The battle cry of the Bow Valley Bobcats – Do you believe? – is always chanted three times.
“The first time is, ‘Do you believe in your coaches?’ The second time it’s, ‘Do you believe in your teammates?’ And the third time, it’s always the loudest and it’s always at the end: ‘Do you believe in yourself?’” said Bobcats coach Cam Cote. “I think that’s the key to life – you have to believe in the people you’re with, and ultimately, you have to believe in yourself.
“If you can do that, then success is yours.”
The motivation behind that powerful message – along with some straight-up fabulous football – carried the Bow Valley Bobcats to their first Alberta Schools Athletic Association (ASAA) Tier IV provincial victory in 14 years, when they took over Calgary’s Hellard Field Saturday afternoon with a 22-13 win against the Stettler Wildcats.
“It’s awesome,” said a thrilled Bobcat Thomas Cameron of the win, who has played for the team throughout high school. “It’s been three years now – I couldn’t have dreamed it up better.”
From the opening kick-off, the Bobcats let the Wildcats know they were in it to win it, coming on strong with an aggressive defensive strategy. Despite the effective play, Stettler had logged seven points by the end of the first quarter with a touchdown, and the Bobcats had kicked the ball into the end zone for one point. At half time, Bow Valley had coughed up the ball to multiple interceptions and had taken six penalties for a loss of 40 yards.
“All that is just so frustrating,” said Cameron, adding the excitement of the day had the team’s adrenaline pumping hard. “I think we had to slow it down.”
Cote agreed, and said he told the team in the locker room at the mid-game break to just “go out and have fun.”
“They took the message to heart and went out and did a great job,” he said.
The second half saw the Bobcats return to the field more focused and energized, completing passes, making big gains on the run and tightening up on defense – as they did so effectively all season.
A sweet toss from quarterback Austin Javorsky allowed Bow Valley to take the ball into the end zone at 5:23 in the third quarter, giving the Bobcats an 8-7 lead.
The stands exploded in cheers – and the team never looked back.
Another turning point in the game came near the end of the third quarter when veteran Bobcat Brad Hillier fumbled a pitch from Javorsky – but earned immediate redemption by picking up the pigskin, dodging through a thick wall of Wildcats and running like h-e-double-hockey-sticks clear to the end zone.
“I was pretty scared on that … I picked it up and I saw green,” a breathless Hillier recalled. “When I was five yards from the end zone, I almost started crying.”
Cote said Hillier’s swift recovery from the drop illustrates the type of special player he is. “I think it showcased what a great athlete he was,” Cote said. “When the ball dropped, I had no sense of panic at all.”
The momentum continued in Bow Valley’s favour through the rest of the game, and the nail in the coffin came at 7:06 in the fourth when Hillier caught a tight pass and earned another touchdown for the team.
“Do you believe? Do you believe? Do you believe?” a spirited Cote threw up his arms and shouted, with passionate responses of, “Yeah!” from both the players and the crowd.
As the clock ran out and the Bobcats knew they’d clinched the win, players leapt up on each other, hugging and congratulating teammates and coaches for the season’s mission accomplished.
Cote said at the end of the day, the young players learned that they could achieve any success – if they only believe.
“Football is a tool we use to teach you about life,” he said. “The power of believing in yourself … we do it through football.”
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