Image Credit: Melissa Dyck/Contributed

By Victor Kaisar

AA High School Football Playoffs

South Kamloops Titans upset second-seed John Barsby in AA football quarter-finals

Nov 14, 2025 | 6:22 PM

NANAIMO — The South Kamloops Titans will play a BC High School Football provincial semi-final game for the first time in 14 years.

The seventh-seeded Titans upset the second-seeded John Barsby Bulldogs 49-41 in a AA football playoff game at Harewood East Field. The Titans will play a semi-final game for the first time since the 2011 season, when they were a AAA team.

Playing against the heavily favoured Bulldogs, the Titans jumped out to an early lead in Friday’s (Nov. 14) quarter-final, and they did not trail during the entire game in Nanaimo.

“I preach it to these kids all the time – just show up and be the best version of yourselves,” Titans’ head coach Jesse Rigler told CFJC earlier this month as the Titans took issue with their seeding.

“If we can have these 30 kids do that on game day, we will win without a doubt.”

ONE MAN'S OPINION

COLLINS: There is no disgrace in being cheesy once in a while

9h ago

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: December 4, 2025

Dec 04, 2025

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: 16 days of activism against gender-based violence

Dec 03, 2025

Quarterback Cole Rigler went 29 for 33 and threw for 380 yards and five touchdowns in Friday’s quarter-final. Receiver Derian Dyck was the main benefactor as he tallied six receptions for 123 yards and four scores.

On defense, linebacker Devin Price led all Titans with 17 solo tackles, while Dyck also chipped in with 10 solo tackles. Safety Mason Gozda also returned an interception for a touchdown.

The Titans led 49-27 with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter, and they survived a comeback attempt by John Barsby, which finished the regular season 6-0. South Kamloops was 5-1 with their only loss coming to the top-seed Vernon Panthers.

While the Titans surrendered a touchdown and a two-point conversion that saw the Bulldogs get to within eight points, they leaned on their offence to hold on for the final 2:58 of the game.

The Titans will aim for another upset in next weekend’s semi-final game against the third seeded Argyle Pypers after the North Vancouver side beat the sixth-seed Ballenas Whalers from Parksville 41-14.

That semi-final game will be played at McLeod Stadium in Langley on either Nov. 21 or Nov. 22.