With Reynolds experiencing its 50th anniversary this year, senior boy鈥檚 soccer coach J.J. Atterbury would love nothing more than to celebrate the occasion with a Colonist Cup title.
The Roadrunners took the first step with a convincing 7-1 win over Mount Douglas in quarter-final play on Wednesday afternoon at Braefoot.
It was a much different result from the last time the two teams hooked up (a 3-3 draw).
鈥淚t would be a real nice point to add to our anniversary. Make some history, as they say,鈥� said Atterbury, who couldn鈥檛 recall the last time the Roadrunners secured the historic Colonist Cup crown.
That was 1983. The No. 2 seed Roadrunners are one of the favourites heading into semifinal play, which will commence after the Island championship is completed next week.
On Wednesday, the Roadrunners received two goals each from Kiyoshi Croke and Will Adams, along with singles by Sam Fletcher, Selou da Silva and Sylvain Taghaoussi as they built up a 5-1 lead at the half.
鈥淭hey really battled us last time. The big thing today was to make sure we came out ready and determined,鈥� said Atterbury.
TheRoadrunners were up 4-0 before Shoi Ueno recorded the lone Mount Douglas goal.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e the best team in the league. The 3-3 tie last time was the best game we played all year,鈥� said Rams coach Glenn Barker of his seventh-seeded squad.
Both teams will now prepare for triple-A Islands to be hosted by Oak Bay from Nov. 9-10 at the school and Braefoot.
鈥淚 would like us to earn a berth to provincials,鈥� Atterbury said of gaining one of the two available. 鈥淚f you can win Islands, it鈥檚 a bonus. We want to be ready to go and win that berth.鈥�
Reynolds will be in Pool 2 at Islands along with Nanaimo District Secondary School, Mount Douglas and Spectrum. Dover Bay, Oak Bay, Cowichan and Claremont form Pool 1.
In other Colonist Cup quarter-finals, No. 3-seed Oak Bay blanked No. 6 St. Andrew鈥檚 2-0 on goals by Koby Greaves and Ben Tyson; fifth-seed Glenlyon Norfolk School shut out No. 4 Royal Bay 3-0; and No. 1 St. Michaels School University peppered No. 8 Claremont 5-0.
Reynolds was 6-0-2 in league play, just behind SMUS at 7-0-1. Oak Bay was 5-2-1; Royal Bay 5-3-0; GNS 3-4-1; St. Andrew鈥檚 2-5-1; Mt. Doug and 1-5-2 and Lambrick Park 1-7-0.
Stelly鈥檚 faces Parkland in the Colonist Shield final today at 3聽p.m. at Centennial Park.
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