The Langley Saints march to the provincial championship game came up short in overtime.
The junior varsity football team lost 18-15 in overtime to the Ballenas Whalers on Wednesday at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex.
“We left twelve points on the field,” lamented Ryk Piche, the Saints co-head coach and defensive co-ordinator.
He was referring to the fact the team missed a pair of extra points, a field goal and fumbled on their opponent’s one-yard line.
The Saints had gone 3-2 in the regular season, outscoring their foes 140-69 over those five games. And in the quarter-finals, they knocked off the 5-0 Holy Cross Crusaders 23-21 on a field goal in the dying seconds.
The Crusaders had surrendered just a combined 22 games in those five games.
And the Whalers (4-1) were also a formidable foe, allowing 19 points in their five games.
SEE: Langley Saints junior varsity squad marches to B.C. semifinals
And while the loss may sting, that doesn’t take away from the fact how much the Saints program has grown, especially considering that two years ago, there was not even a junior varsity program.
“We had an amazing season — we encountered a ton of adversity, yet we overcame these obstacles,” Piche said, adding that there is plenty to be excited about for the future of the program.
sports@langleytimes.com