A resounding defensive effort combined with their highest point total of the season were instrumental in helping the North Langley Bears capture the Valley Community Football League championship banner.
The Bears hoisted the trophy as peewee league champs with a 36-6 win over the Abbotsford Falcons on Saturday (Nov. 15) at McLeod Athletic Park.
The North Langley defence held the Falcons to a mere 129 yards and one touchdown. Six times the Bears forced a turnover on downs. Leading the way was Brandon Folkerts, who finished with seven solo tackles and assisted on five others.
Mathieu Gale scored two touchdowns, the second one coming after he picked off a pass on defence and ran it back to the Abbotsford 15-yard line to put his team in great position to score the final touchdown.
Marcus Stang scored on an 80-yard run to get things going, and surpassed 1,000 yards rushing for the season.
Caleb Faust had a 43-yard touchdown run while Jordan Williams ran one in from the three-yard line.
Connar Bernardin came up with a stop on the Abbotsford point after attempt while Tyson Hoy added a two-point convert kick.
The Bears will play in the provincial championship final on Nov. 29 at McLeod Athletic Park.
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The North Langley Bears capped off an undefeated season with a convincing 34-2 victory over the Richmond Raiders in the Vancouver Mainland Football League nine-man bantam finals.
The game was played on Saturday at McLeod Athletic Park and the victory advances the Bears to the provincial final this weekend in Kamloops against Salmon Arm.
Zander Bailey scored three touchdowns along the ground while Jacob Stebbings threw a pair of touchdown passes: 20 yards to Treven Baarts and 21 yards to Andy Hanlen.
The defence was dominant all game long as the only Richmond points were off a conceded safety.
Pablo Wigwigan delivered the defensive play of the game as he tracked down a Raiders ball carrier from well behind and tackled him on the North Langley six-yard line. From there, the Bears defence stiffened with big hits from Jacob Price and Ryan Barthelson keeping the Raiders out of the end zone.
And that was Richmond’s only real threat to score as Connor Hurley, Mason Block and Jake Evans led a relentless Bears defence the rest of the way that prevented the Raiders from getting much past midfield.
