Medicine Hat High Hawks quarterback James Comstock runs with the ball in a 29-12 loss Friday at the Methanex Bowl to the LCI Rams.--NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Medicine Hat High Hawks battled hard Friday night at the Methanex Bowl, despite finishing in defeat.
The Hawks displayed a physical presence, with their defence leading the way in a 29-12 loss to the LCI Rams.
Head coach Quinn Skelton liked the physical side of the game from his team in the contest.
“Fourteen of the points they got on the board were a direct result of us making mistakes, and I told the kids at halftime, I couldn’t be prouder of the effort that they put in, like they battled hard,” Skelton said. “They’re playing against a hell of a ball club in LCI, so that part’s great, we didn’t quit.
“We literally battled right to the last play of the game and that’ll bode well for us going forward. Obviously, not the result we wanted, but we also respect the fact that we’re playing a team like LCI”
LCI comes out of the weekend as the seventh ranked 5A school in Alberta Football; the Hawks are the fourth ranked 4A school.
Hat High struck first with a field goal in the first quarter, the lone score of the frame. The Rams tallied a pair of passing touchdowns, collecting a two-point conversion on the second score.
The Hawks held the Rams to the two scores with long defensive stops in the first half, a feat Skelton was proud of.
“They had long drives running that tough team package that they have there, a real heavy package, and it took everything we could to control that,” Skelton said. “All it takes is a penalty or two to sustain a drive, and at least 14 points came directly off all the penalties. So the physical effort was definitely there out of the boys.”
LCI added a score in the third quarter before Hat High bounced back.
The Hawks got two points on a safety in the fourth quarter. The Rams tallied one more touchdown before Keene Shigehiro scored a rushing touchdown for the 29-12 final.
The Hawks (2-2) are on the road Friday, heading to Okotoks to face Foothills Composite.
“We’re going to have to reload and get back to work on Monday,” Skelton said. “We’ll take the physical part out of this game and apply that the next week, and really get at it and get prepared to play another tough team up in Okotoks.”
