The Fulton Maroons capped an undefeated season with a 53-36 win over the VSS Panthers, earning their first-ever Southern Interior junior varsity football crown Tuesday afternoon at Grahame Park.
Playing under sunny skies, hard-running Davron Polok paced the Maroons with four rushing touchdowns, hitting the end zone from 19, 23, 59 and four yards.
Max Chapman, on an 11-yard rush, quarterback Tye Kitzman, on a 37-yard rush, Layne Greene, on a 34-yard interception return, and Caleb McCuaig, on a gorgeous 36-yard toss from Kitzman, completed the Maroon scoring.
Ben Aspenleider booted five of eight converts.
Polok finished the day with 239 yards on 16 carries, while Chapman (58 yards), Kitzman (39 yards) and Greene (47 yards) also racked up some mileage.
Kitzman posted 55 passing yards on four of six attempts, with McCuaig (45 yards) and Luc Mitchell (10 yards) reeling in catches.
“This was a great win for our kids and our program,” said Fulton head coach Mike Scheller. “We have had JV football for three years now, and have steadily improved. I would really like to thank coaches Kevin Stecyk, Cole Tucker and Roger Scales for all their dedication to the team.”
Trevor Feeney led Fulton’s defence with nine tackles, while Chapman had eight, Greene supplied seven, and Ryan Buick and Brett Shaigec each had three.
Zac Kronbauer was the Panthers’ main threat, rushing for 223 yards and two TDs on 20 carries. He added 66 yards on two catches and a fumble recovery for a score.
QB Jon Garvie completed three of 10 passes for 81 yards and added a rushing touchdown.
Braydon Lodder racked up eight tackles on the Panther defence, Kronbauer had six and Jaxon Toth had four. Lodder, Kronbauer, Toth and Andy Hladic all recorded sacks.
The Panthers turned the ball over seven times, with Fulton’s Darrein Broomfield, Polok, Buick and Liam Curran each collecting a fumble recovery. Chapman and Curran earned picks.
“We did not come ready to play today,” said VSS head coach Dave Tetrault. “You cannot expect to win when you turn the ball over.
“Zac Kronbauer did a good job igniting this team with his two defensive touchdowns in the second quarter. That woke us up and got us in the game. We played much better from that point, but it’s hard to come back after spotting them a 35-0 lead in the first 15 minutes.”
Added Scheller: “Polok played his usual stellar game for us. If he gets into open field he is very tough to tackle. The O-line gave him some nice holes to run through, and he capitalized.
“Layne Greene did an excellent job of sealing the edge for us. Max Chapman had his best game of the season for us. He ran hard, blocked very well, and was a force on defence.
“Tye Kitzman has done a superb job of leading us all season, and played well again on both sides of the ball.
“DT Justin Marchand was tough for us inside, and inside LBs Trevor Feeney and Ryan Buick continued their strong play. CB Liam Curran also played very well, with a fumble recovery and a nice interception near the goal line.”
Meanwhile, a senior varsity provincial berth will be on the line when the Maroons visit the Kalamalka Lakers Saturday morning (11 a.m.).
The VSS Panthers face the Okanagan Mission Huskies in the 2 p.m. game, also at Kal.
