In just their third year back following a 30-year hiatus, the Argyle junior football team made a stirring run to the provincial semifinals this season, all the while spurred on by the memory of a fallen teammate.
Marcos Borboa Lara wasn't a great football player. He wasn't even a good football player. In fact, when the Mexican exchange student came out for his first football practice before the 2012 season it was obvious to Argyle junior head coach Wayne Theobald that Borboa was not even thinking of the right sport when he signed up to play.
"When I first met him I went up to him and asked him if he'd ever played football and he said, 'Oh yeah coach, I played lots of football,'" said Theobald. "I asked him what position and he said 'fullback.' I kind of looked at him and thought, well he doesn't look like a fullback. As soon as he hopped on the field I realized we were talking about two different things. He was talking about soccer and I was talking about football."
A complete lack of football skills and knowledge, however, didn't stop Borboa from becoming one of the most beloved players on the team.
"He was just a great kid," said Theobald. "Really popular, everyone who met him liked him, really positive. Every time I saw him, no matter where it was, he'd come over and give a huge 'Hi coach!' and give me a big hug, no matter if it was in the hallways at school or in the community or wherever. He was just an awesome kid."
Argyle's junior team had a big roster so Borboa didn't see much action in regular season games but he did hit the field for some of the "seconds games" that the team played, exhibition matchups that allowed teams to play their less-experienced players. "He'd never played before or had a clue what he was doing but he just had a great attitude and just loved it," said Theobald. "He was a tough guy and definitely had a massive smile on his face. He was pretty proud to say he was playing football in Canada."
The season and school year ended and Borboa was set to return home when tragedy struck. On June 30, 2013, he and a few friends were swimming at Indian Arm's Granite Falls - an area only accessible by boat - when he was swept over the falls and dropped 50 feet. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Though none of his teammates were there when the accident happened, news of the tragedy quickly reached the rest of the Pipers.
"It spread really fast," said Theobald. "It was really hard for all of us."
When the team reunited in the fall they often spoke about Borboa, agreeing to dedicate their season to his memory. Borboa's No. 30 was added to the back of each player's helmet. Teammates that knew Borboa did their best to pass on his spirit to new members of the team. When times got tough they would remember their friend and gain motivation.
"The guys that did know him, it definitely fired them up," Theobald said of the No. 30 tribute each player wore. That passion turned into performance on the field. The Pipers made the playoffs for the third straight season and cleared a hurdle that had previously tripped them up. In both 2011 and 2012, Argyle's seasons ended with losses to John Barsby in Nanaimo. This year the Pipers again made the trip to the island for a playoff quarterfinal but this time they finally won it, defeating the Bulldogs 18-8. "The first year we played them we got just absolutely killed," said Theobald of that 45-0 butt-kicking in 2011. "The second year we made the playoffs again and had to go back to Barsby again and it was just an epic game.. .. The Barsby fans were nuts, out in full force. They even had chainsaws right by our bench. It was so loud we couldn't even hear ourselves talk."
The Pipers lost that one too, but it was closer: 48-33.
This year came the win.
"It was a good game and really hard hitting," said the coach. "It was a petty good stumbling block to get over. They're one of the best AA programs in the province."
The Pipers then set their sights on making it to this weekend's provincial finals but fell one step short, losing 21-7 to Chilliwack's G.W. Graham in the semifinals last Saturday.
"They're just friggin' massive," said Theobald. "Their smallest lineman was probably bigger than our biggest lineman. It was a real close game, back and forth. The guys played hard but just came up a little short."
They didn't get that trip to BC Place that they wanted but the Argyle juniors did help put the school back on the football map. It's been tough slogging for the school's senior team since it was also rebooted three years ago but these results give hope for a sport that is gaining support at Argyle each year, said Theobald.
"The majority of our players the last three years are brand new to football," he said. "Football has really grown at Argyle.. .. It's just a matter of time. It kind of takes a while to kind of develop a football culture. I think the future is definitely very bright for Argyle football."
Next year would have been Borboa's Grade 12 year. Those teammates from last season will now be the Grade 11s and 12s on the senior team and they'll be looking ahead to bright days on the football field while also looking back to even brighter days with a good friend who would have been cheering them along every step of the way.
"Just one of those kids with a big smile on his face," said Theobald. "Positive about everything."
