Five years, eleven months and nine days later and the slump has officially been busted.
Five years, eleven months and nine days later and the slump has officially been busted.
The Holy Trinity Academy Knights bucked the trend in outlasting the Foothills Falcons 14-10 in a rollercoaster Big Rock Football Conference match Friday night at Falcons field for the first win over their cross-town rivals since the 2011 season.
“Last year we really hyped up this game a lot,” said Knights coach Matt Hassett. “This year we really de-emphasized it. A lot of years we've worried too much about what they do. We just concentrated on what we do, keep working hard, get better every day, better every week and it's just another game.”
The capacity crowd at the Falcons annual Blackout Game were treated to a classic that all the makings of a dud through the first 36 minutes.
All of the action was packed into the final quarter after both teams struggled through penalties and imposing defensive units to get any sustained momentum on offence.
The Knights saw some success on the ground with bruising running and nearly picked up points from their first trip to the end zone only to see the 30 yard field goal attempt sail wide late in the first quarter.
That's as close as either team would get to scoreboard in the first half.
“We haven't had a game like that. We had more penalties tonight than we have all year leading up to this game,” said Falcons head coach Darren Olson. “You expect things to happen, but not in bunches like that. We learn from it and keep getting better.”
The Falcons broke the deadlock on the final play of the third quarter as Mr. Automatic Seth Nelson hit a 16 yard field goal.
The Knights responded in kind with their first downfield attempt.
Grade 10 Benjamin Leggett took over behind centre and connected with starting quarterback Julian Jenkins for a bullet pass on a 75 yard catch and run touchdown to put the visitors in front.
Foothills countered with its own signal caller at the centre of the action.
Tyson Pitcher saw his first action since early in the season in the fourth quarter after the Falcons defence recovered a fumble deep in the Knights zone.
The Grade 12 quarterback swiftly hooked up with Payton Burbank for a 33 yard connection to lift Foothills back in front 10-7 with just 3:33 left in regulation.
HTA showcased its big play potential once again to take the lead for good.
Fleet footed slotback David Bowers took the reverse at his own 20 yard line, followed his blocks and turned on the jets down the left sideline to punch in the game winning 90 yard touchdown.
“That was just execution and practice,” Bowers said. “We've run hard, worked hard all season and if you ask any guy with how hard we work this is deserving.
“This year we've come together, everyone has fought together instead of individually.”
The Knights couldn't quite celebrate the victory until the final buzzer went after some miscommunication in the dying seconds almost cost them the contest.
With the clock ticking away on the potential final play from scrimmage the HTA coaching staff frantically called for punter Carson McKenzie to run the ball out of the end zone and take the safety.
The message was lost in translation when he ran it into the field of play with 1.3 seconds on the clock giving Foothills one last chance to score at the five-yard line.
Grade 10 defensive back Nick Dielissen ensured the mistake didn't prove costly, knocking down a pass intended for Burbank to finally put the bow on the victory.
“I was telling him to take the safety, but he ran out,” Hassett said. “It was miscommunication. As soon as that ball got knocked down (McKenzie) ran to me and said “I'm so sorry.' I think he thought he had run out the clock.
“Some miscommunication almost cost us the game. But Nick Dielissen, Grade 10 kid came up and made a play on Burbank. We know he's their go to guy and he made a great play and realized the situation.”
The Falcons drop to 2-3 on the season while the Knights improve to 4-0.
Foothills is off next week and prepares for a clash with the Raymond Comets on Oct. 14.
The Knights battle Big Rock Conference foe Rundle College at home on Oct. 5.
“You've got to give them credit. They came out tonight, they were the better team,” Olson said. “They were better prepared and out-physicaled us a lot of different times in the game.
“We had a chance right at the end and just didn't make the plays we needed to make.”
