The Cochrane Cobras football team handed out their yearly awards at their team banquet on Dec. 15.
The team went 6-0 during league play, won both of their playoff games to win the Rocky View Sports Association (RVSA) league championship before adding another three wins in provincials to take home their sixth straight provincial championship with a 17-0 victory over the Holy Rosary Raiders.
Cochrane High outscored their opponents 390-31, an average score of 35-2. The Cobras put up a total of five shut outs over the course of the 11 games they played this season, one of the most dominant performances by a Cobras team over the course of their history.
There were 16 different categories of awards at the banquet, with several of them featuring more than one player. Six players were named team MVP, with running backs Fox Bell and Chase Hunt being named, while quarterback Xavier Vaillancourt, safety William Hunter, receiver Derek Reid and offensive lineman Jude Wilkinson also received the honour.
Two different individuals shared Most Improved Player with Logan Higginson and Ethan Stanley being the recipients, while Special Teams Player went to kicker Oscar Hughes and Jared Legault. Running back Shaun Clazie was the winner of the Rookie of the Year Award and the Cobra Crunch award went to the Chandler Ball and William Hunter. Best Offensive and Defensive Lineman awards went to Dominic Mills on offence, and Chandler on the defensive side of the ball.
Jake Thompson and Dawson Gladue were named the team’s Best Receivers and Zaak Shapkin and Cayne Yacey got the honour of Best Linebacker. Three players earned the Scout Award - Ethan Pickard, Tyson Steele and Luke Zimmerman. Best Defensive Back went to Ben Dobson with Best Offensive Back being awarded to Chase Hunt.
The teams Leadership Award was shared by two players, Foster Stainthorpe and Logan Higginson, while 22 players received the Commitment Award, by showing up to every team practice and game.
As for the Rocky View Sports League Awards, the Cobras had 10 players named league all-stars. Those players were Jude Wilkinson, Jake Thompson, Cayne Yacey, Zaak Shapkin, Fox Bell, Ben Dobson, Dominic Mills, Oscar Hughes, Logan Higginson, and Chandler Ball. Logan Higginson, Rylie Moore and Connor Johnston shared the Cobras Coaches Award while Foster Stainthorpe won the league's Coaches Award. Other award winners included Xavier Vaillancourt winning league's Most Valuable Player, Derek Reid winning the league's Best Offensive Player, William Hunter taking home Best Defensive Back, and Chase Hunt was named the RVSA's Best Running Back.
