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hyacks history

In December of 2002, a pair of current NWSS football coach approached the school’s administration about the idea of resurrecting the football program. The school had been without football for 25 years, as the last team took to the gridiron in 1977. After plenty of due diligence, they gave the program in approval and the rest, as they say, is history.

Eighty players suited up for the Varsity and JV teams in the spring of 2003 and again that fall for the inaugural season. In their first game on Sept 5, 2003, on their first possession, the Hyacks scored a TD. That season the team would go on to make the playoffs. In every year of the program’s existence, at least one Hyack team has qualified for the post-season.

In 2004, NWSS won its first playoff game, a thrilling 30-27 win on the final drive against Ballenas, in front of a noisy crowd at Mercer Stadium. That season Ingram Jaccard was named the provincial AA MVP and became the first Hyack in the “new era” to earn a college scholarship (to SFU). That same year the program expanded with the addition of the Royal City Hyacks Jr Bantam program for 12-13 year olds. Two years later a Pee Wee team (ages 10-11) was added, and in 2009 the youth program expanded again to include flag (ages 5-7) and atom (ages 8-9) teams.

In 2005 NWSS made the jump to the AAA level and again made the playoffs and in 2007, advanced to the provincial AAA semi-finals for the first of 3 straight seasons. Already there have been 17 NWSS grads that have gone on to earn college scholarships, two of them to NCAA schools in the US. This year there are 220 players enrolled among the 6 Hyack teams.

Through it all, the staff, students and administration of NWSS, along with the city of New Westminster, have embraced the football program fully. Corporations have come forward with sponsorships, others have donated prizes for the successful annual Hyack Football Tailgate Auction. The school and school board has encouraged every aspect of the program and made it possible to raise funds for all the program has to offer. And Friday night games at Mercer Stadium have become the place to be each fall.

In addition, members of the Hyack Football program spend significant hours in the community. Activities include: Set up and tear down at major city events such as May Day, the Hyack Parade and Fraser Fest; Reading at International Reading Day; Environmental clean up at various city parks sites, raising money and gifts for the Christmas Bureau, and many others. Along the way the Hyack program has received awards for its community involvement.

HYACK FOOTBALL AT A GLANCE

  • Over 220 students participate in Hyack Football. Hyack players attend every school in the district.
  • Players range in age from 5 to 18.
  • Seventeen players have gone on to earn college scholarships in Canada and the United States in the past 7 years.
  • 40 coaches each volunteer hundreds of hours to help all players reach their potential.
  • At least one of our teams has been involved in the playoffs in each of our 7 seasons. For the past three years, our Sr varsity team has reached the provincial semi-finals.
  • Awarded 2006 “Community Group of the Year” by the Hyack Festival Association.
  • Awarded 2007 a City of New Westminster Youth Group Award.
  • Head Coach Farhan Lalji was named 2009 BC Scholastic Coach of the Year and was runner-up for 2005 National Coach of the Year.

ACTIVE:

  • Andros Dancey, DB, York University (2021 – )
  • Vishaan Narayan, DL, Simon Fraser University (2021 – )
  • Steven Jiang, OL, UBC (2021 – )
  • Deakon Young, University of Calgary (2021 – )
  • Taran Birdi, Queens University (2020 – )
  • Ajay Chol, Queens University (2020 – )
  • Austin Galbraith, York University (2020 – )
  • Owen Stark, UBC (2020 – )
  • Evan Nolli, DL, Simon Fraser University (2019 – )
  • Kinsale Philip, U of Toronto (2019 – )
  • Lucas Sabau – Simon Fraser University (2018 – )

PAST:

  • Broxx Comia, WR, U of Manitoba (2019)
  • Sebastien Reid – U of Calgary (2018)
  • Sammy Sidhu – U of Calgary (2018)
  • Isaiah James – U of Saskatchewan (2018 – 2019)
  • Yanni Angelopoulos – St Mary’s University (2018)
  • Jordan Chin – Concordia University (2013 – 2018)
  • Matt Seymour – Ohio University (2015 – 2018) – NCAA Div 1
  • Michael Adetola – St Francis Xavier (2016 – 2020)
  • Jeff Lugtu – Simon Fraser Univ (2017 – 2019)
  • Trew Dancey – McMaster University (2017 – 2019)
  • Prento Durigon – St Mary’s University (2016)
  • Rochon Bhattacharya – Westhills JC, CA (2016 – 2017)
  • Warren Reece – UBC (2011 – 2016)
  • Ian Henderson – UBC (2011 – 2015
  • Sonu Kainth – U of Manitoba (2013 – 2016)
  • Tommy Robertson – U of Windsor (2014 – 2015)
  • Hakan Williams – U of Windsor (2015 – 2016)
  • Dylan Musgrove – U of Windsor (2015)
  • Harper Sherman – U of Arizona (2015 – 2017) – NCAA Div 1
  • Daniel English – UBC (2012)
  • Regan Eberding – UBC (2012 – 2013)
  • Alex Saavedra – UBC (2010)
  • Nick Adomat – McGill (2011 – 2012)
  • Milthon Nevy – York (2011)
  • James Belgrave – St Mary’s (2011 – 2012)
  • Tyler Digby – Robert Morris Univ, PA (2009 – 2013) – NCAA Div 1
  • Casey Chin – SFU (2010 – 2013)
  • Vivie Bojilov – SFU (2010), UBC (2011 – 2013)
  • Blaine Cawkell – College of the Desert, CA JC (2009-2010)
  • Marko Susic – SFU (2009-2011 )
  • Jamie Wandell – St Mary’s (2011)
  • Nasser Jamal – Louisiana-Lafayette (2006 – 2010) – NCAA Div 1
  • Cody Husband – UBC (2006 – 2010)
  • Kevin Semenowich – SFU (2008 – 2010)
  • Kenneth Traeger – St Mary’s (2009)
  • Darnell Sikorski – UBC (2009)
  • Jared Read – SFU (2007)
  • Ben Davies – Calgary (2006)
  • Marc Moore – Saginaw Valley, MI (2006), UBC (2007)
  • Torsten Jaccard – SFU (2005 – 2006)
  • Esmat Sarwary – SFU (2006)
  • Cody Husband (OL) – signed by Hamilton in 2010, moved to BC Lions in 2014
  • Casey Chin – drafted by BC Lions in 2014, moved to Edmonton in 2016
  • Daniel English – drafted by Hamilton in 2015
  • Nasser Jamal (OL) – drafted by Toronto in 2010
  • David Sidoo (DB) – drafted by Saskatchewan in 1983, moved to BC Lions in 1988
  • Jerry Dobrovolny (OL) – drafted 1st overall by Calgary in 1983, also played with Montreal (1985) and Ottawa (1986)
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HYACK FOOTBALL year by year

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