Griffin Dare on Saturday (Oct. 22) accomplished what so few Howe Sound Sounders football players have been able to do in recent years - make a field goal.
Sure, the Sounders might have been up 41-0 against the Moscrop Panthers when he was asked to take the kick, but it's still a unique achievement and a nice cherry on the top of a 44-0 Sounders win.
"When I told the coaches I was a soccer player, they kind of made me the kicker," Dare said after the team's win. "It felt pretty good to finally get one."
Dare hit the field goal from 28 yards out, and his work on the ground helped set the tone early in the Sounders' rout. On the team's first two offensive possessions, Dare put together two huge runs of 61 and 35 yards to put Howe Sound in control of the game. Anthony Wuster ran back an interception for a touchdown to give the Sounders the 20-0 lead after the first quarter and the team didn't look back from there.
"We got off to a really good start early," Wuster said. "The offensive line made some really good blocks for me
The Sounders smothered the Panthers' offence, allowing them only 60 total yards. Most impressive was the domination of Moscrop's running game, as the Panthers actually lost yardage on the ground. They ran 21 running plays and ended up a -16 for yardage. Jordan Gosteli led the way with five tackles, while Lucas Fiest picked up a team-leading two sacks and recovered two fumbles. Wuster, who was named the defensive player of the game, picked up four tackles and grabbed two picks. The defence even contributed on the scoreboard, with Wuster and Feist returning an interception and a fumble, respectively.
It was an explosion offensively for Howe Sound, as the team picked up 223 total yards and were led by Dare, who was named the offensive player of the game, running for 115 yards rushing on eight carries. Wuster contributed 67 yards rushing and nine yards receiving.
The Sounders improved to 3-0 on the season, but Dare said their work is far from over.
"We've got to keep it going," he said, noting that the win has secured a berth in the playoffs for the team. "There's still two big games left for us in the season."
The team's biggest test of the season is up next when the Sounders travel to Vancouver Island and take on the Nanaimo District Secondary Islanders on Friday (Oct. 28). The Islanders are also undefeated after three weeks and have not allowed a single point this season. They beat Argyle 45-0 on Oct. 7, crushed Moscrop 58-0 on Oct. 14 and whipped Eric Hamber 48-0 on Oct. 21. The two teams are tied at the top of the Tier 2 Western Conference and the game is likely to determine who will win the regular-season crown.
After the clash with the Islanders, the Sounders will take on Argyle Secondary in North Vancouver to close out the season.
For more information on B.C. high school football, visit www.bchighschoolfootball.com.
