High school Cobras recognized for football excellence

By Tim Bryson Co-coach, WCCHS Cobras football team
This past week, the Southland Football League met to select its annual all-star team and four Willow Creek Composite High School Cobra players walked away with six awards.
The process involved coaches submitting players to be considered and offering up reasons for their consideration. The coaches would then vote for each position, with the stipulation that a coach couldn’t vote for their own player. In the end, these players were selected by the other coaches in the league.
The Cobra ward winners were:
• Micah Rice, defensive back – Micah emerged as an outstanding, lockdown cornerback this year. After giving up a long touchdown in Week 1, he was never beat deep again all year. He was a sure tackler, ensuring that yards after the catch were minimal. He finished the season with 34 tackles, 21 passes defended, and four interceptions. He emerged as one of the best coverage corners the Cobras have ever had.
• Logan Hurlburt, linebacker – Logan continued his ascent as arguably the best linebacker in Cobra football history. His 50 tackles were only part of the story, as he had numerous passes defended, forced fumbles and fumble recoveries. His speed gave him the ability to cover both the run and pass from sideline to sideline. Logan was perhaps the best all-round defensive player in the Southland league this year.
• Easton Wright, receiver – Easton is not your typical all-star receiver, as he lined up as a fullback in a full house offence this year. However, he proved to be an outstanding receiver out of the backfield, with 19 receptions for 400 yards and three touchdowns. His sure hands in the deep flat were matched with an intense desire to run over any defensive back who needed to tackle him which, along with surprising quickness, made him an absolute menace in space.
Kael Smith, offensive line – Kael has been the linchpin of the Cobra offensive line for three seasons. This year, he led the O-line’s development as the key feature in a run game that averaged close to 180 yards rushing per game and yielded only four quarterback sacks. He also played pretty much every snap on the defensive line as well, making him a true iron man and warrior. He was a great teacher to younger linemen. His steady leadership meant that “things were going to be okay” when he was on the field.
• Logan Hurlburt, running back – Logan was the workhorse in the Cobra backfield this year, with 83 carries for 785 yards and 14 touchdowns. He chipped in with 14 receptions for 252 yards and another touchdown through the air. He did a ton of damage just off the edge of the line, as he was almost impossible to bring down for short yardage once he got to linebacker depth, and he had the speed to pull away from defensive backs.
• Logan Hurlburt, Southland League most valuable player – a force on both sides of the ball, Logan was indispensable to a team that went 6-2 and advanced to the provincial 3A semi-finals for the second straight year, losing only to Cardston this season. Logan’s dedication to preparation and all-round excellence led him to being selected for the Alberta U17s for the Western Canada Challenge in 2024 and the Alberta U18s for the Football Canada Cup in 2025. He has committed to the University of Calgary Dinos for next season.