Von Richardson has been named the defensive player of the year in B.C. High School Football.
Provincial all-stars and MVP awards were revealed Tuesday.
Richardson, GW Graham’s two-way wrecking ball, received D honours after producing 57 tackles, two quarterback sacks and one fumble recovery in four regular season games.
He had another five tackles in GWG’s playoff opening 21-7 win over Argyle last Friday.
Richardson had a strong case to be the offensive player of the year. Including playoffs, Richardson has rushed 195 times for 1,591 yards and 23 touchdowns, but that award went to Abbotsford Panther running back Samuel Uko.
Richardson would be the first to point out how important Jake Troyan is to his rushing totals. The Grizzly center earned all-star status as an offensive lineman, and like Richardson could very well have earned all-star status as one of B.C.’s most dominant defensive linemen.
Through last Friday’s game, No. 74 in blue has produced 41 tackles, four sacks and one fumble recovery on that side of the ball.
GW Graham will see the overall MVP this weekend when they face quarterback Ryan Baker and the Windsor Dukes.
Baker is Windsor’s biggest star on offence, helping the Dukes average 42 points per game in five regular season games.
In last weekend’s 49-13 playoff rout of Vernon’s Clarence Fulton Maroons, Baker threw touchdown passes of 43, 27 and 26 yards and ran for touchdowns of 61 and 21 yards.
“All I know is Rob Stephenson (John Barsby head coach), who’s been coaching football in B.C. for 25 years at the high school level, said that he’d never seen an offence execute better at the AA or AAA level,” said GWG coach Laurie Smith. “They only have 17 or 18 guys on their roster, but they are supposed to be lights-out good on offence.
“It’s going to be a whole lot of work for us, but I’m looking forward to it.”
The Grizzlies and Dukes square off Saturday at noon under the big top at B.C. Place Stadium while the Abbotsford Panthers take on Vernon in the other AA semi-final.
The winners will return to the Dome Dec. 2 for the Subway Bowl Championship.