Ninety per cent and shooting for a 100 – those numbers ad up to trouble on the gridiron for Foothills Falcons’ opponents. Falcons runningback Payton Burbank had more than 200 yards in total offence and three touchdowns in Foothills 42-0 shutout of the smaller Rundle College Cobras on Friday – all this while not at the top of his game. “I’m just peaking to get that last 10 per cent, every day I am just trying to get healthy, so I can get ready for that final game,” said Burbank after the victory at Falcon field. “I felt good tonight. The o-line got the job done, they make me look good.” Burbank is coming off an ankle injury and had two weeks off including missing the rivalry game against the Holy Trinity Academy Knights. Turns out a 90 per cent Burbank is pretty good, according to Falcons head coach Darren Olson. “He is starting to run hard again, he’s had some ankle issues the last couple of weeks,” Olson said. “Tonight will give him confidence – being able to run hard, make the big cuts is going to be a big thing for us.” He is a key cog to the Falcons attempt to four-peat as Tier II provincial championship. “He is a part of what we need to do,” Olson said. “He is a well-known player in the province, everybody we play knows about him. Sometimes he is going to be the man and other times he is going to be a decoy. “He needs the offensive line to block and the quarterback (Tyson Hartle) to get him the ball, but Payton is definitely an upper level talent for sure.” Burbank played a leading role the past two years, but this season, he’s had even more of a leadership position as Foothills lost QB Tyson Pitcher and runningback Payton Price on offence to graduation. “I have to stay positive and make sure everybody does his job,” Burbank said. “If I do my job everyone does his job… We are a different Falcons team, but we are going to fight for everything.” Being even more of a leader, the highly competitive Falcon has learned to rein it in. “There are definitely some times when games get heated and I just have to take that second,” Burbank said. “But I have always been a leader, ever since I was in Grade 10.” Burbank is at halfback this season, making the switch from slotback for what is best for the team. The leadership and carrying the pigskin comes natural to Burbank. His baby booties might have had cleats – he comes from a football family. His brother Morgan is a former Falcon, dad Cameron has been coaching in the Okotoks minor and high school football programs for years and Payton was a Foothills Falcon nearly 10 years ago. Nope, he’s not a 27-year-old high school student, the bright pupil is a former underaged Atom player for the now defunct Foothills Falcons minor program. “I started football a year early just so I could get on the field with my dad,” Payton said. “Morgan played, my dad played, his brother played, it just runs in the blood.” Burbank hopes to play slotback at the next level and he has received some feelers from universities on both sides of the border. But he has some unfinished business. “High school first, one game at a time and once the season is over I will make a decision as to where I am going,” Burbank said. The Falcons were able to dominate the banged up and smaller 3A school Rundle College on Friday. “Hartle is playing with more confidence, he threw some nice passes tonight,” Olson said. “[Keaton] Neish being able to run the ball is key as well.” Neish had a pair of TDs, both on counter-plays with the o-line creating Grand Canyon-like holes. The other Falcons major came from Grade 10 runningback Grady Hale who found a hole and pummelled his way into the end zone from 10 yards out in the fourth quarter. Foothills was able to hold on to their no. 2 ranking in the Tier II provincial polls with the victory. Prior to the game, a minute of silence was held for the five Raymond Comets who were injured in a car crash last week. The victory improved the Cobras to 4-2 on the season and clinched Foothills the regular season Big Rock Conference title. They take on the Cobras again Friday night at Falcon field in the conference semifinal at 5 p.m. The victor will play the winner of the Holy Trinity Academy Knights-Strathmore Spartans tilt in the other semi. HTA knocked off the Spartans 15-0 on Friday in Strathmore in the Big Rock regular season finale for both clubs.
