It’s not easy wearing the target.
Cochrane High School Cobras just make it look easy.
When you look at Cochrane’s 49-14 win over Whitecourt Cats, don’t let the score in the Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association Alberta Bowl 3A high school provincial football final fool you.
That provincial championship victory Nov. 21 in Lethbridge, the school’s 12th, was the culmination of a goal set at Cobras spring training camp. And there were plenty of obstacles along the way.
“Our main focus was to win the provincial championship from way back last year when we hit the weight room. Our focus was provincials. That’s what we went after,” said Cobras co-head-coach and offensive coordinator Rob McNab.
“We were banged up and injured. When the health came back, we just focussed on winning the provincial championship.”
The George McDougall Mustangs provided another stumbling block along the way, defeating Cochrane 21-17 in the Rocky View Sports Association football final Oct. 25 on Cochrane’s home turf.
“It did sting,” McNab admitted of the Tier 2 Airdrie school’s Division win in Cochrane. “I told the kids right after that game; ‘How does this feel?’ That’s pretty much where we stopped. We just said, ‘All right, who do we got? Crescent Heights? Let’s go get this title.’”
Cobras didn’t look back, sinking Crescent Heights Vikings of Medicine Hat 56-3 in the South Central Zone semifinal and defeating Calgary’s Rundle College Cobras 36-10 in Calgary before finishing the deal against Whitecourt in the Alberta Bowl final.
“I think the last three games, with us being healthy, we were really a focussed team,” McNab related. “Once we got to that point, those kids had a terrific week of practice and they were ready to win a provincial championship. There’s no question about it.”
QB Cody Stevens: 14/24, 244 yards, 3 TDs passing
RB/QB Tae Gordon: 14 carries 167 yards 3 TDs (one passing)
WR Erik Nusl: 3 TDs (2 rec, 1 run)
WR Evan Perrault 1 TD
SB Ethan Forrest 1 TD
2 Ethan Forrest
3 Justin Fehr
4 Thomas Campbell
6 Dylan Gingrich-Hadley
7 Mac Chaisson*
9 Luke Kruger
10 Adam Rask*
12 Cody Stevens*
15 Liam Hopkins
16 Matt Kremenik*
19 Matt Clooten
20 Tae Gordon
22 Cole Avery
23 Logan Arns
24 Austin Nichol
25 Joel Quennell
26 Erik Nusl
27 William Moulton
28 Jesse Chong*
29 Damon Scott
30 Dawson Price
31 Kyle Chittick*
32 Lucas Morrisette
33 Kane Boklaschuk
34 Eric Shatosky
38 Austin Yersel
40 Connor Blair
42 Aidan Smith*
45 Wyatt Deagle
46 Dylan Jackson
48 Adam Slater*
51 Nathan Friesen
52 Jedediah Heal
54 Justin Sambu
55 Brock Wiebe*
56 Nicholas Wadsworth
58 Bryce Crawford
60 Garrett Blain
62 Mikael Scott
65 Samuel Cook
68 Bowen Beierback
80 Spencer Marchand
82 Zach Rabe
83 Zach Deagle*
88 Evan Perrault
89 Jake McLellan
(* – graduating player)
Bruce O’Neil
Rob McNab
Jim Forrest
Ken Polson
Jeff Avery
Seth Henderson
Darryl Marchand
Bill Smith
Tom Forzani
Bailey Gordon
Jackson Parker
