An energetic fourth quarter boosted the Bert Church Chargers to victory over the W.H. Croxford Cavaliers Sept. 6, at Ed Eggerer Athletic Park. Despite trailing 13-6 after the third frame, the Chargers rallied back to score three touchdowns in the final 12 minutes, taking the game by a score of 25-14. “That last quarter, I don’t know what it was, but we played outstanding,” said Bert Church running back Dylan Sorsdahl, who caught six receptions and ran a 50-yard major mid-way through the fourth. “That was the best game of football in the last quarter I’ve seen – it was beautiful.” The win means the Chargers remains unbeaten in the 2018 Rocky View Sports Association season – the team’s best start to a high school football campaign in recent memory. “I think the last three years, we were trampled on, 0-6,” Sorsdahl said. “This year is our comeback year. 2-0, now, and I think we can win at least three games – and maybe the Airdrie Bowl.” For the Cavaliers, the season could not have started worse, with consecutive losses to its local rivals. The Cavs fell in its season opener, 30-16 to the George McDougall Mustangs Aug. 30. While W.H. Croxford was competitive in both fixtures, a handful of mistakes allowed its opponents to squeak ahead. “We were in both games and were equal with both teams. It was just little mistakes that didn’t allow us to win,” said Cavaliers quarterback Keegan Henderson. “In both games, there were four or five plays we messed up on or made mistakes on. That didn’t allow us to reach the highs we could have.” Bert Church broke the deadlock in the sixth minute, when quarterback AJ Parker completed a pass to receiver Blaise Newberry. Parker – who completed 191 throwing yards in the game – had to evade a tackle in the pocket before launching the ball 30 yards to a waiting Newberry, who galloped into the end zone. Henderson brought one back for W.H. Croxford on a first-and-goal in the second quarter, when he ran the ball into the right side of the Chargers’ end zone. The Cavaliers then pulled ahead shortly before half time. After a bad kick by the Chargers allowed W.H. Croxford back into the red zone, Henderson found running back Troy Jensen for a 15-yard throw. That brought the score to 13-6 for the Cavs, as the first half came to a close. W.H. Croxford’s offence continued its momentum in the third quarter, but Bert Church’s D-line was steadfast in preventing the Cavs from scoring another touchdown. Cornerback Josh Bancroft was crucial for the Chargers’ defence in the second half, coming up with an important knock-down to prevent a Cavaliers touchdown in the third quarter and an interception in the red zone in the final minutes, which put the game out of reach for the Cavaliers. “I think, at halftime, we got a bit too confident and too lazy,” Henderson said. “Also, in the third quarter, we got down in the red zone a few times and just couldn’t capitalize.” Meanwhile, Parker struggled in the second half to find his receivers as well as he did the previous week. The senior QB threw two consecutive interceptions in the third quarter. But it was Parker who ultimately brought the Chargers back into the game, when he scored a running touchdown on a first-and-goal on Bert Church’s opening drive of the fourth. That brought the score to 13-13. Parker’s touchdown inspired the Chargers O-line to a strong finish. Sorsdahl picked up his huge running TD with three minutes to go, before Newberry caught a second touchdown catch – his third major of the season – off a pinpoint 35-yard throw from Parker, bringing the score to 25-14. “We pulled it out of our back pocket, honestly,” Sorsdahl said. W.H. Croxford’s only point in the fourth quarter came from a single off a 35-yard punt from Henderson.
