Ballenas Secondary School’s junior varsity football team picked up its first win of the season in impressive fashion on home field last Thursday, pounding the unbeaten Nanaimo District Secondary School Islanders, 28-6.

The young Whalers opened the scoring on their second drive of the game, when Justin Holland hooked up with Dustin Rodriguez behind coverage for a 33-yard touchdown. Rodriguiz split the uprights for the point after to give the Whalers an 7-0 first quarter lead.

In the second quarter, Justin found Dustin for a 16-yard touchdown reception. The kick was good.

The Whaler D snuffed out a long Islander drive when they stopped them on the 10 yard line late in the second quarter, and the hosts went into the dressing room with a 14-0 lead at the half.

With Rodriguez behind center in the second half, it was Holland hauling in a 37-yard bomb then getting bumped out of bounds on the one. Grade 9 fullback Josh Bishop punched it in from there. The kick was blocked, and Ballenas led 20-zp.

A physical contest from start to finish with the blue and white clearly the more aggressive squad, the Whalers salted the win midway through the fourth when Rodriguiz called his own number from 25 yards out and ran it in, and Tailback Tyson Hunt made good on the two point conversion for a 28-0 lead.

The Islanders broke the Whalers’ shutout bid when they found the end zone late in the fourth against Ballenas’ backups.

Defensively, 6’2”, 210-pound Grade 9 Austin Waite led the day with five tackles, including one in the backfield for a big loss.

“He’s a force,” chuckled JV head coach Anthony Wall. “A great team player and two-way starter.”

Linebackers Alex Adams, Zach Seselja, Tyler Worthington and Matt Vandervelde all brought their A-games, as did defensive end Terrek Bryantt.

Rodriguez also came down with two interceptions against a limited NDSS pass attack.

Offensively, Hunt piled up 120 yards on 15 carries.

“It was a real group effort,” said Wall, who confirmed, “it felt good to get that first win under our belts — the kids worked hard at practice all week, we worked hard at conditioning, and I think that made a big difference.”

The win lifts the Whalers to 1-2 in league play and has them sitting sixth in the nine-team AA Island Conference — four points back of the first place Mt. Doug Rams (3-0) from Victoria.

The Islanders drop to 2-1, but remain part of a three-way tie for the number two spot with Timberline and John Barsby.

GAME ON

The JVs have a bye this week and return to action on home field Oct. 7 against their arch rivals the John Barsby Bulldogs (3:15 p.m. kickoff).