October 14, 2019 Victoria, BC (ISN) – The Mt. Douglas Rams gave the Belmont Bulldogs more than they could handle, as both the Junior and Varsity Rams would handily defeat the Belmont Bulldogs in BCSSFA double header action Friday night under the lights at Goudy Field for the sweep.
Mount Douglas Rams victories would be bitter sweet as high school football fans would digest a ruling released earlier in the day by BC School Sports regarding the Rams football club’s illegal recruiting practices. The ruling handed down will see penalties handed to the high school for infractions contrary to high school sports guidelines.
In the warm up match to the Varsity BCSSFA Game of the Week, the Junior Varsity Rams would defeat Belmont 30-7.
The Ram’s Miltiadis Koulelis would dominate the rushing game, taking the ball from QB Malik Gagne-Smith under center, to rush for three of his team’s majors and 118 yards to dominate the scoreboard. Belmont’s Witt Nevins would score the Bulldog’s only major in the game, rushing five yards to the end zone in the dying minutes of the fourth quarter.
After a slow start to the preseason with a 1-3 record, the JV Bulldogs looked primed to compete against the Rams after a crushing 48-14-win last week over Handsworth of Vancouver to open the season of the right foot. The Rams, also 1-0 coming into week two football action would shut out Saint Thomas Moore Knight 29-0 with the same stifling defense that the Bulldogs would experience at Goudy Field Friday afternoon.
The Ram’s would open up a 14-0 score by end of the first quarter on a pair of TDs’ by Koulelis to set the Bulldog back on their heels. Despite some success running the ball with Belmont’s Hudson Poppitt calling the plays for his squad. Poppitt, a legitimate running threat on his own from behind the line of scrimmage would depend on teammates Beau Lewis-Nevramont, Finn Duncan, Ethan Loo, and Witt Nevins to move the ball for positive yardage.
Rams would take a comfortable 22-0 lead in to halftime with on a strong defensive effort and a TD reception in the second quarter by Bryce Reuther from Gagne-Smith.
The Belmont defense would come to life in the third frame. Showing a sense of urgency in their pace down by twenty-two points, the Bulldogs would keep the Rams away from the score board. That urgency would pay a small, offensive dividend near the midway mark of the final quarter of play when the Rams would find themselves hemmed in after a failed fourth down conversion, forced to turn over the ball. Belmont’s Witt Nevins would rush for his team’s only TD of the game, powering ball in a across the goal line a hard-fought five-yard rush to erase the Bulldogs donut.
Koulelis would cap his tri-fecta of TD’s with his third major of the game with three minutes remaining on the clock, to seal a 30-7 victory and their second win in as many consecutive weeks.
The BCSSFA Game of the Week, a Friday night under the lights tilt, football fans and supporters from both sides would pack the stands at Goudy Field to see a rare night, matchup between the Varsity Bulldogs and the Mt. Douglas Rams.
The Rams would prevail in the contest, besting the Langford team 34-0 to improve to 2-2 with the win. Dropping their first two games of the season, the Rams have now put together a two-game consecutive win streak, while a young, 0-4 Bulldogs team is still looking for their first mark in the win column in the 2019 regular season. A physical Mt Douglas Rams would force Belmont to rotate through all three QB’s in search of a winning touch.
QB Hunter Swift would get the nod for his Rams, while Hunter Bowles would be activated for the home team Bulldogs. For Bowles, it would be his first start in the QB position since his 2018 BC High school football provincial championship final appearance at BC Place last December.
It wouldn’t take long for the visiting Rams to assert themselves in the game. With a strong defensive presence, the Ram’s would back up the Bulldogs with impunity to open the game. Rams would open the scoring, taking a 15-0 lead in the first quarter of play on majors by Glen Rose and Jackson Reid. The Rams would add the first of two forced safeties in the game to their lead.
Unable to mount any consistent offense under the Rams pressure, Bowles would be replaced after just one quarter of play, giving way to designated starting QB Simon Hales to find a solution to the Rams physical play in the second and third quarters of play as the Rams continued to exploit the Bulldogs offensive line. The Rams would record 12 sacks in the game.
Despite the rams defensive pressure, the Bulldogs would hem the Rams in their own zone threatening them with the score, but a hug defensive, goal-line stand but the Rams defensive core would nullify any Belmont success at the end zone.
The Rams Peter Primeau would carry the ball for the 1-yard rushing major in the second quarter to give his team a 22-0 halftime lead.
Bulldogs QB Jayden Playfair would take over for Hales in the second half. Showing his ability running the ball out of the back field to keep the Rams defense honest. Despite those small successes, Playfair’s Bulldogs would continue to find resistance stringing together any sustained attack.
Despite an aggressive style of play, leading to multiple penalties and a player ejection in the second half of play, the Mt. Douglas Rams would continue to role offensively with a field goal and another touchdown by Jackson Reid, his second of the game, to post a decisive 34-0 win.
Next up the Rams will host the 1-3 Carson Graham Eagles of Vancouver at RAP, while the Bulldogs will see the undefeated 4-0 South Delta Sun Devils roll into town for a matchup at Goudy Field. Both games will take place October 18th, at 1pm and 5pm respectively.
