Sean Caul
Special to the Langley Advance
The Langley Secondary Saints lost their second exhibition game of the season to the third-ranked AA team in B.C.
Last Friday, the Saints traveled to Nanaimo to face the John Barsby Bulldogs, a Vancouver Island Powerhouse.
The Saints again relied on their ground game, with Senior RB/LB Kori Johnson and Grade 11 RB/DB Kai Thomas splitting the carries.
Johnson would contribute two touchdowns on the day bringing his season total to three, and rush for over 100 yards for the second week in a row. Despite gaining more than 300 yards of offense on the day, mistakes and missed assignments resulted in a 35-21 loss.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Saints jumped out to a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter on a 68-yard rushing touchdown from Grade 11 RB/DB Kai Thomas, behind a run-blocking offensive line led by senior Brady Casson. Thomas would go on to finish the day with 137 all-purpose yards.
The Bulldogs were able to respond quickly, and struck twice before the end of the half, making it 14-7 Barsby at halftime. The Saints responded well in the second half, but were then in catch up mode and unable to make up the defecit to deadlock the game.
Defensively, Eastern Conference All-Star free safety Brodie Thomas led the way with eight tackles despite leaving the game with cramping. Johnson also had a strong game, contributing seven tackles, while Kai Thomas had five tackles and two knockdowns. LB/WR Devin Armstrong also had a strong day with two tackles, a sack and four catches.
Despite the loss, the Saints showed promise, and the Barsby coach was complimentary after the game, calling them “Big, physical and aggressive” and saying they would be “a nightmare in November in the playoffs.”
The Saints now travel Friday (Sept. 21) for their final exhibition game against Clarence Fulton in Vernon, before kicking off a stretch of home games in their Friday Night Lights series at McLeod Athletic Park.
