Johnny Bright Park – If offence wins games but defence wins championships, then the Paul Kane Blues are poised to repeat last year's success.
Johnny Bright Park – If offence wins games but defence wins championships, then the Paul Kane Blues are poised to repeat last year's success.
For the second straight game to kick off the season the Blues didn't allow a point while scoring at will in metro Edmonton high school football.
The two shutouts equal last year's total, achieved in the first six games of the season by the 10-1 Tier II (750 to 1,249 students) north finalists.
“It means that our coaches are doing a great job and they've really put in a great defence for us to play. We've just been practising and repping it hard and hard and hard and we're trusting it now more and more,” said Grade 12 middle linebacker Josh Freeman after the 54-0 lambasting of the Strathcona Lords on Wednesday.
“I would like to thank our coaches. It's honestly all them,” Freeman emphasized.
The previous week, the defending Miles division two champions embarrassed the St. Albert High Skyhawks 56-0 on the strength of three pick-six among the team's eight touchdowns.
Three of Lords' eight TDs against were scored off turnovers by an air-tight defence as the Blues built up an overwhelming 40-point lead at halftime.
Zach Dreger's fumble recovery at the Lords' 38 resulted in Aiden Mueller's nine-yard TD grab to make it 26-0 with 9:48 left in the first half. Lengthy ground gains by Kieran Porter and quarterback Brendan Guy moved the chains.
In the third quarter, Mike Webb picked off a pass in front of the Paul Kane bench and returned it to the Lords' 48. A couple of plays later, Brandon Smith barged his way in from the eight with 36 seconds remaining until quarter time.
On the first play from scrimmage by the Lords in the fourth quarter a long pass out of punt formation was reeled in by Smith around midfield. The Blues quickly converted the pick into a 15-yard TD reception by Beck for his third major of the game.
The Lords also fumbled away a kick-off return after Mueller's TD and Naiem Qadiri fell on the ball at the 27. Power running by Smith set-up Beck's two-yard TD burst.
“We just came in flying and I guess we did what we do right,” Freeman said.
The Blues marched the opening kickoff 76 yards on a good mix of runs by Beck and Porter and Guy's pass completions to Mueller. Shaydon Phillip capped off the 5:21-minute drive with a four-yard reception for the first of his three TDs in the first half.
Before quarter time, Beck zig-zagged 38-yards into the endzone and Guy hit Tanner Buchanan for the two-point conversion. Guy also connected with Phillip and Mueller for first downs leading up to the TD.
On the first play of the second quarter, Phillip wheeled through the Lords' secondary on a 42-yard catch and run for his second TD.
Phillip's fifth TD in two games was a long punt return as the Grade 12 standout pulled away from several tacklers with a great kick down the sideline.
Phillip also converted both TDs in the second half after kicker Nick Parrotta split the uprights twice in the first half before suffering an injury.
The second half was basically played with running time as the Blues emptied their bench while sitting some starters, similar to last year's 80-0 demolition of the Lords in St. Albert.
“We came into this game with lower expectations and we're glad that this could happen, honestly,” Freeman said. “The pressure was huge for this game. We had no idea what we were coming into. They just played Ardrossan (and lost 19-8 to the Miles finalists and Tier III provincial silver medalists) and it was a close game.”
Despite a perfect 2-0 record the Blues, listed second in the Football Alberta Tier II rankings, are not planning their victory parade route yet.
“It really doesn't mean a whole lot. Sure we're happy but we really can't get cocky. We've got to keep practising harder and harder,” said Freeman, 16.
The hard-nosed rugby player is among 12 Blues on the 31-man roster who were in the lineup in last year's Tier II north final, a 32-0 loss to the Austin O'Brien Crusaders, the three-time reigning Alberta Bowl champions.
“So far it's very encouraging,” said Freeman, who fills in on the offensive line when called upon. “We do not have the size as last year but with all the reps and all the practise that we're doing we're going to try our hardest to see how far we go.”
The next game is Friday versus the McNally Tigers (1-1) at 5 p.m. at Clarke Park. Admission is $5.
