A sa国际传媒 fall sports ritual, high school boys鈥� soccer, has returned. And not a moment too soon.
Imagine sa国际传媒鈥檚 only World Cup team in 1986 without Bob Lenarduzzi out of Templeton, Bruce Wilson out of Centennial, Randy Samuel out of McNair, Ian Bridge out of Vic High, George Pakos out of Esquimalt or Jamie Lowery out of Alberni District.
But 2021 will be a season unlike any other, following a 颅literally dark 2020.
鈥淟ast year was tough, we had several varsity-bound players who missed their Grade 12 seasons,鈥� said Claremont Spartans head coach Rachel Yager, about the lost pandemic season.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good to be playing again.鈥�
At least fall high school sports only lost one season. The Class of 2021 in spring sports had its entire Grade 11 and 12 seasons wiped out.
鈥淚t was disappointing not to play last year and that鈥檚 why everybody is so into this season and has been so looking forward to it,鈥� said Grade 12 Claremont attacking-midfielder Kiran Pawar, also out of the Island Wave program, who plans to continue his career into varsity soccer.
鈥淲hile we lost our Grade 11 season, it was tough on last year鈥檚 Grade 12s, and that鈥檚 why we are very appreciative of being able to play this year.鈥�
Pawar鈥檚 Spartans got off on the right foot with a 5-0 win over the St. Michaels University School Blue Jags on Tuesday afternoon at Lochside Park as the high school season continued to click into gear.
鈥淚 definitely missed playing last year and it was a bummer to miss my Grade 11 season, and that鈥檚 why everyone is so excited about this season, and you really notice a lot more excitement, effort and desire out there,鈥� said Grade 12 SMUS defender Finn Klenz.
鈥淲hat made it [relatively palatable] last year was that we knew it wasn鈥檛 just us going through it, but everybody in every sport everywhere.鈥�
He got no argument from SMUS coach Evan Fryer.
鈥淎fter a year of intramurals, and in cohorts at that, it鈥檚 really exciting to be able to play again,鈥� said Fryer, in his 10th year of guiding the Blue Jags.
After a year off, the form chart is looking muddy. But a consensus is building that the Reynolds Roadrunners and Royal Bay Ravens look to be the teams to beat on the Island this year with Oak Bay and 颅Claremont giving them a good run and in the hunt. Reynolds was ranked No. 2 in the province in the preseason Triple-A top-10 poll behind top-ranked Dr. Charles Best of Coquitlam with Oak Bay at No. 8.
The regular season concludes Oct. 28. The Island championships are Oct. 19 in Duncan for Single-A, Nov. 8-9 in Campbell River for Double-A and Nov. 8-9 at Dover Bay for Triple-A. The provincial championships are Nov. 3-5 for Single-A, Nov. 22-24 in Double-A and Nov. 25-27 in Triple-A, all at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex.
The last sa国际传媒 boys鈥� high school soccer champions from 2019 were West Point Grey Academy (over Glenlyon-Norfolk School in the final) in Single-A, Notre Dame of Vancouver in Double-A and Panorama Ridge of Surrey in Triple-A.
