The Sooke Pre-Atom Seahawks finished their impressive regular season with an aggressive 18-0 win over their rivals from Westshore on June 1 at Goudy Field.
Once again Hunter Swift got Sooke off to a fast start with his power running. Swift ran for a long touchdown on the third play of the game, and would go on to throw key blocks on both the other Seahawk scores. He also led the way on defence, punishing Warrior ball carriers all morning.
James Mullen and Wesley Cornwall-Johnsen also dominated. Both had nice runs and threw big blocks on offence. Cornwall-Johnsen scored Sooke’s final touchdown late in the fourth quarter, his first ever. And defensively, Mullen from his defensive tackle position and Cornwall-Johnsen beside him at defensive end, constantly disrupted anything Westshore tried to run.
The other Sooke touchdown was scored by Malaki Allen, the third straight game he found pay-dirt. None of the running success would have happened without the great blocking of Tagish Page, Austin Warren, Logan Bainbridge and Michael Lundell.
Warren and Lundell each recovered fumbles as part of a defensive effort that swarmed the Warrior attack. Westshore ball carriers constantly found themselves being tackled by four, five, even six Seahawk defenders. No where was this more evident than in back-to-back goalline stands where twice Westshore had first and goal from inside Sooke’s five-yard line, but couldn’t manage a score.
Gabe Nelson, Brody Reinsch, and Weston White played key roles in this suffocating defensive effort. So did Christian Kaisinger, who also recovered a fumble, and Dayton Planes. The latter two filled in admirably when starting QB and key defensive player Connor Keys hurt his hand in the third quarter. Kaisinger led a touchdown drive at QB in the fourth quarter (including handing off to Planes for Planes’ first ever carry), and Planes on defense made sure no Warrior found any outside running room.
Players from the Westshore Rebels Junior Football squad attended the game, volunteering as water boys and holding the down sticks. They voted for a Player of the Game from each team based on heart, effort and sportsmanship. Congratulations to Heath White, Sooke’s Player of the Game.
The win marks four straight for the Pre-Atom Seahawks, who finish the season at 5-2. The rest of the league finishes their regular season next week. Sooke plays again in two weeks in the first round of the Gold Cup playoffs.
Submitted by Nathan Lowther