Stories from Tri-City News headlines of decades past will be a recurring feature as the publication approaches its 40th anniversary in 2024.
The Port Moody Blues senior boys' soccer team recently finished 14th in the provincial AAA championship tournament in Burnaby.
But in 1991, the school celebrated its first provincial football championship.
The Blues defeated the South Delta Sun Devils 22-6 in the 1A final.
The victory capped a season built on unlikely results, including a 14-13 win over Holy Cross when the Crusaders missed converting a touchdown late in the game and a Hail Mary pass by quarterback Ed Vlanzon with 39 seconds left in their game against Westsyde from Kamloops that gave them a 24-21 win.
Port Moody was cheered by dozens of supporters in the cavernous domed stadium many of them waving blue cardboard signs and large banners that had been created by students at Mountain Meadows Elementary School.
"What the kids need is encouragement," said Marilyn Turpin, the school's principal whose son played linebacker on the Blues.
In fact, the game was such a big deal the Tri-City News assigned three reporters and a photographer to cover it.
After the final whistle, head coach Al Jones was ebullient in praise for his charges.
"I'm so damn proud of you that my heart just wells over," he told them in the celebratory dressing room.
"After all boys, we're Number 1."
The Tri-City News has covered civic affairs, local crime, festivals, events, personalities, sports and arts in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody since 1983. Bound back issues of the paper are available at the Coquitlam Archives, while digital versions of several past years can be found at issuu.com.
