The New Westminster Hyacks have a flare for the dramatic. Since the calendar flipped to October, it seems that every other week, this team is in a game that only Hollywood producers could write. So many of those movie script-esque endings have had the Hyacks coming up short, but not tonight. As the scoreboard hit zero in front of their home crowd, in a crazy back-and-forth game, the score read Hyacks 42 Notre Dame Jugglers 40.
The defining scene that was made for the big screen happened late in the final quarter. After a Notre Dame timeout, it was 4th and two on the Hyack's own 40-yard line.
Up 42-40 with under 2 minutes left, the Hyacks had to decide between punting the ball and giving the Jugglers one last breath or going for it and finishing the game right then and there. Like any good film, let's figure out how we got to this pivotal moment.
The Jugglers scored on a physical opening drive. After an errant snap by the Hyacks, as they attempted to punt the ball right back to the Jugglers, it was 14-0 before most fans had grabbed their popcorn and taken a seat in the stands.
Down two scores early, the Hyacks didn't panic. Instead, they turned to their offensive line and running backs Nikolas Panesar and Tyson Godspower to change the tide.
The Hyack's big men up front paved the way for 175 rushing yards for Panesar and 125 for Godspower. Both backs ran their team's wing-t running game to a tee and helped the Hyacks score 28 unanswered to go up 28-14.
With the Hyacks up 42-34 late in the 4th, Notre Dame scored to make it 42-40. With a chance to tie, the Hyack's defense got a massive stop to keep their team in the lead.
It was an up-and-down day for Hyacks defensive coordinator Chad Oatways's defense.
"Give credit to Notre Dame. They played an unbelievable game and battled very hard. Their quarterback and running back are good, tough football players," Oatway said post-game.
"Our tackling has not been a major issue all year, but we missed too many tonight, and the stupid penalties showed up again," he continued.
Despite all of that, when it mattered most, they got the stop they needed. With that huge stop, the Hyacks had the ball with under two minutes to go, and with it being fourth and two, it was decision time.
"All the coaches were in agreement, we wanted to ice the game in that moment," said Hyacks Head Coach Andrew McKechnie.
With the Hyacks coaching staff all on the same page, it was time for the players to execute. The Hyacks put the game in their offensive line and Panesar's hands.
With everyone in the building knowing the Hyacks were going barrel into the teeth of the Juggler's defense, the Hyacks handed the ball to Panesar. As the Hyacks halfback took the ball, his offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage and opened a massive hole for Panesar to run through.
After Panesar took that run 50 yards, the game was over. What an end to an insane back-and-forth contest, 42-40 Hyacks.
Hyacks offensive coordinator Darnell Sikorski knows how vital his offensive line was tonight in the team's win.
"The offensive line had a hell of a game, but especially on that play. They washed everyone down and we were able to spring free in the open field. I'm very proud of those guys," said Sikorski.
McKechnie had high praise for his opponents post-game but said his own team has to be more disciplined moving forward.
"This is playoff football. Everybody is going to bring their best and battle. Notre Dame had a great game but we need execute better and play mistake-free," said McKechnie.
"The personal fouls defensively, turnovers on offense, and special teams mistakes really hurt us tonight."
With this win, the Hyacks were finally able to overcome their demons by winning one-score game. McKechnie hopes this experience will help his team down the line, perhaps even next week.
"We're not taking any wins for granted. To be able to win a tight playoff football game was important, and hopefully, it will be something we can draw back on," said McKechnie
"There will be no weaknesses on any teams we see from here on out, starting with WJ Mouat. We have to be at our best."
