Lessons learned from a winless weekend for the Cowichan Bulldogs – Cowichan Valley Citizen

It was a tough weekend for the Cowichan Bulldogs football teams, none of which managed to secure the victory.

But that doesn’t mean that nothing has been won.

The Peewee Bulldogs lost 22-0 to the Westshore Warriors at Copley Park on Saturday but came away with many lessons learned.

“One of the benefits of team sports is that every game is a learning experience,” commented peewee head coach Trystan Ryder. “On Saturday we learned a lot.

“We played against a team from Westshore who love to run the ball. Our defense was very strong in the middle and put a stop to the Warriors’ indoor run. Our defensive secondary struggled to contain the outward runs. It was a difficult day for our attack. Westshore’s defensive line did a great job getting into our backfield and disrupting play.

“Even if the score was not our way, our team will use the loss as fuel for the next game. We are looking forward to a good week of training.

Also at Copley Park on Saturday, the Junior Bantam Bulldogs lost 36-6 to Westshore. Quarterback Kaden Backman ran on the lone touchdown on the last game of the game, while tight end Andrew Bahen made the biggest offensive gains with a few key blocks.

“Our game was tough against much bigger teams in terms of numbers,” JB coach Justin Young said. “Overall I’m really proud of my boys. They continue to fight in the face of adversity as if nothing has happened and constantly seeing them trying to do their best and compete is something every coach wants to see.

The Bantam Bulldogs suffered their first loss of the season, losing 46-33 to the Meadow Ridge Knights at McAdam Park on Sunday. The Cowichan bantams trailed 34-33 in the fourth quarter before the game slipped away.

Max Lang had three touchdowns and Ryder Maertz had two, including a pick-six. Brad MacRae kicked the converts for the other points.

“Injuries and missing players didn’t help us in this game,” said coach Opie Williams. “We had a lot of players going both ways. Fatigue was starting to take its toll late in the game.

The Midget Bulldogs were hoping to return to the winning column when they traveled to Starlight Stadium in Langford on Sunday night, but the game was called off when the team of officials failed to show up.

All four of Cowichan’s teams will be in action at McAdam Park this weekend. On Saturday, the peewees welcome Nanaimo at 10 a.m. and the junior roosters welcome Nanaimo at noon. On Sunday, the Roosters welcome Nanaimo at noon and the Midgets welcome the White Rock Titans at 2 p.m.

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