VANCOUVER — Ending the greatest reigning dynasty in all of B.C. high school sports took everything and then some.
Fortunately for Duncan’s Cowichan Thunderbirds, they were up to the task before them, going to double overtime Saturday afternoon at UBC’s Wolfson Fields, ending the seven-year reign of North Vancouver’s Carson Graham Eagles in the championship final of the B.C. senior girls Triple A rugby championships.
The final score actually read 10-10, but rules at the Under-19 level only permit the playing of two five-minute overtime halves.
And while Cowichan won the game based on the fact that it scored two tries to one by Carson Graham, none of that detracted from the plucky effort put forth by the Vancouver Island school which had lost two of the last three B.C. finals to the Eagles.
“We have a ton of respect for that Carson program,” said Thunderbirds’ head coach Brad Skene. “We have been working hard to try and keep up with them, and it means so much to the players and the coaches to beat a dynasty team. This group has come through in the hard times. That we were able to finish our season undefeated after playing five overtime games speaks volumes.”
Cowichan prop Mikaela Fitz-George in the first half from close quarters, and fullback Leah Theobald with what proved to be the decisive dagger on an 80-metre run, scored the ‘Birds two tries as Cowichan rallied from a 10-5 first-half deficit.
Carson Graham scored off a penalty kick by Jess Neilson and a converted try by Karen Nelson.
“I think right now there is such a bitter taste because our girls knew they were right there and that we fell a step short,” said Carson Graham co-head coach Brad Baker. “For our Grade 12′s who were trying to win their fifth straight championship, it is tough to walk away knowing how close they were to getting a gold medal for every season they played. Full credit to Cowichan. It was one of those games where there didn’t deserve to be a loser.”
*In the B.C. Double A final, a pair of Fraser Valley eastern rivals clashed for the third time this season, and in the end, the Abbotsford Panthers not only swept the set 3-0, they repeated as champs following a 36-10 win over Mission’s Heritage Park Highlanders.
The Panthers played a sloppy first half before rallying to beat the Highlanders in the Fraser Valley championship final, and on Saturday, Abby co-head coach Matt Myers felt the momentum gained from that prior victory was palpable.
“That was a wake-up for us, and that wake-up continued through practice and right through this tournament,” said Myers, whose team trailed 5-0 early on Saturday before gaining its full stride.
Inside centre Nekisa Levale scored a pair of tries for the winners, while outside centre Junnaya Murphy, winger Melody Algera, No. 8 Tiffany Picketts and scrum half Shelby Pihl each scored one try.
“After a long rebuilding process at our school it is great now to have won two in a row,” said Myers.
