The last time the Nechako Valley Vikings got their hands on the Matt Pearce Memorial Trophy as P.G. Bowl high school football champions was in 2011.
At that time, current Viking team captains Cooper Ziler, Cole Mayo, Grayson Turgeon, and Ben Wall were just starting kindergarten.
Now, as Grade 12 veterans, they’ll get chance to bring the trophy back to Vanderhoof when the Vikings meet the College Heights Cougars tonight (Friday, Nov. 3) at 7 p.m. at Masch Place Stadium.
“It’s been a long time,” said Vikings head coach Sheldon Brown. “I know the kids are hungry to end that drought.”
In 2011, they beat Duchess Park 13-6 for their second championship, after coming close the previous year, losing the final in OT to PGSS.
The Vikings might have had a shot at beating the Cougars in the final last year but winter arrived early in November and a frozen field at Masich forced cancellation of the North Division playoffs. The Cougars were awarded the title based on their regular season results.
This time around, the Vikings are favoured to win it.
“We’re a very skilled team, tough, physical and we have a lot of great athletes,” said Brown. “We’re a Grade 12-dominated team and a lot of the core group has played football together since atoms and it’s nice to see them grow up and an honour and privilege to coach them.”
When it comes to P.G. Bowl success, no other school comes close to College Heights. They’ve won the title seven times, including last year’s frozen field default, and they are four-time finalists.
They’ve certainly had the Vikings’ number. Nechako Valley lost the P.G. Bowl final to College Heights in 2019, 2016, and 2012.
The Vikings (3-0) finished the season atop the North Division standings ahead of the second-place Cougars (2-1). The teams met on Oct. 6 in a regular season clash in which Nechako Valley beat College Heights 15-6.
“That was a close game, they just outplayed us, they were more physical,” said Cougars head coach Grant Erickson. “They’re a big strong team and we’ve had to battle through some injures and we’re doing the best we can."
The Cougars lost quarterback Dillon Piddocke to a broken collarbone in the first week of the season and safety Jackson Moleski is also sidelined with a dislocated elbow.
Much of their fate Friday lies with Zachary Loewen, a Grade 11 pivot who racked up eight touchdown passes and only three interceptions. He found 40 of his 66 targets for a 60.6 per cent efficiency rating.
The Vikings have leaned on the cannon arm of quarterback Cooper Ziler, who threw for seven touchdowns in three North Conference games. He completed 31 of 52 (59.6 per cent) of his passes and has just two interceptions.
Both teams have Grade 11 ball carriers who rank in the top-10 on the provincial double-A varsity rushing list who are capable of shedding defences.
Dexter Malo of the Vikings rushed for 252 yards in three games and found the end zone three times while averaging 9.69 yards per carry.
College Heights will counter with Aiden Smith, who ran for 100 yards per game and had four touchdowns and an 8.82-yard average.
Ziler will be looking downfield for receivers Grayson Turgeon and Brendan Baker who have been standouts in their final year of high school ball.
Keegan Shiels was Lowen’s primary target with 12 catches for 147 yards and three touchdowns.
The Vikings’ defence is led by Cole Malo, a six-foot-four, 200-pound defensive lineman with six QB sacks and linebacker Ben Wall, who has 40 tackles this year.
Grade 12 linebacker/running back Ryder Stoughton dictates much of what happens on the defensive side of the ball for College Heights and Shiels has filled in admirably for Moleski in the safety spot.
Friday’s winner will advance to the BCSSFA quarterfinal playoffs Nov. 18 while the loser will host South Kamloops in a Nov. 11 playoff, to be played at Masich.
The third-place Prince George Polars will meet the fourth-place Shas Ty Kelly Road Grizzlies in the Ice Bowl Friday at 4:30 p.m. at Masich. The winner advances to a playoff Nov. 11 against Westsyde in Kamloops.
