The Pen High Lakers Cinderella run was great while it lasted.
The rugby squad bowed to Terry Fox Secondary on June 3, 30-20 in the B.C. Secondary School Rugby Union AAA Tier 2 championship and they did it without their top player Dante Kilian for the entire second half. Lakers coach Ken Sommerfeldt said Kilian had to leave the game with a dislocated shoulder in the opening half. Sommerfeldt said Kilian’s absence had a big impact on them.
“That’s one of the reasons say we’re looking at that we didn’t come up with a win,” he said.
Sommerfeldt also felt it wasn’t the best game played by either team during graduation weekend.
“Ours was Friday night and Terry Fox was Saturday night. Their boys were looking towards their grad, and our boys were trying to recover from their grad,” said Sommerfeldt not wanting to make excuses.
Going in, Sommerfeldt said the Lakers were unknowns. During the tournament he said it was unlikely that their opponents scouted them as they didn’t use their strengths to take advantage of the Lakers weaknesses.
“We were a completely unknown and not at all respected team as far as what was expected to be accomplished,” he said. “Then when we knocked off the No. 1 seed, they were very surprised. Just making the provincials was a big step for us. Going down and winning our first two games was a huge step forward. Losing in the final was not what we hoped for. I think everybody in the end, maybe a little disappointed, but overall, quite happy with our results over the year.”
Sommerfeldt said it was the first time in nearly two decades that the team played in the provincial championships.
“That is quite the accomplishment that the boys should be proud of,” he said.
