Even more than the cherry blossoms and cruise ships, it鈥檚 a sure sign of spring when the final three team sports of the high school season 鈥� girls鈥� soccer, boys鈥� rugby and track and field 鈥� take to the pitches and running ovals around the province.
It seems youth will be served this year in Lower Island girls鈥� soccer. That was more than evident as the Royal Bay Ravens and Esquimalt Dockers teams loaded with players in Grades 9-11 met for a league game Thursday with the Ravens prevailing 3-0.
鈥淲e are all connecting and playing really well together and I think we can go all the way to the Islands,鈥� said Grade 11 player Kate Yakamovich of Royal Bay, who scored a goal that was assisted by her Grade 9 sister, Maddie Yakamovich.
The Ravens improved their record to 4-1 in double-A after suffering their first loss of the season this week at the hands of the St. Michaels University School Blue Jags.
鈥淏ecause we are so young, we definitely have big dreams for future seasons, too,鈥� said Kate Yakamovich.
Royal Bay鈥檚 brief past hasn鈥檛 been too bad, either. The Colwood school only opened in 2015 and already has its inaugural sports alumnus making an impact beyond high school as former Ravens soccer star defender Brea Christie was this season named the University of Victoria Vikes鈥� top female rookie athlete across all sports.
The Dockers, meanwhile, fell to 1-3. But this is a gritty group of players who hung tough Thursday against the fancied Ravens. The Esquimalt team, also, is dominated by junior-high age players with half the roster falling into that category but playing up in the senior-secondary ranks.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got lots of subs we can call on this season and we are going to be good in the years to come,鈥� said Dockers head coach Wren Chester, who is in her first year teaching at Esquimalt.
While the powers this year on the Island are the triple-A Oak Bay Breakers and Reynolds Roadrunners, there鈥檚 a lesson to be learned about the value of high school sports, no matter the record of the teams. Esquimalt High squads may not always win championships, but sport is integral to school life in Dockerland.
鈥淓squimalt thrives on sports,鈥� said Chester.
鈥淭he enthusiasm and sportsmanship of our school teams is so high. Our players learn the game and about sportsmanship on the fields and gym floors. That makes sports such a big part of the community that is our school.鈥�
The prized playdown in Lower Island high school girls鈥� soccer is the annual Ryan Cup competition, with the quarter-finals May 3, semifinals May 8 and the final May 10.
The single-A Island championship is May 10-11 at QMS in Duncan, double-A Islands May 14-15 at St. Michaels University School and triple-A Island championship May 14-15 at Nanaimo District Senior Secondary.
The top-placing teams from the Island will advance to the sa国际传媒 championships May 31 to June 2, with the single-A provincials hosted by Similkameen Secondary, the double-A by Sa-hali Secondary in Kamloops and triple-A at UBC.
Twitter.com/tc_vicsports
