Jack Longo is the older half of the Oak Bay Bays dynamic scoring duo. He scored four goals in four games to help the Bays win the senior boys Island soccer championship earlier this month. And yet the Grade 12 striker has no problem deferring to his Grade 10 counterpart, Charlie Miller.
The two combined for 10 goals in total at the Islands and are eager to strike again at the AAA provincials in Burnaby this week, Nov. 21 to 23.
“(Miller’s) probably the best player on the Island,” Longo said at training last week. “He’s only in Grade 10 but he won’t have any problem keeping up his play at provincials.”
The two have a knack for playing off each other. Miller scored hat tricks against Cowichan and Stelly’s at the Island championships while Longo scored once in the win over Claremont and once in the Island final against Reynolds.
“Miller’s so good it’s really fun to play with him,” Longo said.
Longo usually sets the play up with mid-fielders so Miller can run onto the ball.
“They are a very good partnership duo with great chemistry,” said Bays co-coach Rich Fast. “They work hard and are excellent finishers.”
Fast is quick to credit the great defensive effort from Islands, and the season, by the back line of Andrew Belleville, Owen Sieffert, Adam Eardley, Andre Earthy-Find (a Grade 9 call-up) and goalie Felix Lambrecht.
“Last year we were 15th at provincials so we’ve got a lot to improve on,” Longo said.
“The first game is key, getting it out of the way will help, and winning Islands will get a better draw than last year.”
By winning the Island championships the Bays are the top seed in their round robin pool and will face Prince George and Tamanawis and Lord Byng.
Oak Bay Bays senior call-ups Miller and Earthy-Find also won also won the Islands with the Bays junior boys team this season making it a sweep. Fast is mostly-sure it’s a 10-year anniversary since it last happened in 2003.
“It’s school pride that we won both junior and senior,” Longo said. “I’ve watched a few junior Bays games and they’re really strong. This team could win Islands again for a couple more years.”
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