May 16, 2024 Victoria, BC (ISN) – In a rare weekday, evening game, the Junior Bantam Saanich Wolverines took on the cross-town Westshore Warriors in a battle of two undefeated teams going into week 7 of Vancouver Island Canadian Football Association ( VICFA ) action.
Fans flocked to the hillside at Copley Park in Saanich to catch a glimpse of what could be a VICFA Championship game preview in next month. With three weeks remaining in the regular season, both teams played with a sense of urgency. With a Westshore win, the Warriors could feel confident of a top spot in the standings at season’s end, however the Wolverines, nipping at the heals of Westshore in the standings with a game in hand, had other plans on their home turf.
The Saanich Wolverines, with two consecutive BCPFA Provincial Championship titles, looked well-prepared for the game at hand. The Wolverines would dominate both sides of the ball in the first half of play, shutting out the vistors on defence while putting up a 32-0 advantage at the break.
The Warriors would demonstrate some resiliency in the second half with two touchdowns in close succession to erase the doughnut and give the Saanich coaching staff a reason to pause for thought. After the first Warrior TD and ensuing kickoff, the Warriors special teams would hem the Wolverines in their own end.
In a rare Saanich stumble in their game, the Warriors defense would show a nose for the ball to cover up a fumbled Wolverine snap to enjoy a red zone possession and ultimately their second TD to cut the lead in half in a shift of momentum in the game.
The Saanich Wolverines rise to the occasion, scoring their final touchdown in the game to quell the Warrior surge and claim the 40-16 victory.
The Warriors now hold a 6-1 record, while Saanich rises to 5-0. The Wolverines have two games in hand versus the Warriors. With time running out in the regular season, Westshore will watch from the sidelines with byes in two of the remaining three weekends, hoping someone will have a solution to Saanich’s potent game.
Saanich will play home – home games versus the fifth place Cowichan Bulldogs before closing out the season against the currently last place Victoria Spartans.
