When things get tough for the Windsor Dukes, head coach Jim Schuman relies on Old Faithful.
In this case, Old Faithful would be quarterback Ryan Baker and receiver Julian Perri. The pair combined for five of the Dukes’ six touchdowns as they knocked off the Fulton Maroons 44-31 in Subway Bowl B.C. AA High School Senior Boys Varsity Football playoff action Friday at Greater Vernon Athletics Park.
It was 29-22 Dukes at the half before the North Vancouver squad (5-2) dominated the second half.
“Ryan and Julian are big-play makers,” said Schuman. “We knew it was going to be a tough game because they’re a well-coached team. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We expected them to be prepared and they were.”
Baker ran for three touchdowns and was a tackling force on defence. He hooked up with Perri on a couple of long touchdown pass-and-runs.
Fulton got a stellar game from Interior AA Conference offensive player of the year Caden Doyle, who scored three touchdowns.
Two came on passes of 52- and 50-yards from quarterback Ike Olson – including one on the game’s final play – and he ran 62-yards for another major.
Olson plunged over from one yard, set up by a 64-yard interception return by linebacker Ryan Rumsey, for the other major.
Jeff Han, playing his final game as a Maroon, booted two field goals. Han was perfect on three-point tries this season, establishing a new school record.
“Obviously this is a tough loss for our kids,” said Scheller. “You have to credit Winsdor, they simply outplayed us and beat us up in the second half. Baker is the best offensive player we faced all year. He ran over us and around us.
“We played well in the first half. It was a very close game. We gave up too many points in the second quarter and we did not move the ball effectively in the second half. That was a major difference in the game.”
Scheller praised Doyle, Han, Olson – who led the defence with tackles in the game – defensive tackle JJ Heaton and cornerback Nate Banga.
“It was a very positive season for us,” said Scheller, who thanked assistant coaches Kevin Stecyk, Dale Olson, Darryl Thomas, Dave Hobbs, Bryan Cragg, Clay Coles, Ben Olson and Kevin Breiter.
“We had a very tough year in 2015, and to rebound with a playoff berth was a victory for our program.”
The Maroons, who finished the year 5-4, placed Olson, Rumsey, defensive back Koalden Gudeit and offensive lineman Andrew Goldenthal on the Interior AA Conference All-Star team.
Windsor advances to meet the G.W. Graham Grizlies (5-0) in quarterfinal action next week.
The Vernon Panthers (5-0), who had a first-round playoff bye, will face the winner of a game played Saturday in Abbotsford between the Ballenas Whalers (4-2) of Parksville and the Holy Cross Crusaders (4-1) of Surrey.