What a way to answer the critics.
After suffering a blip in the road with a 41-10 defeat to Foothills Composite Falcons on April 27, the Cochrane Bears have bounced back in the best possible way.
A huge 30-0 win over Springbank Phoenix on May 3 followed by a tight 19-17 victory over Holy Trinity Academy Knights at Spray Lake Sawmills Legacy Field on May 7, could well indeed turn out to be the kick in the backside the team needed as they climb up the league table.
“It was great,” Bears head coach Anthony Battistone said of the Holy Trinity victory. “We had a big win against Springbank, so we carried on the momentum and were rearing to go.
“The boys came out flying.”
The sour taste of defeat left in the Bears’ mouths by the Falcons is something their coach thinks has motivated them to improve drastically in the last week, taking what was an already solid team to the next level.
“They felt how losing was, and they didn’t like it,” Battistone said. “They worked so hard this week. We had two games so there was a lot of banging up and bruising, but they all toughened up and were ready for (Holy Trinity), they couldn’t wait.”
One player who has stepped up to the plate this season for the Bears has been fly-half and Bow Valley High Grade 11 student Rylen Waugh. He scored all three tries in the Trinity game, putting in a commanding performance.
“He’s a difference maker and our x-factor,” Battistone said of the Team Canada player. “When he’s on the field it’s a different game. He takes control and players bring up their level to match his.”
And try to meet his level other players have, with full-back Jef Aerden and Austin Dixon in particular having upped their game this season, impressing their coach.
“Jef has been great,” Battistone said. “He’s been really focusing on getting the defensive line set and making sure everyone’s in the right spots, because he has the vision to see the whole field.
“It’s Austin’s first year playing rugby, and his progress both in terms of skill and leadership have been unbelievable. He’s already going to camps for Rugby Alberta. He’s really stepped up.”
Prop Karl Gildemeister – who is also a rugby novice – is another player with little experience, who has exceeded his coach’s expectations.
“(Karl) has had limited experience playing rugby,” Battistone said. “But, as a high-calibre wrestler, his physicality has transferred over very well.”
The Bears next face the Oilfields High School Drillers on May 11 at Legacy Field. It’s the first clash between the two sides this season, and Battistone’s squad don’t know what to expect.
“We haven’t seen much of them, and looking at the results who knows what can happen,” he admitted. “All we can do is prepare for the game, keep our form going and keep rolling because we play Holy Trinity again next week.
“The key is to keep the momentum going for zones.”
