The 100 Mile Rugby Eagles boys and girls teams hosted squads from Williams Lake on May 16 in what might have been their last games of the season.
The Junior boys faced a combined Columneetza and Williams Lake secondary schools team in a rock ’em sock ’em affair that had fans on both sides of the pitch cheering wildly with every run and every stiff tackle.
Eagles boys coach Matt Leclerc says he was expecting a spirited, hard-hitting contest because 100 Mile travelled to Williams Lake on May 1 and knocked off the heavily favoured Williams Lake Secondary School 34-25 in a 15-aside contest.
He adds the Eagles played extremely well, but it was clear the Williams Lake team was looking to avenge the unexpected loss on their home turf.
In the end, Williams Lake bulled its way to a 20-0 victory.
“The best way to describe the game was it was hard-hitting and great rugby. They were really going after each other.
“All the coaches at the end were saying like, ‘holy cow, these kids have come far’.”
However, 100 Mile was missing a few players, so Leclerc wasn’t able to substitute lines the way he likes to and the boys ran out of steam as the clock wound down.
The coach adds his team "broke down" in areas where it usually excels – ball possession.
“Usually if the other team has the ball, they get about two feet, or if we have it. We never lose it.”
That didn't happen in the first half of this game.
Leclerc says he pointed out the problem to the players at the halftime break, and then they corrected it themselves on the field.
With the zones being in Vanderhoof next weekend, the team is not going because it’s grad weekend.
“If it was in Williams Lake, we’d be going.”
The Junior squad had five games this season and the coach says the difference between the start of the season and the end is “night and day.”
He adds they simply came together as a team because they learned how to play positional rugby and how to work with each other on the field.
“That was the game changer for us.”
Leclerc says his squad likes to play chip and chase (kick the ball up field and chase after it).
“We have a lot of big guys who are fast. So, if we chip the ball, they’re going to get to it and make the tackle or grab the ball.”
He adds they also like to make short passes and make contact on their runs up the field.
Noting this is the first year 100 Mile has had a rugby program in a couple of years, Leclerc says they played a Junior game and then a Grade 8 contest.
While the 100 Mile Grade 8 squad won the high-scoring game, he adds Williams Lake was made up of fresh players, while some of the local lads had already played in the Junior game.
The coach says he is looking forward to the next season because he will have all of his Junior players coming back and they will have some good experience under their belts.
He adds rugby is growing in popularity at the schools.
The girls lost both their games, but are definitely hampered by lack of players.
Leclerc says coach Jade Jewitt started the season with 19-20 players and now she has 13, so they had to play seven-aside.
While they didn’t win, the girls put up some spirited opposition and never hung their heads.