Vancouver College vs Kelowna Owls

On a crisp September afternoon at O'Hagan Field, the Vancouver College Fighting Irish (3-0) continued their winning ways with a dominant 58-7 victory over the Kelowna Owls.

The defending champions set the tone early, with a balanced offensive attack and a stingy defence that kept Kelowna off the scoreboard for most of the contest.

The first quarter began with a statement drive, as Ryder Quintana punched in a 4-yard rushing touchdown at the 8:17 mark. Momentum shifted heavily in Vancouver College's favour when Ryan Livingstone scooped up a fumble, giving the Irish a short field. Soon after, running back Tristan Perdido powered through Kelowna's defence with a 3-yard touchdown run, extending the lead to 14-0. Defensive back JB Scott capped off the dominant quarter with a key interception, leaving Kelowna's offence scrambling for answers.

In the second quarter, the Irish's air attack came to life. Quarterback Parker Orr connected with tight end Luan Lam for a 30-yard touchdown pass just seconds into the quarter, followed by another interception from JB Scott. Orr continued to find his rhythm, tossing a 20-yard strike to Noah Lowden and following it up with a 14-yard passing touchdown to Luan Lam. Despite a brief response from the Owls to make it 35-7, Vancouver College regained full control when Nate Lowden broke free for a 39-yard dash down the field. By halftime, the score stood at 42-7 in favour of the Irish.

The third quarter saw more of the same dominance. Ryan Livingstone, already having made a defensive impact, snagged an interception at the 7:36 mark. Not to be outdone, Parker Orr fed Ryder Quintana with a toss, who then launched a 43-yard pass to Noah Lowden, completing the double-pass, pushing the score to 49-7 as the third quarter closed.



The final quarter showcased Vancouver College's depth, as more players stepped up to finish the game. Owen Brunel's interception early in the fourth, followed by another passing score, solidified the Irish's comprehensive performance. A late safety by Kelowna added to their woes, and the game ended with a 58-7 victory for the Fighting Irish. 

Head Coach Bryan Chiu (VC '92) was pleased with his team's performance but emphasised the importance of continued improvement, particularly with next week’s highly anticipated Homecoming game. "Really happy to have all our players get on the field and get an opportunity to play in the games, especially since they work so hard during practice," Chiu remarked. "But we have a lot to clean up. We’ve got to work on execution and get back to fundamentals because we know we have a big week ahead for homecoming against Rutland."

Senior defensive back JB Scott, who recorded two interceptions, echoed the excitement about next week. "We know it's gonna be a big game, big turnout. We know we are playing a pretty good opponent so we need a good week of practice, bring a bunch of energy, and rally the boys and have a good time!" Scott said, looking forward to the matchup against the Rutland Thunder.



Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator Regan Oey (VC '16) praised the team's all-around effort. "In all three phases of the game, we played really strong. There's still a lot to improve on, but we appreciate Kelowna coming down, and we're gonna get geared up and ready to play for Rutland next week."

Defensive Coordinator Ron Turner was particularly proud of the unit’s ability to limit Kelowna's offence to just seven points. "Defensively, the best part of the whole game is we got every player on defence in the game. To get all of our players in the game and have them perform as well as they did is really satisfying to all of our coaches," Turner said, while acknowledging areas for improvement. "We need to do a better job on the pass rush, but holding that team to seven is very satisfying."

The Fighting Irish now turn their focus to next weekend’s Homecoming game against the Rutland Thunder. This matchup carries extra weight, as the Thunder look for revenge after Vancouver College eliminated them in last year’s provincial semi-final by a score of 48-7. The game will take place on Saturday, September 21, 2024, with kickoff set for 1:30 PM on O’Hagan Field.