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Falcons survive scare from Wolves

Overconfidence nearly led to deflation on the pitch. The Foothills Falcons needed an impressive run and then a convert by Thomas Isherwood on the final play of the game to edge the West Island College Wolves 24-23 Thursday in Big Sky action at the .

Overconfidence nearly led to deflation on the pitch.

The Foothills Falcons needed an impressive run and then a convert by Thomas Isherwood on the final play of the game to edge the West Island College Wolves 24-23 Thursday in Big Sky action at the .

“The first half was pretty crappy,” Isherwood said about falling behind 16-0 after 30 minutes. “In the second half we knew we were down, never gave up and supported each other on the ball and getting to the break-down quicker.

“After we got that first try, we just kept coming.”

The victory gave the Falcons a 3-1 record in the Big Sky Union.

Foothills was able to eke out the victory when Isherwood took a pitch from Payton Price, found a hole and dipsy-doodled into the try-zone from about 45 yards out.

“I was there for the support and got the ball and kind of shook a guy off and went in for the try,” Isherwood said.

He placed the ball right dab in the middle setting up the convert for the one-point victory.

The Falcons got a big surprise from tiny WIC — the Wolves were the mouse that roared in the opening half, stunning the Falcons who were the silver medallists in Tier I last season.

The Wolves jumped out to a 16-0 lead on three penalty kicks from Nathan Teves and a try from Jay McKenna.

Isherwood admitted the Falcons didn’t know what hit ‘em.

“We had seen some of the other scores and we thought it was going to be an easier match,” Isherwood said. “They came out really hard and we didn’t expect that. We came back in the second half.”

The Falcons finally got on the scoreboard when feisty scrum half McKinlay Roberts worked his way in from two yards out early in the second half to make it 16-7.

Foothills would cut the lead to 16-12 on grit-and-finesse – well, mostly grit.

Tyler Going picked up a ball at around mid-field pitched to Price who then cut outside before lateralling to Seth Nelson.

Nelson then turned up field for the try from about 15 yards out.

However, the four-point margin was short-lived. WIC was able to steal the ball on the ensuing kickoff and the Wolves Josh Ryan scooped it up, cut to the outside and ran in for the try. The convert put WIC up 23-12.

The Falcons were down but not out. They were willing to pay the price.

Payton Price faked a pitched from about 12-yard-out and romped in for the score to cut the lead to 23-17. Then Isherwood was able to give the Falcons their only lead of the game — and the victory — with his last second heroics.

“This was an awesome win for us, but not so great with how we started,” Price said matter-of-factly. “The first half we played too cautiously.”

WIC’s McKenna was disappointed but pleased to give the Falcons a scare.

“We outworked them in the first half,” he said. “In the second half, Foothills spread it out and they hurt us. They moved the ball in the second half. We are a school of 200 and last season, they crushed us. We can’t complain too much.”

The Falcons had previously beat the Highwood Mustangs 41-21 on May 2 at the Comp.

The ‘Stangs kept it close before being worn down in the second half.

Foothills were in Springbank May 9 to play the Phoenix, but results were too late for the Western Wheel’s press time.

Their next Big Sky match is the rivalry game when the Falcons and the Holy Trinity Academy Knights square off at the Comp at 6:30 p.m. on May 18.

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