The three-peat is complete.
The Springbank Community High School Phoenix shut out the George McDougall Mustangs 27-0 to win their third consecutive Rocky View Sports Association (RVSA) Tier 2 football title Oct. 26.
After the last two finals came down to overtime, Phoenix head coach Tony Lucas was relieved that this year’s team was able to secure the win long before the final whistle blew at Springbank.
“It’s great,” he said. “The players were very excited and this time it wasn’t close, which was nice. We had fans asking us not to make it close after the game against Bert Church (where Springbank scored two touchdowns in the last minute of the game after trailing 6-0). We played a much better game and it didn’t come down to the last second.”
It isn’t Canadian football if a team isn’t up against Mother Nature, and a slippery field presented problems for both teams. The Phoenix relied on the strong arm of starting quarterback Levi Jackson to put points on the board. Kevin Natenstadt caught two touchdowns, while Adel Boussenane and James Berglund hauled in a TD each.
“We weren’t able to run the ball,” said Lucas. “The conditions were difficult for the offensive linemen to get any leverage and it lent itself to passing. George Mac moved the ball, but they had trouble getting pressure on our quarterback. He had time to choose a receiver. Defensively, we executed much better than the week before.”
George Mac, which boasts a strong and successful running game, struggled to find traction and while it came close several times, it wasn’t able to drive the ball to the points it needed.
“I definitely thought we’d come out a little stronger,” said Mustangs head coach Brent Legault. “It wasn’t what we expected by any stretch of the imagination. With a game designed around explosive power, not getting any traction made a difference. The reality is that both teams had to play in those conditions.”
The Phoenix now play Foothills Composite of Okotoks in regional qualifiers Nov. 3 at Springbank. Noon kickoff.
