A strong team performance Sept. 22 helped the W.H. Croxford Cavaliers to its first win of the 2018 high school football season. After losing its first two games by a combined score of 58-30, the Cavs put in its best showing of the season yet, overcoming the struggling Bow Valley Bobcats 27-0 at Ed Eggerer Athletic Park. W.H. Croxford’s first shutout of 2018 puts the team fifth place in the Rocky View Sports Association (RVSA) with a 1-2 record, while Bow Valley remains in the basement with a 0-3 record. Cavaliers head coach John Remus-Everett said the victory was well-deserved. “We worked hard this week on defence, holding the gaps and preventing the offence from getting in,” he said. W.H. Croxford was buoyed by the return of senior running back Jamal Bacchus, who had suffered a knee injury in the team’s season opener, Aug. 30. Despite watching his team from the sidelines for three weeks, Bacchus did not appear the least bit rusty and even picked up two touchdowns – including a huge punt return on his first play of the game. “It felt fantastic to just get back on the field and play with my friends, my family,” he said. “The knee feels better than ever.” Bacchus said the win should provide the Cavaliers with added confidence as the squad prepares for its remaining three games of the campaign. “We really needed this win, coming off 0-2 and then losing an exhibition game last weekend,” he said. Bow Valley received first, and the Cavs managed to pin the team deep in the Bobcats’ territory. After failing to throw his way out of danger on two downs, Bow Valley quarterback Brody Sidebottom opted to take a safety just a minute into the game. The Cavaliers’ strong start continued on the following punt return. Bacchus caught the ball at his own 40-yard line, before galloping all the way down the left side of the field into the Bobcats’ end zone. The first frame ended 9-0. The Cavs continued its defensive dominance in the second quarter, holding off the Bobcats’ offence and keeping it out of the W.H. Croxford half. The home team made it 15-0 three minutes into the second quarter. After the Cavs’ O-line advanced to within first-and-goal, quarterback Keagan Henderson muscled his way into the end zone on a quarterback sneak. The scoring continued with two minutes left in the frame. Bow Valley botched a kick receive, which allowed W.H. Croxford to re-gain possession in the Bobcats’ red zone. Henderson handed off to Bacchus and the Grade 12 ran it in for his second major of the game, propelling the team to a three-touchdown lead (21-0) heading into halftime. The Bobcats improved in the final 24 minutes, only conceding a single touchdown while picking up a few sacks on Henderson. But the visitors continued to fumble the ball in key areas, allowing W.H. Croxford to set up within scoring range. With less than two minutes left in the third quarter, Henderson found Easton Clarke on the edge of the Bobcats’ end zone with a 15-yard throw to bring the score to 27-0. The Cavaliers will take to the field for another home fixture Sept. 29 at 3 p.m., against the Springbank Phoenix. Springbank is flying high after two consecutive shutouts – 46-0 over the Bobcats and 17-0 against the Bert Church Chargers. Remus-Everett said it will take another whole-team effort to come away with a positive result against the Phoenix’s robust defence. “We have to get back to watching film, making sure everyone is healthy and making it to all our practices, and just having an overall commitment and keeping that [mentality] going forward,” he said.
