One Island team will reach the final, the other will be finished.
The Nanaimo Redmen meet the Cowichan Bulldogs this Sunday (Nov. 24) in Duncan in the Vancouver Mainland Football League midget semifinals.
The Redmen (8-2-1) and Bulldogs (10-1) advanced after quarter-final wins last weekend, with Nanaimo getting past the Chilliwack Giants 22-14 and Cowichan shutting out the Victoria Spartans 36-0.
The Island neighbours played earlier this month, with the Bulldogs edging the Redmen 15-10 at May Richards Bennett Pioneer Park.
“We gave Cowichan a really tough game and we think that if it wasn’t for our mistakes, we would have beat them,” said Sean Roden, Redmen coach.
So that’s a positive, he said, and his team is also relatively healthy for this time of year, a crucial factor considering the club’s shallow roster.
Doug (Opie) Williams, coach of the Cowichan midgets, said the Redmen will try to shut down his team’s run game so it will be important for his Bulldogs to limit miscues with the pass game.
The winner gets to play for a championship, so both teams are going to go hard.
“Football is about making sacrifices for your teammates,’’ said Williams. “Now is the time to make those sacrifices. We need to stay focused and we need to step up our game.”
GAME ON … The Redmen and Bulldogs kick off Sunday at 1 p.m. at Duncan’s McAdam Park … The North Surrey Bears are taking on the Langley Stampeders that same day in the VMFL’s other semifinal.
-with files from Don Bodger
