Cowichan Valley’s minor football teams hit the field over the weekend, with strong showings across multiple divisions. From a dominant peewee win to a forfeit victory for the bantams, the Bulldogs program continues to showcase skill, teamwork, and growth at every level.
Peewee
The Cowichan peewee Bulldogs shut down the Westshore Warriors 28–6 this past weekend.
"It was a hard-fought game that showcased teamwork, discipline, and determination on both sides of the ball," said head coach Kyle Bellis. “It was a great game by both teams. It’s awesome to see everyone come together and play as a team.”
The Bulldogs came out strong from the opening whistle. A long pass from quarterback Finnley Bellis to receiver Deven Randhawa set up the first touchdown, which Bellis finished himself to put Cowichan on the board early.
Defensively, the Bulldogs were relentless. Led by standout Ryder Friesen, the unit applied constant pressure and made key stops throughout the game. Tackles by Kass Hack and Christian Murray helped hold the Warriors to a single touchdown.
On offence, Cowichan continued to roll. Lengthy runs by Austin Shaver gained crucial yardage, while Bellis connected multiple times with receivers Noah Atchison and Wesley Slomka to set up another score, again finished by Randhawa.
“Our offence really found its rhythm today,” Bellis said.
The Bulldogs’ defensive line was equally dominant. Carter Thorne, Matthew Canute, Carter Christian, and Sawyer Van Mannen consistently broke through Westshore’s line, slowing the Warriors’ momentum and keeping them off the board for most of the game.
The win adds to Cowichan’s record and highlights the team’s growing confidence and skill.
“This group continues to impress us every week,” Bellis added. “They show up ready to work, and today was a perfect example of what happens when they play with focus and discipline.”
The team has a bye next weekend.
Junior Bantam
Coming off a competitive 38-28 victory last week against Comox, the JB Bulldogs turned their attention to Westshore on Saturday mid-day.
"It was another exciting game," said head coach Opie Williams.
The Bulldogs scored first on a big jet sweep from Charlie Freeman. The team never gave up the lead.
"Our defence played amazing, shutting down the door several times," Williams said.
Marcus Jeet had a strip tackle and recovered his own forced fumble. He was able to run it to the red zone on his own. Rylen Heyer ended up scoring the touchdown.
Heyer had 100 passing yards and a two-point conversion as well. Freeman has 90 rushing yards while Harrison Plaxton played well on both sides of the ball, including 71 yard receiving.
Vaughn Williams led the defence with six solo tackles and seven assisted tackles.
"Two of his solo tackles were sacks and two of them were tackles for a loss," Williams said.
Close behind was Damian Montoya with four tackles, five assists, and a sack, including two tackles for losses and one interception that was tipped by Plaxton.
The JB Bulldogs have a bye next weekend but are looking forward to playing Nanaimo the following week on the road.
Bantam
After defeating the Comox Raisers 34-8 last weekend, the Bantams hoped to outpace the Langley Mustangs at McAdam Park on Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs did win 10-0, but they didn't have to play a down as the Mustangs forfeited the game.
Midget
With Cowichan's three-week, three-game schedule against the Comox Valley Raiders finally behind them, the team looked to get their first win of the season against Nanaimo on Sunday, Oct. 5 in Nanaimo. they didn't get what they'd hoped for, losing 40-0.
The team will try again this coming weekend with a game against the Richmond Raiders. Kickoff is at McAdam Park at 2 p.m.
