Five in a row for Mohawks
By Ryan McCracken on October 27, 2018.
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com @MHNMcCracken The Hat High Mohawks officially achieved dynasty status on Friday night at the Methanex Bowl. While the Brooks Buffalos gave Hat High one of their stiffest tests of the past half-decade — staying within one big play of the lead until the final snap —the Mohawks held on for their fifth consecutive Rangeland Football Conference championship with an 18-14 victory. “My heart was beating (fast),” said Mohawks quarterback Brody Brandham. “You could see I was running around in circles when we won. I’m just so proud of all these guys. Our defence really held in there when our offence just couldn’t seem to work… I don’t know how they do it every week, but they do it.” Mohawks head coach Quinn Skelton says his squad expected a battle from the Buffalos, but the end result was ultimately a testament to his team’s defensive fortitude. “Our boys had to stand in there and weather the storm,” said Skelton. “We’ve got some character kids here. We ask a lot out of them and they respond really well. Now every game is going to be that much tougher and our expectations are going to be that much higher.” The Mohawks opened with a promising drive to inside the Buffalos’ 5-yard line, but they were forced to settle for a single point when Lachlan Hardiker’s field goal attempt missed the mark and sailed through the end zone. Brooks quickly responded by pushing their way into the red zone on a long run from Matt Peterson, but Hat High’s Elic Ayomanor snuffed out the drive with an interception on the next play. Hat High closed out the opening quarter with a short touchdown run from Piercen Meier after a long pass from Brandham to Ayomanor set them up inside the 1-yard line. Hardiker then stretched the lead to 11 when he booted a 30-yard field goal through the uprights late in the second quarter. The Mohawks nearly escaped the half unscathed when Brooks appeared to turn the ball over on downs inside the final minute, but a flag for unnecessary roughness pushed the Buffalos to the one-yard line and quarterback Cobey Hofer punched in the ball then converted for a pair to cut the gap to three at the break. Hat High’s penalty woes continued early in the second half when a pass interference call coupled with a flag for objectionable conduct put Brooks right back into the red zone, but Justin Maser turned a botched snap into a timely sack and the Mohawks escaped the danger. Ashton Larson re-established Hat High’s two-possession lead in the third by finishing off a long drive with a four-yard touchdown run. The Buffalos answered back in a hurry when Minmin Kromah broke free for an 80-yard run to the end zone, but Hardiker blocked the extra point to preserve a four-point lead entering the fourth. “We’ve always seemed to have an awesome rivalry with these guys the past few years,” said Buffalos coach Braedon Cameron. “We haven’t gotten past them, but it’s always exciting. It’s a tough one to lose but we’ve got to keep our heads held high, especially going into provincials.” The Buffalos held onto possession for the majority of the final quarter, but they were unable to force the ball deep enough into Mohawks territory to do any significant damage, and Hat High’s defence held on for a fifth consecutive title. See Playoffs, Page A10 “It’s unreal,” said Mohawks punter Josh Howe. “It feels so good for all the effort all of our boys put in. It paid off, all the work we’ve put in and the sacrifices we made.” The Mohawks open provincial playoffs at the Methanex Bowl Friday against Lethbridge’s Catholic Central. Vikings clinch third Earlier in the evening the Crescent Heights Vikings cruised to a comfortable 49-6 win over the McCoy Colts to clinch third place in the RFC. The victory closes the book on Crescent Heights’ season at 3-4. While they won’t be advancing to provincial action, head coach Sean Davis says he’s proud of the way his team left it all on the gridiron. “It’s a good way to send the Grade 12s off. Obviously it’s not the result that we wanted for the season that but it’s always good to win your last game,” said Davis, adding a special thank you to his coaching staff. “They put in an exponential amount of hours from their life. There’s no way we can ever repay them for that, they do it out of the kindness of their heart. They’re the best coaches I’ve ever worked with.” The Colts left the field without taking a win this season, but head coach Adrian Szola says he’s excited for the future of football at McCoy and Eagle Butte. “The season was tough but the guys fought hard all season and never gave up on themselves,” said Szola. “It’s looking good for that and I’m proud of these guys for sticking with us. Our numbers were low this game, so the odds were stacked against us, but we had a very talented group of young men in there.” 24
-23
