The Cochrane Cobras got the points in their 16-6 win, but it was a moral victory for the Bow Valley Bobcats in last night's defensive battle between the crosstown rivals.
With the score 9-6 at the half, the Bobcats limited the Cobras to just one touchdown in the closest game between the two teams in a decade.
Bobcats QB Kaden Barnstable was on the mark with his aerial assault and his receiving corps obliged by making several key receptions to march the ball downfield, only to fall short in the red zone against a stingy Cobras defense.
Even with the game out of reach in the dying seconds, the Bobcats were in the hunt for points.
Bobcat receiver Nick Mason hauled in a long bomb with 1:40 remaining. Just inches separated the Bobcats from a first down when Barnstable found Griffin Parkinson on the Cobras' nine-yard line with 44 seconds remaining.
Turned over on downs, the Cobras brought it downfield in a final drive but were shut down on an interception by Hunter Thompson with 4.2 seconds on the clock.
The Bobcats didn't win and have only one win in the regular season heading into playoffs, but you can't help but be excited about what's next.
"Today's game shows everybody that we're on the right track," says Bobcats head coach Dustin Paul. "I think this is the closest game I ever remember between the Cobras and us. It shows we can compete with these guys with the way we played today. They left everything on the field, I couldn't be prouder of how they're playing."
He's looking forward to seeing what they can do in the post-season.
"We're going into a bye week and then we're in the playoffs, so now it's time to go on a playoff run and hopefully sneak into provincial somewhere and go for a run. It's going to be a little tough, but hopefully we can do it."
The Bobcats were hungry for the win but proud of their performance and shared their coach's optimism for the future.
"We played our hearts out," says Bobcats receiver Nick Mason. "It was the closest that we've ever played against Cochrane High. It was. It was a great battle."
"We did pretty good," speaking to the improvement seen in the Bobcats play. "I wish we could do it over again and maybe some things could have changed, but we've been rebuilding since grade 9 and I think we've come a long way."
"All the training we put together really came to show in this game," says middle linebacker Atlas Doucette. "I think there's a lot of stuff to improve on, and we're coming back for the win next season."
Quarterback Barnstable worked hard in the offseason to prepare for this season, hitting the field regularly and participating in training camps, including some Stateside.
"I believe we've made great strides as a team," he says. "You know, we left it all on the field. We gave it all we had, and it was honestly a great game. I'm just so happy for my guys."
This may have been a close call, but the Cochrane Cobras have an admirable 3-1 record with one game remaining in the regular season and are third in the standings. They're in third heading into their final meeting against the undefeated George McDougall Mustangs.
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"It's awesome to have that hometown rivalry," says Cobras defensive coordinator Scott Wendell. "It's extra exciting for our kids, our staff, our parents, and the whole school."
He says the game helped to prepare them for an even tougher matchup next week against the two-time defending champion Mustangs, and post-season play.
"I said to the guys earlier when we broke it down afterward, these are great practices for us as we get late into the season and heading into playoffs. We have to go out and finish games, especially as a defensive back group when they're passing to close out the game."
He said the Cobras defense played with grit.
"There were a lot of third-down conversions the Bobcats went for, and I think our guys showed a lot of grit and determination in stopping those plays and recovering a couple of fumbles. It just demonstrates that pursuit to the ball for our defense and how excited they are to get out there."
In Rocky View football action today, the Chestermere Lakers play the Croxford Cavaliers, and the Mustangs play the second-place Bert Church Chargers.
