Cobras roll over Pincher Creek as runningback runs wild
touchdown - Sean Burns, of the Willow Creek Composite High School Cobras football team, takes the ball into the end zone for a touchdown in action Friday night, Oct. 26 in Claresholm. Photo by Rob Vogt
By Tim Bryson, Coach of the WCCHSâCobras
On a night where the wind was howling again, the Willow Creek Composite High School Cobras continued their development as a power run team, rolling to a 56-7 win over the Pincher Creek Mustangs, as Ethan Perry shattered two team single game records with 410 yards rushing and six touchdowns.
The records he broke (which have been kept since football was re-established in Claresholm in the 1990s) had been established by the great Dayce Rhodes, who ran for 365 yards and five touchdowns in a 2013 game against Whitecourt.
It was obvious in the pre-game warm up that the throwing game was going to be limited to non-existent, so the offensive line set about opening up massive holes in the Mustang defence that Perry was able to get through largely untouched. After the Mustangs scored first on a punt single, Perry ripped off a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage. The Cobras went 88 yards in six plays on their next series, with Sean Burns capping off the drive with a one-yard run. After a Burns interception gave the Cobras the ball deep in Mustang territory, Perry continued his onslaught with a 12-yard touchdown run. A 30-yard touchdown run by Perry had the Cobras up 27-1 at the end of the first quarter. Another long touchdown run by the Diminutive One (67 yards), followed by a Logan Markland one-yard plunge had the Cobras up 42-1 at the half. In the second half, Perry finished his record night with touchdown runs of 44 and 42 yards. In all, the offence rolled up 514 yards on 34 carries, making it, I believe, the second most prolific rushing total in team history.
The secret to this success was some amazing work by the offensive line, especially on the left side. Guard Elliott Ewen and tackle Nate Vandervalk were like a paving crew out there, continuously getting a great push off the line. Combined with Chad Meek at smash back, Markland and Jackson Wright at fullbacks, this was a power combination that was together for the first time all year and the undersized Mustangs stood little chance. Markland had 55 yards on eight carries, while quarterback Robbie Hoffman, who didn’t throw a pass all night, chipped in with 25 yards on three carries.
The defence continued to show improvement, especially in the intermediate pass coverage, as Meek and Markland were solid in getting into their pass drops. Markland had an interception, while Meek tipped a pass that James Court intercepted. Burns also had a pic.
The key thing about the last couple of games is that the Cobras are finally settling in on who’s playing where. For most of the season, there were constant line-up changes, as the team tried to find the right personnel fits. Much like in 2015, it has taken a while for all these news guys to begin to gel.
Next up is another huge test in Taber against the undefeated and number-one ranked W.R. Myers Rebels. The Rebels are 8-0 and have shut out their opponents in six of those games. At stake is the south zone Tier-4 championship and a home game in the first round of provincial playoffs. Both teams have qualified for provincial playoffs.