This was supposed to be a rebuilding season for the senior girls rugby team at Robert Bateman Secondary, but the Timberwolves are simply refusing to conform to those expectations.
On Friday, the T-Wolves extended their incredible run of success at the Abbotsford city sevens tournament, winning a seventh consecutive title.
The achievement is all the more remarkable considering Bateman graduated 13 players from last year's provincial AA championship squad. More than half the current roster is comprised of Grade 9 athletes.
"I don't know how we seem to do it," mused Madi Blakeburn, who starred for Bateman's B.C. championship team last year and now serves as the T-Wolves' coach.
"This season, I was actually a little bit nervous. I'm thinking, 'My goodness, we all graduated.'"
What the T-Wolves lack in experience, they make up for in grit. In Friday's final, they rallied from an early deficit to beat Abbotsford Collegiate 12-5.
"Even though we're young, we're coming together. The players really feed off each other," noted Blakeburn, whose team is ranked No. 6 among AA teams in the province. "That's what I like most about the team – the amount of heart they have at such a young age."
In other city sevens action, the Yale Secondary boys program had a day to remember. The seniors beat W.J. Mouat 29-17 in their final, while the juniors blanked Bateman 12-0 to clinch the crown.
Eugene Reimer Middle School dominated the Grade 8 division. The Ravens finished atop both the boys and girls draws, defeating the W.A. Fraser Falcons in the final both times.
The tournament also featured a fastest runner contest, and MVPs were selected for each team. A complete list is as follows:
Fastest runners
Grade 8 girls - Jaylene Soegard, W.A. Fraser
Grade 8 boys - Grayson Marquardt, Abby Middle
Junior boys - Ryan Barclay, Yale
Senior girls - Jayden McPherson, Bateman
Senior boys - Steven Martinez, Hansen
Team MVPs
Grade 8 boys
Abby - Michael Spicer
Betty Gilbert - Cory Reid
Clayburn - Matt Keis
Fraser Black - Nic Ponak
Fraser Red - Thomas Rennie
Reimer - Daniel Sercel
Grade 8 girls
Abby - Amara Lowney
Clayburn - Sophia Bolsher
Fraser Black - Katrina Moorthy
Fraser Gold - Jaylene Soegard
Howe - Hannah Woodcock
Reimer - Hannah Gill
Junior boys
Abby - Carter Williams
Bateman - Trenton Chard
Hansen - Armann Judge
Mouat - Austin Batra
Sardis - Brandon Johnson
Yale - Spencer Miller
Senior girls
Abby - Lauren Arthur
Aldergrove - Ginger Broatch
Bateman - Madison Borrows
Bateman B - Abigael Kibarita
Hansen - Tayler Moran
Yale - Erica Van Ginkel
Senior boys
Abby - Dallas Yassinsky
Bateman - Jorden Best
Hansen - Daniel McCutcheon
Mouat - Dylan Pollit
Sardis - Kroyden Todhunter
Yale - Akash Deo