The dream has become a reality.
Cochrane High Cobras cruised to the Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association (ASAA) Tier 3 Provincial Football Championship with a resounding 55-0 win over Holy Rosary Raiders in Edmonton on Nov. 28.
The victory, which marks Cochrane High’s third provincial title in four years (13th overall), was the crown jewel in a stellar year for Cobras which has seen them go undefeated in pre-season, regular-season, and play-off games, starting back in September with a 40-6 win over South Delta High School (the number 2 ranked team in Canada, and the then reigning B.C. Tier 1 Provincial Champions).
After winning the championship last year, with a 49-14 win over Whitecourt Cats, Cobras went into this year’s final looking to repeat with a group of eager rookies and seasoned veterans prepared to do the business and see that all of their hard work and dedication was rewarded with the ultimate prize.
Ethan Forrest, Cole Avery, Dawson Price, Spence Marchand, Zach Rabe, and Erik Nusl (three) all scored touchdowns for Cobras as they stormed out of the gates early and never looked back.
Quarterback Tae Gordon threw for 328 yards, and set an ASAA record with six TD passes.
Opposing QB Tommy Yanchuck had a nightmare, as he only completed six of 23 pass attempts, and threw two interceptions, as Cobras snuffed out the Raiders threat.
“The guys played very well,” Rob McNab, Cobras co-head coach and offensive coordinator said.
“We broke some records with that win, so it was a great day for us.”
Raiders were last year’s Tier 4 Provincials Champions and moved up to Tier 3 this year due to an increase in student population.
Having never encountered them before, was McNab nervous about how to tackle them?
“We didn’t know a lot about Holy Rosary going into the game,” McNab said.
“We watched some film on them, and knew that they were well coached, and disciplined with some good players. Our guys were just very focused and got the job done.”
With how much success he has had in the past, did he always know that his team could become champions for the second year in a row?
“I always knew what we had, and winning provincials was always our goal,” McNab confessed.
“I just hoped that we could get there.
“Our coaching staff puts in a lot of work every year, and so do the players. I’m pleased from a personal standpoint, but I’m more pleased for the kids. They’ve had the coaching staff on their backs for six days a week since August, and even last year we were always on them about getting into the weight room.
“This was the perfect culmination to the season and I’m very proud.”
Cobras had 14 seniors playing their final game on Saturday, but with 30 players expected to return for next season’s campaign, including key players like Gordon, the future of Cobras football is looking bright.
