Monsignor McCoy Colts quarterback Carlin Messmer gets a throw off while being tackled by Jackson Snazel of the Medicine Hat High Hawks in the first half of the Hawks' 52-31 win Friday at the Methanex Bowl.--NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Two Medicine Hat rivals went head-to-head Friday night on the gridiron.
The Medicine Hat High Hawks and Monsignor McCoy Colts senior football teams faced off at the Methanex Bowl for the first time this season, with Hat High coming out on top 52-31.
“We executed on offence like we were wanting to,” Hawks’ head coach Quinn Skelton said. “We have to definitely clean up the penalties, a lot of procedure calls, a lot of those type of mental mistakes that stalled the drives. But offensively, we did a decent job tonight.”
It’s a contest Hat High led 21-0 at one point early in the second quarter before McCoy clawed back into the game and hung on through the second half.
“We played tough, we put 31 up there, and boys play tough,” McCoy head coach Cole Krassman said.
The Colts were led by senior Baker Thompson, who scored two kick-off return touchdowns in the second half.
“Hats off to Baker, big returns and he just made some big plays,” Krassman said. “We just told the boys the message, just keep coming, keep playing, keep playing hard and the boys did it. They did everything we asked them to do.”
Hat High was led by running back Keene Shigehiro who tallied three touchdowns on the night. The Hawks came into the contest off a 53-10 loss to the No. 1 ranked 4A Holy Trinity Academy the week prior. They opened the season with a 29-3 exhibition win over Regina’s Leboldus High School.
Skelton says they knew they had a lot to work on after the loss to HTA and says they leave the win over McCoy with more to work on.
“On special teams, we gave up 14 on returns, which I don’t remember doing in ages, so certainly that’s something to look at,” Skelton said.
“But physically, really proud of the way the guys played and mentally played well out there. It’s a couple penalties that we should have just for sloppy tackling, high tackling, but boys kept it cool and played well in a really emotional game.”
Friday’s loss was McCoy’s first of the season after winning their first two contests, beating the Brooks Buffaloes and Crescent Heights Vikings in back-to-back weeks.
They’re off until Saturday when they host the Lacombe Rams at noon at the Methanex Bowl. Krassman says they’ll look to continue building momentum ahead of the matchup.
“We’re just going to keep getting better, we have to go back to the drawing board again, and put in the work,” Krassman said. “We have to regroup, get better and just keep cleaning little things up and always striving to get better.”
The Hawks head into the week as the No. 3 ranked 4A school in Alberta. They’ll go again Friday at the Methanex Bowl versus the No. 7 ranked 5A LCI Rams. Skelton says it’ll be a different matchup and they’ll need to match it.
“LCI is amazing, they’re a hell of a program, and they’re going to be quite a contrast for us next week,” Skelton said. “If we play very well like we did in Regina, I think we’ll have a chance with LCI. But if not, it’s going to be a long night.”
