The Chilliwack Giants are on their way to only the second Provincial Final for peewee in Chilliwack minor football history. The last time a Chilliwack team played for the Provincial Championship was 2002.
The Giants defeated the Kelowna Lions 44-30 to advance to the final while the Coquitlam Wildcats defeated the South Delta Rams in the other semi-final 20-0. The Giants play the Wildcats next Sunday December 5 at 11am at McLeod Athletic Park in Langley. “We have come a long way from mid-October”, explained Head Coach Laurie Smith. “We had lost 3 in a row and were looking a little lost. We just brought the boys together and said our success will not come from individual efforts but from a team, and we started playing like a team rather than a bunch of individuals. We stopped giving out game awards and focussed on team execution.” Since that 3rd loss the Giants have rattled off 6 wins in a row to advance to the final. “To see the transformation from then to now, anyone would be proud of this group” concluded Smith.
Running back Emilio Pineda led the way for the Giants with 23 carries, 225 yards and 2 TDs, while Ethan Mastin and Gabe Mannes also scored TDs. Michael Lengert caught a short pass for a TD in the fourth quarter as well from Spencer Breslin. Mannes had 5 carries for 103 yards and 1 TD and Breslin managed to provide converts on 4 of 6 TDs. The Giants rolled up almost 400 yards of offense against the Lions defense, but needed all of it in the face of a very determined Lions team that kept coming back from substantial deficits. Again, the yards gained were a direct result of an outstanding offensive line including Gibson Hardie, Devan Voss, Gaven Streifel, Jake Troyan and Noah Chand. “Troyan’s pull blocking and Hardie’s cut blocking were the keys to success on our power” noted offensive coach Andy Uzick, “this group has been together for almost six months and the execution shows that experience.”
On Defense the team was without middle linebacker Wyatt Uzick after the first quarter and relied heavily on the leadership of Brendan Piegsa. Piegsa returned an interception for a 25 yd TD early in the first quarter and had several tackles. Defensive tackle Jaren Lengert led the team in tackles with 5 and a also had 2 sacks while Tyler Kermode and Colin Campbell, both playing in relief of Uzick, contributed 3 tackles each. Corners Adam Phillips and Evan McCracken aslo had solid games, each contributing several tackles and a sack, while providing good coverage to limit the Kelowna passing game. Safety Bradley Langlois knocked down two passes playing tight coverage on the Lions receivers. Defensive halfback Terry Richely also had a TD saving tackle as the Lions attempted to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter. Defensive tackle Austin Kardux added two tackles while Sureet Pabbi and Taj Sidhu provided ample pressure on blitzes in the second half.
As noted, the Giants play in the Provincial Championship against the Coquitlam Wildcats on Sunday December 5 at 11am at McLeod Athletic Park in Langley. A win would make them the first peewee team from Chilliwack to ever win the Provincial final.
Picture: Running Back Emilio Pineda evades a Kelowna tackler on his way to one of two TDs
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