Foote Field – The St. Albert High Skyhawks let the biggest game in team history slip away in Saturday's loss to the Cochrane Cobras in the Alberta Bowl.
After the Cobras struck for 16 points in the first quarter, the Skyhawks rallied with three touchdowns to lead by four before succumbing 31-20 in the Tier III provincial high school football final.
"We didn't get off to a good start and it's hard to pull the cart when you're going uphill," said head coach Sam Johnson, after delivering an emotional post-game prayer to his teary-eyed Skyhawks at field level. "In the end we didn't do the little things that we needed to to be successful."
The Skyhawks gave up a safety on their second offensive series, when Grade 11 quarterback and safety Keith Zyla took a knee in the endzone in punt formation from the nine.
The Cobras then set up shop at the Skyhawks' 47 after a healthy gain returning the kickoff. Two penalties against the Skyhawks during a three-play sequence put the Cobras at the six and on second down they punched the ball in from the two with 6:49 left in the quarter.
The Skyhawks threatened offensively on the next series on the strength of first-down runs by Zyla of 22 and 11 yards and a 12-yard reception by Nathan Pytel. However, on third and 10 from the Cochrane 22, Zyla's pass to Brendan Thera-Plamondon in double coverage was knocked down at the goal line.
The next time on offence, a snafu on the snap from centre on third and two was recovered by Zyla for a loss at the Cochrane 25.
The Cobras went on to punt the ball after Spencer Zee led the Skyhawks' charge for the quarterback sack on second down. Matti Thurlin was unable to catch the long, high kick and the Cobras picked up the ball and ran for a gain of 27 yards. On second and 11, the first of two TD passes by quarterback Cody Stevens ended the quarter.
"You can't spot a team like that 16 points and expect to do what you want," Johnson said. "We knew they were going to be tough and you've got to try and play error free ball. Obviously we didn't in the first half."
The Cobras stayed on top until about the midway point in the third quarter.
"Any time you get a jump on a team, it puts them behind and they start making decisions hopefully that are in your favour. But give them credit; they fought right back at us," said Cochrane head coach Rob McNab. "It was just an unbelievable game. Momentum changes on both sides. Great passing and running. Two physical teams went at it and it just happened to be our turn today."
The second quarter started with a TD-saving tackle on Thera-Plamondon at the Cochrane 49, but the Skyhawks were unable to gain a first down.
After the punt the Cobras were poised to add to their lead as the Skyhawks struggled to stop the run and gave up a 22-yard reception at their 24. After a time out by the Skyhawks with 8:33 left until halftime, the defence buckled down to stop the Cobras on downs.
Back on offence Zyla gained back-to-back first downs on third and short plays, but his pass on second and 14 fell incomplete and the Skyhawks were forced to punt from their 46.
On first down, Jack Zubick picked off a Cochrane pass and on the return he was tackled and fumbled the ball and the Cobras recovered it at the Skyhawks' 50.
After punts were exchanged, the Skyhawks huddled up at their 19 with 43 seconds remaining. A three-yard grab by Thera-Plamondon was followed by catches of 33, 11 and 10 yards by record-setting slotback Rocky Borrelli, before the Grade 12 Skyhawk ended the first half with a 32-yard TD. He made a leaping grab in front of the goal line before twisting his way into the endzone.
Max Chabot's convert left the Skyhawks trailing by nine.
"We went in at halftime and regrouped. We told them that in life, just like this football game, you've got to earn whatever you get," Johnson said.
The Skyhawks started the second half by marching the ball 65 yards on five plays, culminating with Zyla's pass down the pipe to Borelli in front of the posts on third and 12 for a 27-yard TD. Chabot kicked the convert.
The play of the drive was Zyla's 36-yard gallop to the Cochrane 25. The Grade 11 Skyhawk finished the loss with 71 yards on seven carries. The team overall was credited with only 73 yards on 11 carries, compared to Cochrane's 161 yards on 36 carries for two TDs against the Skyhawks' vaulted defence.
Tier III records
Borrelli led all receivers with a Tier III provincial-record nine catches for 179 yards. His nine receptions also set an all-tier provincial record. He also held the all-tier record for receiving yards until Colton Hunchak of Notre Dame broke it that night in the Tier I final.
Despite operating under heavy pressure throughout the game by the hard-charging Cobras, Zyla set Tier III provincial records of three TD passes, which also tied the all-tier record, and 258 yards. The second-year Skyhawk from the Cooper City (Fla.) Cowboys was 23-for-42 passing with two interceptions.
"It was just the offence doing its job. It was nothing new for us," Borrelli said of the high-octane passing attack.
Cochrane's game plan was to stop the Skyhawks from airing the ball out.
"Our kids just went back in the zones and let them throw but we had to watch No. 11 (Thera-Plamondon) pretty closely," McNab said.
Thera-Plamondon was held to 31 yards and one TD on eight catches. The Grade 12 slotback did establish Tier III provincial records for the longest kickoff return (50 yards) and kickoff return yards (107).
After the second Borrelli TD the Cobras went two and out and the Skyhawks got back to work at their 43 after the punt. Zyla barely got the pass away for Borrelli to reel in for a 37-yard gain. The Cobras were also flagged for roughing the passer. A few plays later, Zyla found Thera-Plamondon in the endzone for a 10-yard major to make it 20-16 with 7:31 left in the quarter.
Zyla's pass play on the two-point conversion was stopped short of the goal line.
"We definitely come out strong in the second half to put up that lead," Borrelli said.
On the next series by the Cobras, Brad Hoddinott recovered a fumble in the Cochrane backfield at the Skyhawks' 49 on third and two. However, the Skyhawks were unable to gain a first down and punted.
On first down at the Skyhawks' 54, a long pass completion and roughing the passer flag on the Skyhawks put the Cobras at the one and on second down they cracked the goal line. The convert put the Cobras back on top by three with 3:38 to go before quarter time.
Back on offence after the ensuing kickoff, Zyla was picked off on second and 10 at the Skyhawks' 38. Zyla just got the ball away before he was rocked by the Cobras. Six plays later the Cobras gambled on third and three and were stopped one yard short of a first down at the Skyhawks' 17 to end the quarter.
Unable to move the yardsticks after the turnover on downs, Zyla's punt was partially blocked and the Cobras took over the ball at the Skyhawks' 22. The Cobras would miss a 31-yard field goal, which was run out of the endzone, but the Skyhawks were flagged for roughing the kicker. The Cobras would later try a 17-yard field goal that was wide for single point with 7:42 to play.
The Cobras got the ball again after a two-and-out by the Skyhawks and a lightning quick three-play, 52-yard drive was capped off by Cody Stevens' pass to a streaking Kyle Moortgat down the sideline behind coverage. The 27-yard TD sealed the deal with 5:33 left on the clock. Stevens was 8-for-19 passing for 144 yards and two TDs and one pick in the final.
"When they scored that touchdown it pretty much shut the door," Borrelli said.
The Skyhawks ran out of time after Rory O'Donovan recovered a Cochrane fumble at the Skyhawks' 46 and on the next play Adam Dodd picked off Zyla for the second time in the game to give the Cobras the ball at their 42 with four minutes remaining.
McNab saluted his team's character to rebound after blowing a 16-point lead.
"We got down this year once before too (14-0 to the undefeated Crescent Heights Vikings of Medicine Hat in the south final before winning 32-16) and the kids didn't give up. We just kept saying, 'Hey, don't give up. It will come around,' and the kids just stepped up. I just can't say enough about them," said McNab of the 12-1 Cobras, ranked No. 2 in Tier III going into the provincial playoffs.
Skyhawks pride
Johnson also praised his players for playing with heart and hustle.
"My boys have nothing to be afraid off. They just never stopped fighting all year. We had three losses this year (in the metro Edmonton league's Carr conference), all to Tier I teams. I'm so proud of these boys. They worked so hard. They did our school and our whole community proud," said Johnson of the 9-4 Skyhawks, the only Tier III team in the Carr that was ranked No. 6 provincially.
The Skyhawks were the first St. Albert team since the 1997 Tier I Storm to play in the Alberta Bowl. This is the second year in Tier III for the Skyhawks after Paul Kane High School formed its own football program instead of having its students play for the St. Albert Catholic High School team.
The Skyhawks will lose 24 players to graduation.
"Without a doubt it's heartbreaking right now. You look at some of these guys and it hurts the heart. This is maybe the pinnacle of their careers," Johnson said. "We're going to regroup and we're going to come back from this. The sun, I promise you, will come up tomorrow and that's what I'm going to tell these guys. We'll find a way to get through this and go on to bigger and better things.
"Sometimes you've got to lose to learn how to win."
Despite the loss Borrelli described the final as "probably one of the best games I've ever played in."
"Obviously it's hard to go out like this but just being with these guys makes it that much better," said the 17-year-old Skyhawk. "To be a Skyhawk makes me so proud and that's what is on my mind right now. To be able to look back on the season and share it with these amazing guys is a wonderful feeling."
