In the wake of the Mission Roadrunners’ stunning 22-15 win over the W.J. Mouat Hawks on Friday, Hawks head coach Denis Kelly paid the victors a heady compliment.
“They could play at the AAA level any time,” Kelly said. “They’re legitimate.”
Friday’s game, played before an enthusiastic crowd at Mouat Field, was a fascinating match-up between teams who both came in ranked No. 2 in the province — the Hawks in AAA, and the Roadrunners in AA.
In one fell swoop, Mission validated the level of play on the small-school circuit, and picked up what head coach Kevin Watrin called the biggest win in the nine-year history of senior varsity football at the school.
“Last year, we had a really exciting quarter-final victory in the snow against Seaquam. But I think this probably tops it slightly. It was an exhibition game, but it was against a fantastic program and a great coaching staff.”