The Scribes Men were eliminated from playoff contention in early April, but were determined play out their remaining fixtures with intensity and vigor. Saturday’s match against a physical Kelowna Crows side proved a challenging test, but Scribes showed both initiative and resolve while battling to a spirited 27-14 defeat.

Kelowna’s punishing style of defense against short passes forced the Scribes into some unconventional tactics and aggressive play calling. Scribes failed to make the resulting kick-and-chase pay off during the first few attempts, and instead found themselves scrambling to defend the counter attack. This led to some long range tries by Kelowna and saw the visitors ahead on the scoreboard 20-0 at halftime.

The tactics changed again for the Scribes in the second half, with Josh Knight coming on as a replacement in the centres, and even making a brief appearance at scrum-half. The change seemed to spark the Scribes attack, with Knight storming in for a pair of tries. He and his Scribes teammates held the upper hand in both position and territory for much of the game’s final forty minutes, but were unable to fully close the gap on the scoreboard.

This game was reflective of the Scribes season thus far: starting a bit slow, building in strength in the middle, and finishing well, but with not enough points in the account. It’s a shame about the result, but this was another fun match for both the fans and the players alike, who seem to be looking ever more confident in the second division as the season goes on. The Scribes conclude their 2017-18 season next Saturday away to United RC. Kickoff at Eagle Ridge Field in Coquitlam is scheduled for 12:45pm.

The Scribes Women were originally slated to face Westshore, but the Valkyries did not have enough able bodies to make the journey to Vancouver and were forced to default. That result pushed Scribes up to 39 points in the standings with one game remaining in the regular season.

In the absence of a regular season fixture, Scribes organized a friendly against Division 1 side, Simon Fraser University. It was a rain-soaked affair, and SFU were the stronger team on the day, but Scribes players and coaches alike expressed that it was a good learning experience, a great test of fitness and helped them to work on execution of skills at pace.

Scribes wrap up the regular season this coming Saturday, April 14th, at home against Westshore. A bonus-point win would guarantee Scribes a second place finish in the standings, and likely their first-ever home playoff game the following weekend.