Langley Rams sophomore defensive lineman Brock Gowanlock was a B.C. Football Conference juggernaut this season.
And as a juggernaut is defined as “a huge, powerful, and overwhelming force,” that’s what opposing offensive linemen and blockers had to contend with whenever they faced the 19-year-old Cowichan Bulldogs product.
On Nov. 5, Gowanlock was among the 13 players named as Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) Defensive Jostens/CFL All-Canadians for the 2015 season.
And rightly so: Gowanlock led the CJFL with 14.5 sacks, to go along with 17 tackles, five assists, one knockdown, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Langley set the BCFC record for most sacks in a regular season (46) and Gowanlock’s 14.5 quarterback take-downs fell just 1.5 shy of the all-time record of 16 set in 2013 by the Rams’ Evan Foster.
“I felt like I had a pretty good year this year,” Gowanlock said. “I’m definitely happy I was acknowledged but football is a team sport.”
The Rams had a decent season, losing 28-27 to the V.I. Raiders in the BCFC playoff semifinal in Nanaimo after finishing their regular season with a 6-4 record.
Rams head coach Jeff Alamolhoda said he could see Gowanlock’s progression from year one to year two of his junior football career.
“He became the player I could foresee once he got comfortable in the league and with the speed in the game,” Alamolhoda said. “He had all intangibles to be great and that’s what he was this year. He’s a guy who plays with a chip on his shoulder and he played like that all year.”
“This year I was a lot more comfortable in the environment I was in, knowing the pace of the game,” Gowanlock noted.