Centennial running back Nathan Lund, shown here during exhibition play earlier this season, was a man possessed in Friday’s 54-40 win over New Westminster. The Grade 12 back scampered for 326 yards on 18 carries, pulled down two touchdown receptions for 103 yards and returned a 63-yard kickoff for yet another score. Lund also aired out a 44-yard TD pass to go along with 16 tackles on defence. When it was all said and done, Lund came away with seven touchdowns on the day.
Photograph by: Lisa King , NOW
Weird, awful, awe inspiring, and ultimately, spectacular. In what was a roller coaster of an affair, the Centennial Centaurs got on board the Nathan Lund train to cruise to a 54-40 win over New Westminster in senior boys high school football play on Friday night.
The Grade 12 back was as close to unstoppable as you can get at Mercer Stadium, putting up seven touchdowns in total: four on the ground, two TD catches, and one passing major as well, after fill-in quarterback Justin Buren missed the second half due to injury.
"I wasn't really expecting to go in at quarterback, but after Justin went down, I had to man up," Lund said Tuesday. "I just thought to myself, 'This is my time to be a leader and show that I can do more than just run the ball.'"
To put Lund's night in perspective, the Centaurs' standout put up close to 500 of his team's roughly 600 yards on offence.
He got it done on the weight of 326 yards on the ground off of 18 carries, two TD receptions for 103 yards and another 63 yards in returns.
With starting QB Nick Okamoto not in the lineup - and Buren lost to injury in the second half - Lund was also called into quarterback duties under a wildcat offence during the back half of the contest. While under centre, Lund aired out a 44yard TD pass to Isaiah Stewart.
To top it off, he also collected 16 tackles on the defensive side of the ball, while Joey Hogge picked up 11 tackles.
"He's always game ready and he's just a phenomenal athlete. These kids come around once in a blue moon. I don't know how teams can prepare for him. He does things that other kids just can't do and even grown men can't do," said Cents coach Ryk Piche.
Fellow Cents back JP Kalambay, who rushed for 120 yards, accounted for Centennial's other touchdown in the game, one that looked to be a foregone conclusion on two separate occasions. Though Centennial enjoyed a three-touchdown cushion on two separate occasions, the Hyacks clawed their way back into contention particularly during the third quarter, when they mounted three straight TDs of their own to move the score to 40-35 in favour of New West.
Lund, however, answered back with a 63-yard TD return, a 43-yard TD pass to Stewart and 56-yard touchdown run in the final minute to seal the win.
"It was a very helpless feeling watching Lund run around like that. He is an exceptional player, but one player should never beat you like that," said Hyacks coach Farhan Lalji.
Matched up against the same school, Centennial's junior team dropped its matchup with New West last week by a 45-35 count. Down 45-13 in the fourth quarter, the Cents did make a go of things late in the contest by scoring three consecutive majors to close the game out.
JUNIOR, SENIOR RAVENS KEEP ROLLING
The Terry Fox Ravens maintained their perfect record Friday, moving to 2-0 - and top spot in the Eastern Conference - with a 13-0 win over Tweedsmuir.
Without starting quarterback Trevor Casey and running back Mate McLeod-Genest, the Ravens leaned on backup pivot Jake Bye to get the job done, and get it done he did.
Bye hooked up with Brian Hope on a 28-yard strike for the only score of the first half, while Brett Loyce's 35-yard run in the second half gave Fox all the offence it needed.
Grade 10 linebackers Isaiah Stevens and Mike West came up with seven tackles apiece and combined for three sacks.
Fox's junior club also continued its dominance late last week, downing Tweedsmuir easily in a 40-0 romp. Now sitting at 2-0 in regular season play, the junior Ravens have scored 81 points while conceding none.
