UPDATE: This game has been cancelled. Abbotsford will be the conference No. 1 seed and Handsworth No. 2 heading into playoffs starting Friday.
Sports play a huge part in our culture, and the outcome of a games can often seem to be the most important thing in life, but there are times when we are reminded that there are bigger things at play in the world.
Monday afternoon at North Vancouver’s William Griffin field will be one of those moments, as the Handsworth Royals and Abbotsford Panthers will meet in the final regular season game of the B.C. high school AAA season. The two teams have identical records and will be fighting for first place in the Pacific Conference, but that’s not likely what will be top of mind for all in attendance, players, coaches and fans included.
On Tuesday a man entered Abbotsford secondary and attacked two students with a knife, killing 14-year-old Letisha Reimer and seriously wounding her 13-year-old friend. The school has been closed since the attack with students scheduled to return Monday. Handsworth was slated to play Abbotsford Friday but the game was rescheduled to Monday at 2 p.m., which will make it one of the school’s first official functions since the attack.
Handsworth head coach Jay Prepchuk said the atmosphere on Monday will be very different than a typical high school game, as his team and his school will do everything they can to make Abbotsford feel welcome at the field following last week's tragic incident.
“We’re making sure that we’re doing the right thing and that it’s definitely a welcoming situation for all of their guys – their players and coaches as well,” he said. “It’s just a terrible situation. I know the high school community and football community has certainly reached out to Abbotsford and we’re trying to do whatever we can for them.”
At moments like these, football becomes secondary, said Prepchuk.
“It does kind of put it into perspective – it’s just a football game,” he said. “I know their coach fairly well and reached out to him to make sure that he knows that we’re there for them and him, and whatever needs to happen in this process happens. We’ll just be supportive in whatever those folks need.”
A moment of silence will be held before the game. Abbotsford head coach Jay Fujimura told the Vancouver Sun that he expects Monday’s game will be a difficult one for his players, “but I think they would want to try to keep moving forward as best we can, whatever that’s going to look like.”
Along with being the head football coach at Handsworth, Prepchuk is also a school counsellor. The events in Abbotsford have shaken him and his colleagues at the school, he said.
“I can’t believe this happened,” he said. “It’s hit me. … Being a counsellor and having my kids go through Handsworth and just imagining something like that happening at our school….”
School counsellors are there for students who would like help coping with situations like this, said Prepchuk.
“We try to reassure them that we’re there for them and that a school like Handsworth is a safe place and we do whatever we can to make sure that it is a safe place for them and they hopefully feel safe. And if they need to talk about anything, especially in a situation like this, we are certainly there for them at all times.”
Prepchuk said he hoped Monday’s game could bring a little bit of normalcy back into the lives of the Abbotsford students.
“Once the whistle blows you can play and hopefully get a little bit of a release,” he said. “The nice thing about athletics and sports is it is a release for kids and people and hopefully they can get some peace.”
Handsworth is encouraging the public to come out and show their support for both teams.
“We’re certainly inviting anybody to come out and be there and watch the game in support of Abbotsford, and to be able to hopefully watch a good football game as well,” said Prepchuk.
