The PGSS Polars were shut out 41-0 by the John Barsby Bulldogs in a quarter-final match in the B.C. High School double-A football championships Saturday in Nanaimo.
The Bulldogs are the defending champions and went into the match as the first seed in the Western Conference and the third-ranked team in the province.
The Polars went into the game as the fourth seed in the North Interior Conference.
"There's a reason they're the defending double-A champs," said Polars head coach Don Williams. "They're an awesome team - at quarterback, running back. Every position is strong. The boys played well, but we were outmatched by a better team. It was definitely a learning experience and a fun game."
John Barsby had 35 guys in their lineup, while PGSS had 22, including a lot of junior players.
The Bulldogs now advance to a semifinal game against Mission this Saturday.
Williams said the Polars only lose six players to graduation and has a crop of talented junior varsity and Grade 8 players in the system.
Winter work-outs will begin in January, followed by Team B.C. try-outs.
In another provincial double-A quarter-final, the Carson Graham Eagles from North Vancouver grounded the Duchess Park Condors 55-6 Saturday in Kamloops.
"The first quarter-and-a-half was great," said Condors head coach Mike Rositano. "We moved the ball and threatened to score three times. But we had seven turnovers in the second half. Carson never pulled their starters off the field and blitzed us all the time when we were on offence."
To make matters worse, Duchess Park's starting quarterback Rylan Matters re-injured his back in the first half, forcing junior varsity quarterback Jacob Cundy into action.
Rositano said he only lasted a couple series since he didn't want to risk injury. That meant receiver Caleb Cruse, who used to play the pivot position in junior varsity, was forced into action to toss the pigskin.
"Caleb was the MVP of the game, he and TJ Kyriakos put their heart and soul into the game," said Rositano.
The Condors trailed the Eagles 21-0 at half-time.
Injuries, eight in all, also took a toll on both offence and defence for Duchess Park.
The loss knocks the Condors out of the playoffs and concludes the season.
The Eagles now advance to a semifinal game against Seaquam from Delta this Saturday.
Meanwhile, now that the season is over, Rositano said 26 returnees will be on the Condors' roster next season.
Duchess Park's JV squad was supposed to play Seaquam in a provincial quarter-final match Friday in Kamloops but the Delta school forfeited the game on Thursday.
That meant a semifinal match-up between the Condors and Ballenas in Qualicum Beach, but Rositano said he chose to forfeit the game due to low numbers on the Condors squad.
