The Cochrane Lions achieved a perfect 8-0 regular-season record in Calgary Bantam Football Association (CBFA) play with a 27-16 win over the Calgary Stamps Oct. 13 at Calgary’s Shouldice Park. The bantam Lions are perfect for the first time in CBFA regular-season play.
“This one came down to the wire,” an elated Lions head coach Jeff Avery said following a contest that saw the lead change hands three times. “Eight-and-0, the first time ever.”
But it didn’t come easy for the defending provincial champs, as the Lions turned the ball over on downs to start the game and surrendered a second-quarter touchdown to Stamps quarterback Trey Kellogg on a five-yard sprint. The Stamps led 8-0.
The Lions got it going with linebacker Eric Shatosky’s fumble recovery at the Lions 50-yard line with three minutes left in the half. Behind his hard-working offensive line, QB Des Catellier hit wideout Evan Perrault on Perrault’s first of three TDs, a seven-yard, pass-and-run play to tie it up with 90 seconds left in the half.
“Evan really stepped up there. And our offensive line; this was the game of the year for the offensive line,” Avery enthused. “They gave Des a lot of protection today.”
Cole Avery’s field goal made it 11-8 Lions at the half. But a Lions fumble midway through the third quarter led to a Stamps TD and a 16-11 Calgary lead.
Perrault got that one back on a 15-yard reception, but another Lions fumble had Calgary gunning for the lead again. The game basically turned on Ethan Forrest’s clutch defensive play with 90 seconds left in the game, forcing a turnover on downs. Forrest went up and swatted a scoring pass out of harm’s way at his own 10-yard line.
With that defensive gem in the book, Catellier immediately hit Perrault on a short pass as the wideout followed his convoy of blockers on a serpentine 68-yard ramble for the game’s final score.
“It was a big team effort,” said Perrault. “The running back beside me, Tae Gorden, he was blocking. So was Spencer Marchand, so was Eric Nusl. They were all blocking for me. If I didn’t have my team, I wouldn’t have scored.”
The Lions play these same Stamps to open the playoffs Oct. 20 at Shouldice, 11 a.m. kickoff.
