With a third straight B.C. high school triple-A football championship now tucked away in their back pockets, the Mount Douglas Rams will be forever remembered as a provincial dynasty.

The Rams pulled out a nervous 32-27 victory over the Terry Fox Ravens Saturday night, claiming their third straight Subway Bowl football championship at B.C. Place in Vancouver, much to the delight of a busload of fans donning their purple-and-white jerseys, clacking their rattles and banging their thundersticks.

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All season head coach Mark Townsend’s crew removed themselves from talk of a three-peat, not that they weren’t thinking about the impressive feat, last accomplished by the Richmond Colts from 1996-98.

“We’re a part of something huge, a part of history,” said Rams outstanding defensive lineman Zach Wilkinson. “We talked about it, not on the field, but off the field, and it truly is something special.”

As is this group of young athletes that has grown as a family these last few years, some being together for four seasons since first entering secondary school.

Now, 21 of them will graduate, and Townsend will attempt to piece together a team worthy of carrying on the tradition the school has established.

“There’s a lot of history here with these guys already. Getting a three-peat is something that only comes around so often,” said star runningback/receiver/defensive back Marcus Davis, who scored three touchdowns, added a key interception late in the victory over Terry Fox, and was named the game’s MVP.

“Coach Mark has done a great job of getting guys together. He built this program and he’s obviously done a very good job. This group is tight. We’re always around each other, on the field and off.”

It’s very much a family that has come together through football.

“We’ve been blessed with great kids and, yeah, you nailed it on the head, it’s like a family,” said Townsend. “A lot of them have been together three or four years, they treat each other with respect and it’s been a great run.” Capped by yet another championship win in which they played their hearts out on Saturday.

Davis, again, was the leader of the crew, scoring his 70th, 71st and 72nd TDs as a senior over the last two years alone. Ashton MacKinnon and Seye Farinu also scored for Mount Doug, which led 19-14 at halftime.

Byron MacKinnon got the Rams defence of to a solid start as he rocked Terry Fox quarterback Conner McKee early on a sack and Farinu followed it up with another sack.

“We didn’t like or want to say it, until we were looking back on it, but it’s been a good ride,” Rams defensive lineman James Nicholas said of the three-peat talk

“We’re brothers, we really are. If we’re not practising, we’re hanging out all the time. The core group of guys who are starters are best friends as well.”

mannicchiarico@timescolonist.com

Twitter/tc_vicsports