The secret’s out.

The Pitt Meadows Marauders are the team to beat in junior varsity AA Eastern Conference football after destroying the Abbotsford Collegiate Panthers 53-0 in their home opener on Wednesday.

It was the second shut-out in a row for the Marauders, who have out-scored their opposition 102-0 in their last two games.

“The boys really came out to play,” said coach Dave Holleran. “They were mentally focused and performed very well.”

Key factors in the victory were the efforts of the offensive and defensive lines, he said.

“The O-line was opening up holes you could drive a truck through,” said Holleran. Centre Nathan Stratham was instrumental in creating space for the Marauders ground attack, which accounted for five touchdowns, including one by Luke Gillespie, playing running back in the second half.

Wes Davidson and Martin Duckhorn led the Marauders with five tackles a piece, and help lead a defense that seemed to anticipate the Panthers’ every move and preventing them from scoring even a single point.

“Everyone knows who we are now,” said Holleran. Who they are, is an undersized team that excels thanks to superior athleticism, discipline and play-making.

Quarterback Cory Takahara, 5’6” and 130 pounds soaking wet, generally plays in a shotgun formation, calling his own plays in a hurry-up offense or on the fly to exploit a weakness in a defense’s formation. He’s complimented by a ground attack that features the double threat of Malcolm Williams and Cody Holleran.

Their defense meanwhile, has more than half a dozen formations, and can switch gears in a hurry if need be.

“Not many high school teams can do this,” said Holleran. He credits his cadre of assistant coaches for helping to create the dynamic style of play.

“Mike Wheeler, Chris Little, Laurie Webster; these guys did an excellent job of preparing the guys,” he said. “None of them have kids at the school, they’re all Pitt grads volunteering their time.”

Opponents can expect no mercy from the Marauders this season.

Last season, the Marauders tied for the third and final play-off spot with a record of 3-3, but missed out on the post-season because of their point differential. Holleran said he’s not about to let the team put itself in a similar position this year.

“We are going to squeeze every point,” he said. “That won’t happen to us again.”

However, the Marauders will have their work cut out for them next week when they face the Rick Hansen Hurricanes at home.

After two blow-outs, Holleran will have to keep his players’ heads in the game for what could be their toughest match-up of the season.

“This going to be the true test for us,” he said. “This is a big team, and they are blowing everybody away in the preseason. They are very competitive and very well coached.”

• The Marauders face Rick Hansen at home at 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 8.