The Barsby Bulldogs won't get to play at B.C. Place this year.
John Barsby Community Secondary School's football season came to an end Saturday in the provincial semifinals as the AA varsity squad lost 27-12 to the South Delta Sun Devils at UBC's Thunderbird Stadium.
"They're a better football team than we are," said Rob Stevenson, Bulldogs coach. "That's why you play football games. Football's an honest game. If you play a better game than the other team, you usually win. That's what they went out and did."
The Sun Devils were better on offence, making some tough catches and breaking some big plays, and Delta's defence limited Barsby's ground game to short gains all day.
The Bulldogs got a three-yard rushing touchdown from Kyle Vollet early in the second quarter to go up 6-3, then Nick Pedersen blocked a punt and Tyler Harvey scooped up the ball and scored a TD to make it 12-3. A turning point came with 35 seconds left in the first half, when the Sun Devils' David Mann broke free for a long rushing TD up the far sideline.
Another long touchdown from Delta's Shane Dagg late in the third quarter gave his team a lead it wouldn't relinquish. With the Bulldogs trailing in the fourth quarter they tried to force offence, and Delta came up with two interceptions, one of which Mann returned for a pick six.
Barsby didn't quit and came up with another punt block with a minute and a half remaining, but fumbled on Delta's six-yard line with 45 seconds left.
"In some pressure situations we malfunctioned pretty horribly," said Stevenson. "Our defence played OK, our offence did not. When you can only score six points on offence you're going to lose a lot of football games."
He said players did what they had been coached to do, and said as the team's offensive coordinator he takes responsibility. But mostly, he said, he takes pride in the effort put forth by all his players.
"We played with a lot of desire, but we didn't play good enough..." Stevenson said. "A fine season. It didn't finish the way we would have liked it to, but the better team won and that's one of life's lessons."
GRID BITS ... Brandon Parker returned from injury to rush for 101 yards on 21 carries as the 'Dawgs finished with 227 rushing yards. Quarterback Brody Taylor was 4-for-10 for 71 yards. Harvey had two sacks, Shawn Arabsky made an interception, David Work recovered a fumble and Shea had Barsby's second blocked punt. Jacob Odynsky finished with a team-high five tackles … The Sun Devils advance to play the Mission Roadrunners next Saturday (Dec. 1) in the Subway Bowl provincial championship.