In one of the tightest-fought games of the 2018 Rocky View Sports Association (RVSA) season, the Springbank Phoenix football team overcame the W.H. Croxford Cavaliers 14-6 in Airdrie Sept 29 – putting the Phoenix at number seven in Football Alberta’s ranking of Tier 2 high school teams, province-wide. While the Phoenix did not secure its third consecutive shutout, the score means the Green and White remains one of the strongest teams, defensively, in the RVSA. Apart from a 40-9 loss in Week 1 to the dominant Cochrane Cobras, the Phoenix has only conceded a single touchdown in its following three games. Trailing 7-0 heading into the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers made a game of it when junior running back Troy Jensen muscled his way into the end zone with three minutes left. While the Phoenix managed to block the one-point conversion, Croxford went into the game’s final stretch down by just a single point. But a huge pick-six in the last 10 seconds by Evan Buckley brought the Phoenix the win. “They overcame some adversity today – we’re down quite a few players with injuries and things like that,” said head coach Shane Martell. “They played well and stayed with it.” Senior defensive tackle Nate Teitz was a key cog in the Phoenix D-line, picking up a game-high five sacks. The Phoenix’s defencemen also forced plenty of fumbles on the Cavaliers’ offence and caught a few interceptions throughout the game, as well. “I think our team did pretty poorly at first, but we came back in the second half and worked very hard,” said Teitz. “[The Cavaliers] were really putting up a fight. It was a really close game.” After the first quarter ended scoreless, the Phoenix broke the stalemate halfway through the second frame. Sophomore quarterback Danny Skelton found Dylan Kozack just outside the Cavaliers’ end zone with a 10-yard pass. Springbank scored the one-point convert and held the 7-0 lead into the halftime break. The third quarter was as close as the first two, with neither team able to advance deep into the other’s territory. The game finally intensified near the end of the fourth quarter. After the Cavaliers’ offence advanced to the Phoenix’s 25-yard line, Croxford running back Troy Jensen ran the ball in for a touchdown. “I still think our guys have a lot more in them, but I’m not going to take anything away from [the Cavaliers],” Martell said. “They played well.” The Phoenix managed to block the Cavaliers’ one-point convert, meaning the visitors led 7-6 as the game entered its final minutes. On the Cavaliers’ next drive – and with just seconds left – Buckley intercepted a pass near the halfway line. He made it all the way downfield for a second Phoenix touchdown as the game came to a close. The win gave the Green and White a 3-1 record heading into its Oct. 4 clash (after press time) with the George McDougall Mustangs – which boasts the same record. “We really brought it in the second half, but I think we need to learn from this game and improve for George McDougall,” Teitz said. The Phoenix will conclude its 2018 regular season schedule Oct. 12, against the Chestermere Lakers. Kick off is set for 4 p.m. at the Springbank Park for All Seasons.
