It’s been a good week for the football teams at Lord Tweedsmuir.
On Nov. 21, the junior varsity Panthers booked their place in the provincial title game with a big win over Vancouver College. Two days later the varsity team punched their ticket the provincial championship with a big win over the Notre Dame Jugglers.
Tremel States-Jones, Noah Anderson, and Key’Shaun Dorsey led the way for the Panthers as they outpaced the Jugglers 26-14 Nov. 23 to lift Tweedy into its first AAA varsity championship final game.Dorsey completed 14/22 passes and threw for 178 yards. He also ran seven times for 78 yards.
“”I am already thinking of all the work in front of us, and what a great group of kids we have,” said Tweedy head coach Kurt Thornton. “I know they’re going to do everything they can to give us the best chance we have.”
Both defenses played well in the first half of the semifinal game at B.C. Place. Neither offense could get anything going until Dorsey connected with States-Jones on a 22-yard TD throw with about eight minutes left in the second quarter.
States-Jones gets himself wide open and Dorsey finds him. @ltsssports pic.twitter.com/ZBu0HNJZE6
— BC HS Football (@BCHSFB) November 24, 2019
If the first half was sluggish for Tweedy, they broke it open in the second. Partway through the third quarter, Dorsey connected on some timely throws and garnered some key first downs.
Jaxon Stebbings dancing down the field @ltsssports pic.twitter.com/PaWqu5yBxz
— BC HS Football (@BCHSFB) November 24, 2019
As things were going in LT’s favour, the momentum shift seemed complete when States-Jones pounded in an 11-yard TD run with about seven minutes to go in the third quarter. LT missed the convert and it was 13-0.
After the ensuing kickoff, Tweedy recovered a fumble on the Jugglers 30-yard line. A few plays later, Dorsey ran the ball himself on a quarterback-draw play and scampered in for an 18-yard TD run (missed 2-point convert: 19-0).
Key'Shaun Dorsey gets the @ltsssports 3rd TD of the evening. pic.twitter.com/eq8GdOrx26
— BC HS Football (@BCHSFB) November 24, 2019
The Jugglers cut the Panthers’ lead to 19-7 with about seven minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Then, with less than three minutes to play, Noah anderson added a five-yard touchdown dive to make the score 26-7.
Noah Anderson puts @ltsssports back up by 3 scores with this run. pic.twitter.com/eOTyvTIiME
— BC HS Football (@BCHSFB) November 24, 2019
The Jugglers threw for one final TD with 16 seconds left in the game.
At the end of the game, Thornton acknowledged it takes a little bit of luck to get to the championship.
“Every game presents it own challenges and sometimes there is luck involved. Sometimes you get the bounces, and sometimes you don’t.”
Tweedy faces Vancouver College in the final Nov. 30 at B.C. Place. College handled St. Thomas More quite easily in the other semifinal 37-8. Kickoff is 7 p.m.
In the JV final, LT plays Victoria’s Mt. Douglas. That game kicks off at 11:45 a.m.
“We are so proud to have both teams in the provincial finals,” added Thornton. “Vancouver College will have a tremendous fan base in attendance and we need the support of the Cloverdale community at the game. Tickets are available for $10 at the school office or $20 at (B.C. Place) and kids under 7 are free.”
If you can’t make it down to the stadium for either of the games, check out the Cloverdale Reporter’s Facebook page Nov. 30 and we’ll post a link to where the game can be streamed live.
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