Langley Rams advanced to the Canadian Bowl Junior Football National Championship game with a 39-14 home win over the Ontario Football Conference champions Hamilton Hurricanes on Saturday.
Both teams scored in the first quarter, but the Rams were ahead by four points by the end of the first quarter and 11 ahead by the half.
The Hurricanes scored again in the third quarter, reducing the Rams lead to 10, but they never closed the gap.
In the fourth quarter, the Rams outscored their rivals 15-0.
Duncan Little threw three touchdown passes to Jevon Cottoy, who finished with nine receptions for 190 yards, and also scored on a one-yard touchdown run and added a 54-yard punt single for good measure.
Hamilton went into the game missing key players.
Hurricanes receiver Colin O’Connor couldn’t make the flight because he had to have kidney stones surgically removed.
Rusher Jaiden Hyland, receiver Keyshaun Jordan and offensive lineman Kyle Maertens were scratched with injuries.
“We stayed on point,” Rams head coach Howie Zaron said. “We moved the ball at will.”
#LangleyRams lead 18-7 v @CanesFootball63 after 1st half. @BCFC_Media @CJFLnews pic.twitter.com/ED5VXJMNHC
— Langley Rams (@LangleyRams) November 4, 2018
The Rams now head for Saskatoon, where they will take on the four-time defending National Champion Hilltops on November 17th.
Zaron is expecting a tough game.
“We’re not going to Saskatoon because it’s great this time of year,” Zaron said.
“We know we’re the underdogs. They haven’t lost a football game in two years.”
However, the Rams have a more-than-decent record themselves, with nine wins in a row.
“We’ve got some great young people,” Zaron said.
https://t.co/P2rLvQXYur In case you missed it, @SaskHilltops head coach interview at Saturday's national semi-final as he scouted the @LangleyRams and @CanesFootball63
— BCFC (@BCFC_Media) November 5, 2018
Saskatoon Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant attended the Saturday game at McLeod Athletic Park in Langley.
During an online interview at half time, he said it was the first time Hilltops have gone as long as three weeks between important games.
“This (the delay) is a first, but we’ll be able to handle it,” Sargeant said, adding it might turn out to be a blessing in disguise.”
“We can get our team a little more fresh.”
Sargeant is also predicting a hard-fought game.
“We know we’ve got a lot of heavy lifting to do to defend home turf.”
READ MORE: Langley Rams football team wins Cullen Cup
The Rams football team earned their shot against Hamilton by winning the 2018 Cullen Cup in Kelowna on Sunday (Oct. 28), defeating the Okanagan Sun 39 – 7 at the Apple Bowl.
The Rams dominated that game from start to finish, building what was an insurmountable 26-0 lead at the half, then adding another 13 points in the fourth quarter.
More to come