It’s been a banner year for the Lord Tweedsmuir Football Panthers.
After last year’s early-round exit for all three teams (Grade 8s, JVs, and Varsity), this year the squads have enjoyed early playoff success and one team is already in a championship final.
“With three teams in the playoffs, and all of them coming off victories last week, the future of the Tweedsmuir football program looks very bright,” noted Walter van Halst, a teacher at the school and the football program’s equipment manager. “This would be impressive for any school, especially a public school, and all schools have been rebuilding after COVID.”
GRADE 8s
Ranked 1st in B.C., Lord Tweedsmuir’s Grade 8 team dispatched St. Thomas More 28-13 at Cloverdale Athletic Park Nov.14 in their provincial semi-final game.
The team will now face Vancouver College in the final. College dumped Notre Dame in the other semifinal 20-12. Incidentally, Notre Dame handed Tweedy its only loss of the season, a 26-20 regular season win over the Panthers at Notre Dame.
The Panthers handed College its only loss of the season in a Halloween game at O’Hagan field, running out an 18-7 win.
The two will collide for provincial honours Nov. 25 at B.C. Place.
JUNIOR VARSITY
After winning their playoff wildcard game against Sardis 42 - 0 on Nov. 8, Tweedy’s junior varsity team “looked formidable” going into their quarterfinal game against Notre Dame Nov. 15, said van Halst.
“They went undefeated all season long,” added van Halst.
Their record, 5-0 in the regular season, stretched to two more wins, as the JV squad built on their wildcard victory over Sardis by downing Notre Dame 35-13 at Cloverdale Athletic Park Nov. 15.
They JV team now plays South Delta in a semifinal game that will take place Nov. 23 (after press time), with the winner of that game getting a spot in the final at B.C. Place stadium in a couple of weeks.
SENIOR VARSITY
The varsity Panthers won their AAA wildcard game Nov. 10 against Notre Dame. The Panthers blanked the Jugglers in that contest, also played at Cloverdale Athletic Park, 14-0.
The win was powered by the ground attack of Jaxon “the Real Deal” Allan. He led the team with 134 yards rushing and added two TDs.
“He’s a threat to score any time he touches the ball,” noted van Halst.
On defense, Ede “the Nigerian Nightmare” Aimiose became the schools all-time leader in tackles after he recorded six in Tweedsmuir’s win over the Jugglers. That brought Aimiose up to 160, all-time. He had entered the game at 154 career tackles in senior ball at Tweedy. He need just two to break ‘08 grad Franky Schubert’s 2006-2007 record of 155. With those six against Notre Dame, The Nigerian Nightmare moved up to 75 on the year.
Head Coach Nick Kawaza said he was “very happy” with his squad’s effort against the Jugglers.
“We worked hard and were focused during the week,” Kawaza said. “Our players were well prepared and did their jobs.”
He said the team’s kicking game is much improved. He said Grade 10er Jerin Harinen was “outstanding” on kickoffs while fellow Grade 10er Tyler Jones had “a strong leg” on the punt team.
“His punting kept us in good field position all game.”
The senior varsity squad faced the G.W. Graham Grizzlies Nov. 17 in Chilliwack in a AAA quarterfinal game. The Panthers lost to the Grizzlies 42-0 in that game, ending their season.
The Nightmare earned six tackles in the game against the Grizzlies. Aimiose finishes his season with 81 and his career at Tweedy with 166, breaking Schubert’s 14-year record by 11 tackles.
