Thank you all for your contribution to the Fall Sports season. The start of Athletics this year was a bit chaotic but once again Mount Douglas has done itself proud so far in Athletics. With a shortened fall season, things happened quickly but settled into a nice routine and it is hard to believe that the Fall Sports season has come to a close. However, it is time to reflect on some great highlights for 2014. With over 200 students participating on one of 9 teams, the energy and excitement around Athletics this year is fantastic, especially in light of the late start. None of this is possible without the hard work, dedication and commitment from students, parents, and coaches. Thank you all your contribution to the Fall Sports season.
Swimming – A small but dedicated squad of 11 athletes contributed to a great season once again this year. The team sent all 11 swimmers to the Island Championships and 8 swimmers qualified to move on to the BC Championships on November 14-15. Lauren Crisp capped off the season with a bronze medal win in the 100 metre backstroke.
Senior Boys’ Soccer – This year saw the emergence of a very strong team that competed in every game. Playing in Tier 2, the boys lost only one game, coming in 3rd in the standings with 4 wins, 1 loss, and 1 tie, a record that allowed the team to play in the final of the Colonist Shield playoffs. This turned into a hard fought battle with the team just missing out on winning the final game of the playoffs.
Junior Boys’ Soccer – This team saw the return of a strong group of players from last year that had high expectations for themselves. A season record of 3 wins, 2 losses, and three ties meant the team finished 4th in League play, just missing out on the Island Championships this year. This is a remarkable improvement on last year’s 7th place finish in League play. With this dedicated and talented group of young men moving on to Senior Soccer next year, and the buzz about junior soccer growing, things look bright for the future for both teams.
Cross Country – The Mount Doug Cross Country program had a very successful season from the outset through to the BC High School Cross Country Championships. With a shortened season, there were only two league meets of Lower Island Schools, with the Mount Doug senior girls’ team placing first and the senior boys’ team placing second in the first meet. At the Fall Classic Invitational meet on October 14th, which served as a pre-championship event on the course to be used for Provincials, Mount Doug athletes put in some stellar individual performances, with three athletes placing in the top 10 in their respective age division. This was followed up a week later by an outstanding team effort at the Vancouver Island Cross Country Championships. At this meet held at Beaver Lake, the Senior Girls’ team placed second while the Senior Boys’ team placed fifth with both teams qualifying for the high school Championships. On November 1st, Mount Doug hosted the BC High School Cross Country Championships at West Shore Park and our Cross Country athletes did the school very proud with the Senior Girls’ team placing sixth and the Senior Boys’ team placing fifth. This was the best combined placing of any high school in BC! A very special thank you goes out to Coach Al Niezen who was responsible for coordinating and running the BC Cross Country Championships, an event described as the best ever.
Senior Girls’ Volleyball – This team, comprised of a diverse group of international, younger, and veteran players, developed all season long, becoming a close-knit group that thoroughly enjoyed their season. With a record of 5 wins and 7 losses, the girls qualified for the Lower Island Championships. Placing 6th in the South Island Championships, the team went on to the Island Championships where they ended up 6th there as well. Their coach, Neta Herage, has had nothing but positive things to say about this team, and is already looking forward to next year.
Junior Girls’ Volleyball – Once again Junior Girls’ Volleyball saw fantastic growth with again two competitive teams emerging – the Gold and Purple teams. The Junior Girls’ Gold team had a successful season on the South Island. After league play was finished, they had a record of 10 victories and 0 losses and in 1st place, while the Purple team finished in 6th place. The Gold team went on to finish 1st in the “A” South Island playoffs and entered the Island Championships, hosted by Mount Doug, a favourite to move on to the BC Championships. The Gold team finished 3rd at the Islands, moving on to the BC Championships where they improved on last year’s 12th place finish by coming in 9th, with only two losses during both round robin and playoff games. Not only were these athletes successful in terms of results, they always represented Mount Doug with great sportsmanship and were humble in their victories. The future of Mount Doug girls’ volleyball is looking very bright thanks to this great group of athletes.
Field Hockey – The girls’ field hockey team has had a great 2014 season, building on last year’s stellar play. The team finished 3rd in League play, advancing to the Lower Island Championships and the Island Championships where they placed 4th. This meant the team, nursing some serious injuries to a number of players, travelled to North Vancouver for a challenge match against a very strong opponent, an opponent who managed to score some quick goals and end the team’s season. With such a dedicated and professional coaching staff, and such dedicated athletes, field hockey has grown much over the last few years and looks to continue to do so.
Junior Boys’ Football – This year’s team had challenges to face from the very beginning. With only five returning players and a dedicated group of grade 9s, the Junior Varsity team was looking to compete in every game, grow as a 
group, and make it to the playoffs. The regular season saw much growth in this young team, losing only one regular season game and placing second in the Island Division. The team finished the regular season averaging 29 points per game while giving up 9 points per game, but then had to face a very strong opponent in St. Thomas More Collegiate who ended the team’s season in the quarterfinals of the playoffs. Next year’s team will have a strong contingent of returning players and a complimentary group of grade 9 boys joining them, meaning that they should challenge for the BC Championships.
Senior Boys’ Football – The three time defending BC Champions have had, once again, a once in a lifetime season. Considered underdogs going into the regular season, the Varsity team finished the year with a perfect 9-0 record in both exhibition and regular season play. This is the best record of any AAA Varsity team in the history of Mount Douglas football. This group of dedicated coaches, staff, and athletes have only one goal in mind – another BC Championship, something not accomplished since 1958 and never before done in the era of AAA category. During the regular season, the team averaged 35 points per game while holding opponents to 7 points per game. In the playoffs to date, the Varsity team went up against the Kelowna Secondary Owls in the quarterfinals at Westhills Stadium, beating the Owls by a score of 57-0 and earning a trip to UBC to play St. Thomas More Collegiate on November 29. Congratulations go to Oliver Mackenzie, Byron MacKinnon, and Gavin Cobb for being named Western Conference All Stars and Seye Farinu, Easton Garard, and Pato Vega for being named both Western Conference and Provincial All Stars. Good luck boys, once again, on the defense of your BC Championship.
WINTER SPORTS
Mount Doug Cheerleading Team ramping up school spirit at the Fall Pep Rally
We are now heading into our Winter Sports Season and wish our basketball teams and curling teams all the best for their upcoming season. We encourage everyone to come and cheer on your RAMS as they host home games in the gym this winter. For a complete list of all of Mount Doug’s Winter Sports, please refer to the Athletics section of the online course guide, at https://mountdoug.sd61.bc.ca/activities-clubs/athletics/sports-teams/Finally, I wish to thank our fantastic students, parents, coaches, managers, teachers and sponsors. It is because of you that Mount Doug continues to be one of the top sports schools in all of B.C.
Mr. Meldrum, Athletic Director