The Salmon Arm Secondary (SAS) Golds junior boys suffered a tough loss against Fulton for the Okanagan Finals on May 17.
The Golds started out with great runs, scoring in the first five minutes of the game.
Gabe Wallace took the ball from a scrum on the five metre line on a blind side run and used his forearm to brush aside a Fulton Maroon winger. Fulton retaliated with two tries and one conversion, making the score 12 to 7.
Breaking through the Maroon back line was Tyler Chartier, who received a great pass from Alex Muir at standoff. Muir made the conversion putting SAS at 14 to 12.
Fulton managed to put the ball into the hands of their winger who charged into the Golds’ end zone. The Golds revved up their effort and got close enough for a penalty kick by Muir, making it 19 to 17 for Fulton. The back row of Gage Buchanan, Owen Bakke and Devon Small put tremendous pressure on the 6’2” Maroons standoff, forcing him make a bad pass. Tristan Kenoras picked up the fumbled ball and went for a 30-metre run. Fulton managed to stop the Golds with a defensive scrum on their five metre line.
Wallace parted the Maroon Sea, leaving fallen defenders in his wake to make a try and secure a lead for the Golds, 22 to 19.
The Maroons rallied to kick into the Golds’ 30-metre zone, but Luke Simmonds as fullback made an impressive catch and counterattacked.
Fulton was backed up into their end zone with a penalty against them and failed to stop Wallace from crashing over the try line again. Muir kicked the conversion, making the score 29 to 22 for the Golds.
Steven Rahn, Montana Lavendar, John Froud and Colton Steiger worked hard in the scrum throughout the game.
Fulton came back to score two unanswered tries to win 34 to 29.
Coach Danny Hughes was proud of the effort and athleticism of the players.
Owen Bakke, Steven Rahn and Alex Muir will be joining the SAS Golds Senior Team for provincials this weekend in Abbotsford.