By Dan Marshall

Nanaimo District Secondary School football program moves up to AAA level

Aug 31, 2017 | 11:58 PM

NANAIMO — After an impressive BC Highschool Football season that included a AA Junior Varsity championship, Nanaimo District Secondary School is jumping up to the AAA level.

The move means that the Islanders will have to compete with some of the largest schools in BC.

According to provincial regulations schools with 275 boys in Grade 11 and 12 are required to play AAA.

Coach Nate Stevenson says NDSS will have anywhere from 270-290 boys in those grades for the upcoming school year.

“The AA conference we came from was a very strong conference. Any team you look at there – there’s no slouches,” said Stevenson. “Moving up to AAA Pacific, it’s going to be a tough road, especially when you get in to the playoffs. Against some of the big schools like Terry Fox and the catholic schools, those are going to tough competitions, good fun football games.”

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Geographical rivals like John Barsby and Ballenas are still in the AA category but that won’t stop those schools from seeing NDSS on the exhibition schedule at both the varsity and junior varsity level in the month of September.
 
School doesn’t even start until Tuesday, but according to Stevenson highschool football programs like the one at NDSS are allowed to start two weeks prior to Labour Day.
 
“We’ll get in eight practices (before school starts) and then we’ll get two more coming next week. We’ve got ten practices to build off of our spring camp. We’ve had great turnout and great hustle at practice and we’re looking forward to next Thursday and Friday’s football games,” said Stevenson.
 
Those games will be a junior varsity clash at Vancouver College Sept 7 at 3:45 p.m. and a varsity battle with John Barsby Sept 8 at 6 p.m. at Merle Logan Field.
 
Coach Stevenson has high expectations for the Islanders program as the school moves to the AAA level.
 
He wants other schools to take notice of a hardworking team that is going to compete in every football game.
 
“We’re going to get after it, we want to do well,” said Stevenson. “If we can win our conference this year and host a playoff game on the new turf field, that’s definitely within our eyesight.” 
 
Both the varsity and JV squads will open the regular season on the road in West Vancouver in the first week of October.
 
 
dan@nanaimonewsnow.com
 
On twitter: @danmarshall77