Titans lose to Argyle in provincial AA football semi-final

Justin Beazer and Lloyd Heggen traded first half touchdowns as the two sides went into the break tied at 7-7. Kamloops almost took the lead on the final play but quarterback Cole Rigler’s pass fell just short of Derian Dyck’s fingertips.

Heggen then gave the Titans their first lead of the night with his second touchdown, but Argyle responded through receiver Isaac Friesen to even the score at 14-14.

Lloyd Heggen celebrates his second half touchdown with Zander Merrell. (Image Credit: Johnson Mai via South Kamloops Titans)

Faced with a fourth-and-1 on their 33 yard line with 3:06 left in the third, the Titans went for it, but turned the ball over on downs as Rigler’s deep pass intended for Heggen was incomplete.

The Pipers capitalized as their quarterback Conor Thomson found Moses Milley for a gain of 32 yards to the Titans’ one yard line. Thomson ran the ball in on the next play to give Argyle a 21-14 lead.

In the fourth quarter, an Argyle safety and a 48-yard touchdown from Milley made it a 29-14 game, but the Titans fought back. Rigler’s 80 yard drive eventually found Merrell for a touchdown and again for the two-point conversion to make it a one possession game.

But with just 11 seconds left on the clock, the Titans weren’t able to recover the onside kick and they ran out of time.

Argyle will face the top-seed Vernon Panthers in next Sunday’s championship game. The Panthers knocked off fifth-seed Mt. Douglas of Victoria 45-7 in the other AA semi-final.

This was the Titans’ first provincial semi-final since 2011. A team from South Kamloops Secondary or its previous iteration, Kam High, last reached a provincial high school football final in 1994.

The school last won a B.C. provincial football title in 1990, when the Kam High Red Devils knocked off the Centennial Centaurs 36-18.

by Victor Kaisar

Titans lose to Argyle in provincial AA football semi-final

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