You can teach an old Knight some new tricks.
The Holy Trinity Academy Knights won their first league game under new coach Jim Ryan when they downed the West Island College Wolves 25-7 April 26 at HTA in Big Sky High School Rugby Union action April 26.
“We are pretty young and we are learning a new system and it is just going to take a little bit of time,” Ryan said. “We’re trying to run more of a balanced pod pattern in our forward pack and then earn the space and get it out to the backs… rather than kick it and turn it into a field position game.”
Ryan takes over the reins at HTA from Joe Buck, who built the Knights into a powerhouse, both in the Big Sky and provincially.
“Joe has built a fantastic program and I am more than honoured to take over for him,” Ryan said.
The Knights’ win came on the heels of a 12-7 loss to the Bow Valley Cobras in their union opener on April 12.
HTA wasn’t sitting on their heels against WIC. They took a commanding 10-0 lead in the opening first half.
Hard-working Joseph Haworth scored the opening try 20 minutes into the game when he opted to bulldoze his way in for the score.
“I had the opportunity to pass it and I saw the smaller defender so I decided to take in from about the five-metre mark,” the Grade 12 Haworth said. “I like defence and tackling, so I put more of a focus on defence, but I got lucky with a try tonight.”
They would double their lead to 10-0 when Ian MacNeil took a pitch from Conor McGee and went in for the try from 37 yards out.
HTA would get a lift in the second half from a group of guys with large numbers on their back. Ryan went liberally to this bench and plenty of rookies got on the pitch — and contributed.
“We brought in the Grade 10s in the second half and we got a lift from them,” Ryan said.
The Knights would increase their lead to 15-0 when Easton Martel took advantage of an HTA overlap, faked a pitch and then went in from 12 yards out.
They made it a 20-point lead when speedster Adam Dielessen took a pitch from McGee and sprinted in for the score.
WIC finally got on the board in the final minutes on a try by Sean Gerald-Udeh to make it 20-7. HTA made the final 25-7 when Grade 10 Peter Ottenbreit went in for the try in the extra time.
The rookies’ efforts were needed.
HTA was missing a pair of Grade 12 veterans in Luc Leslie and John Buck who were out with injuries.
The veteran Howarth noted the rookies’ efforts.
“Today kind of proved our second team — even our young ones — have great impact potential,” he said.
One of those Grade 10 players making an impact was scrumhalf Jack Galan.
“We played a lot better than we did against Bow Valley,” Galan said. “All of the Grade 10s who came on in the second half really stepped up, which was sweet.
“Our pressure was key tonight, just to keep them on the back foot. We were more of a team tonight.”
The Knights are on the road, but close to home this week. They travel about 12km west to take on the Strathcona-Tweedsmuir Spartans May 3 at 5 p.m.
The winless Oilfields Drillers take on Rundle College May 3 at 5 p.m. in Black Diamond.
The Foothills Falcons dropped to 1-1 when they lost to Bow Valley 15-14 Thursday in Cochrane. The Falcons found themselves down 15-0 after the first half. Foothills’ comeback came up just short.
The Falcons host WIC, 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
