After one week down in the B.C. high school football playoffs, only one Abbotsford senior varsity team remains.
The Robert Bateman Timberwolves are the lone local team standing after hanging on to an 8-7 win over the South Kamloops Titans in Kamloops on Friday night.
Thing started rough offensively for the Wolves, as they fumbled on their first two drives – one those fumbles led to a Titans touchdown and they took a 7-0 lead into the first half.
Bateman got on the board in the third quarter, when defensive end Quan Michaels blocked a South Kamloops punt which led to a two-point safety.
The Wolves then scored on the next drive when quarterback Ty Martens scored a rushing touchdown.
Martens had an outstanding game on both ends of the ball, running for 115 yards and collecting four tackles and a sack. Linebacker Phoenix Moller added an impressive nine tackles on his own.
Bateman now advances to the AA quarter-final, which sees them take on the Ballenas Whalers in Nanaimo on Friday afternoon. The Whalers finished the season at perfect 4-0, and received a bye last weekend after finishing first in the AA’s Western Conference.
Ballenas outscored its opposition 129-17 over the four regular season games. The two teams did meet in an exhibition game back on Sept. 20, with the Whalers defeating Bateman 42-21 in Nanaimo. One player to watch on the Whalers is quarterback Ben Chomolok, who was named the offensive most valuable player for the Western Conference. Defensively, Whalers linebacker Adrian Friesen was the conference defensive MVP.
Kick-off is set for 3 p.m.
Over at Panther Field, the Abbotsford Panthers season came to screeching halt after a 40-13 loss to the Notre Dame Jugglers on Saturday.
The Panthers trailed 14-13 at the half, but then three costly turnovers moved the game out of reach.
Abbotsford tossed one interception and fumbled twice, with all three turnovers leading to Jugglers touchdowns.
The loss brings an end to what was a mostly successful 2019 for the Panthers senior varsity team. The club finished the season at 5-2 and running back Jalem Catlin was named the offensive most valuable player for the AAA’s Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile in Surrey, the W.J. Mouat Hawks season also came to an end after a 57-7 loss to the Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers on Friday afternoon.
Tweedsmuir led 14-0 after one and 28-0 after two to cruise to the win.
The loss ends Mouat’s solid 4-1 season for 2019.
For more on all the games, visit bchighschoolfootball.com.
