A “total team effort” notched a come-from-behind win for Oak Bay High at the junior rugby Island championship Friday in Mill Bay.
Oak Bay faced Shawnigan Lake school in the final game of the season to determine a champion.
“It was a very tight, well-played game by both teams,” said Pete Atkinson, Oak Bay’s head coach.
His boys were down 17-12 at half-time but scored three tries to come back victorious 27-17 when time wound out.
“We believed we were going to win, the boys did,” said Atkinson. It was a perfect end to a near-perfect season for the team that lost only two games this year. “It was total team effort. It’s a particularly skilled group of players.”
A number of the juniors were named Greater Victoria high school rugby All Stars last week.
Gavin Kratz, Carter White, Brandon Schellenberger, Jonah Hall and Callum Masterton earned all-star status. Brayden Tate, Gavin Kohut, Conner King, Sasha Lanine and Andre Earthy-Find earned honourable mention.
Oak Bay High senior all stars are James Carson and Jay Zimberlin, while Kieran Atkinson and Jack Nyren earned honourable mention.