The weather delayed game took place at Townsend Park in Chilliwack last night with temperatures dipping to -10C. “I told the boys that hitting Falcons would keep them warm, and apparently they listened!” noted head Coach Lawrence Smith.
The Giants defense allowed only 36 net yards to the Falcons offense and recorded several sacks. Abbotsford’s typically great arial attack floundered in the face of blitz after blitz. “We wanted to bring pressure and make their quarterback very uncomfortable….if he gets in a groove he is tough to stop” stated Defensive Coach David Janzen, “they beat us 36-0 last time we met and most of their points were through the air.” VCFL Championship Game MVP Jake Troyan had 3 sacks and brought relentless pressure while twins Michael and Jaren Lengert were impossible to block from their defensive line positions. Linebackers Spencer Breslin and Gabe Mannes applied pressure and forced the Abbotsford quarterback to misfire for most of the game. Corners Adam Phillips and Evan McCracken and Halfback Brendan Piegsa successfully applied a press coverage and prevented the receivers from releasing from the line of scrimmage. Leading tackler Wyatt Uzick completely shut down the run game as well with the help of linebacker Emilio Pineda and defensive tackle Austin Kardux. “They say defense wins championships…couldn’t be more true than tonight” exclaimed Janzen, “we are so proud of all of these boys!”
On Offense, the Giants depended on the capable inside running of Ethan Mastin and Emilio Pineda. Mastin scored 2 touchdowns running the always potent wedge play while running back Gabe Mannes had 9 carries for 72 yards and 1 TD. Emilio Pineda was the Giants leading rusher for the third straight game, filling in for the injured Uzick at 1-back. The Giants simple inside running scheme ran down the clock effectively, with one drive consuming an entire quarter. The Giants running game depends completely on the push from the offensive line. The line, anchored by centre Gibson Hardie, with outstanding efforts by Gaven Streiffel, Devan Voss and Noah Chand, was clearing great holes for the backs.
The Giants next play in the Provincial Semi-Finals this Saturday at Townsend Park versus the Mission (Kelowna) Lions. A victory in the semi-final would send the Giants to the Provincial Championships December 5.
Peewee
Chilliwack 20 Abbotsford 0
Junior Bantam
Abbotsford 7 Chilliwack 6 (OT)
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