game was a step in the right direction for us as a team,” Cowichan midget coach PJ Shea said. “The athletes still haven’t realized their full potential, but they’re on their way.”
The bantam Bulldogs played to a 28-26 loss against Nanaimo that came right down to the wire at McAdam Park on Sunday.
Cowichan opened the scoring as Brad MacRae ran into the end zone untouched behind blocks by Isaac Keepence, Sebastian Tait and Eamon Manley, with the extra point from Landon Locke. Nanaimo came back to score and took the lead with a two-point convert. Max Lang broke away for a 60-yard touchdown, with another convert from Locke, and Cowichan took a lead into the second half.
Nanaimo regained the lead with another second half touchdown, but MacRae scored on a 25-yard run. Ryder Maertz scrambled to get the two-point convert after a bad snap, but was denied. Nanaimo scored again late in the fourth quarter, with another successful two-point convert. Big runs by Maertz and Connor Harper led to another major for Maertz, but the Bulldogs came just short of the two-point convert that would have tied the game.
“We will be working on conditioning this week as this is the second game that we have let the opposing team back into,” bantam coach Opie Williams said. “We just run out of gas; we need to last four quarters of football.”
The junior bantam and peewee Bulldogs were in action at McAdam Park last Sunday as well. All four teams will hit the road this Sunday. Peewee and junior bantam teams visit Oceanside, the bantams head to Meadow Ridge, and the midgets will travel to Comox.
