Without missing a beat, the junior bantam Cowichan Bulldogs got the spring football season off to an outstanding start by beating the South Side Dawgs 34-13 in Nanaimo last Saturday.
The Bulldogs have picked up right where they left off as Island champions in the fall season, going undefeated in a preseason jamboree at Westhills and following that up with last weekend’s win over South Side.
“The team played well for the first real game of the year,” Cowichan coach PJ Shea said. “We saw a lot of good things, and we identified issues that we need to address. Playing a solid team like South Side early in the season, especially with a passing game as strong as they have, is a good way for us to benchmark our progress.”
The Bulldogs unveiled a new offence against South Side, using multiple ball-carriers to create pressure. The results spoke for themselves.
“As coaches, we have asked a lot of the players, installing new offensive and defensive schemes in a fairly short amount of time,” Shea related. “The players have worked hard, and have absorbed some really complex instruction without complaint. As they did last year, these athletes are taking great pride in the responsibility, and their commitment to the team. We had flashes of brilliance, and moments that we can correct. The year is looking good.”
Backs Finn Shea, Jesse Kwasny and Jaxson Jones each scored a touchdown behind the strong blocking of the Cowichan offensive line, although a solid performance from Gavin Kendrick was cut short due to an injury. Led by linemen Dillon Wilson, Jayden Strzok and Gregor McKenzie, the Bulldogs were also dominant on defence, all but shutting down the Dawgs’ running game. The defence also contributed a few points, with a safety by Wilson and a blocked punt by Wilson and Strzok that McKenzie returned for a touchdown.
The Bulldogs will play their first home game this Saturday afternoon at McAdam Park against the Westshore Warriors. The atoms play at 10 a.m., the peewees play at 11:30 a.m. and the junior bantams play at 1 p.m.
