They failed to score a point but the PGSS double-A junior boys sevens rugby team saw a silver lining at the northern zone championship in Williams Lake last weekend.
Mike Tait, coach of the Polars, said, despite losing 52-0 to Williams Lake Secondary in the gold-medal game, the nine players who made the trip played very well.
"They hung in there and didn't give up," said Tait. "Our boys had the pride to keep tackling and fighting hard."
The two teams were the only ones entered in the double-A
division.
In the two round-robin games between the schools Friday the Polars fell 39-0 and 48-0 in very blustery conditions.
Tait said in the final Polars standoff Wade Shull came within two metres of earning a try, but he couldn't finish and Williams Lake ended up with the ball.
When three members of the team backed out of the zone tournament, Tait said, he gave the remaining nine players the choice of playing in the stronger double-AA division or moving into the
single-A group.
"Normally, I like to play with 12 players to deal with bumps and bruises during the game, but we managed with nine," said Tait.
The senior team from PGSS cancelled its trip when three members couldn't make it due to other commitments, but Kelly Road and D.P. Todd sent squads.
During the round-robin action, the Trojans defeated the Roadrunners 26-12, before losing to the
senior Williams Lake team 25-0.
The Roadrunners fell 25-0 to Columneetza (another Williams Lake entry) in their opening game and 40-0 to Williams Lake on
Saturday.
The Trojans tangled with Terrace twice on Saturday, losing 15-0 in the final round-robin game before battling in the bronze-medal game.
"They played the best I think I've ever seen them play," said Trojans' coach Heather
Ouellette.
Tait said he was impressed with the Trojans play in the 12-5 loss.
"They played exceptionally well," said Tait. "I refereed one of their games and they seemed much more motivated then they did during the season games versus us and KRSS."
Terrace scored a try in the final minute of overtime to claim the bronze medal.
"The guys were kind of heartbroken because they thought the referee had missed a call," said Ouellette. "Our guy got the ball away, but it was held up at the line and went to a five-metre scrum, which they scored."
The girls sevens rugby tournament was cancelled Thursday, much to the disappointment of the girls from PGSS and KRSS.
Ouellette said she'd like to see more D.P. Todd girls sign up for 15's rugby in the spring in order to make Prince George. More competitive.
Jeremy Greenfield, coach of the senior girls Polars' team, did make the trek to Williams Lake to help out with the junior boys.
Columneetza took the gold medal in both senior and single-A junior, beating WLSS 7-5 and 17-12.
