CAVS KNOCK OFF UNDEFEATED COCHRANE FOR FIRST RVSSA CHAMPIONSHIP

For the first time in the school's 11-year history, the W.H. Croxford Cavaliers are Rocky View Schools Sports Association football champions.

The Cavs beat the previously undefeated Cochrane Cobras 22-7 on Friday, October 23 at Cochrane High School, scoring 22 unanswered points after falling behind early. It was Croxford's first appearance in a league final, and it came against the program that has defined Rocky View football for more than three decades. The Cobras entered the season as back-to-back defending champions, have won 28 league titles since 1991, and allowed the fewest points in the league this year, including a 23-3 semi-final win over George McDougall. Their closest game all season was the opener in August, a 27-21 win over Croxford in which the Cavs came up short inside the Cochrane 20 on the final three plays. That remained Croxford's only loss of the year.

With the win, Croxford becomes the first school other than Cochrane or George McDougall to win the league championship since 2000.

Nobody would call it a night for football. Wind gusted between 50 and 75 km/h across the field, the wind chill sat at minus 10, and throwing the ball was a battle for both teams from the opening kickoff. The game was going to be won on the ground and at the line of scrimmage, and that is exactly where the Cavs won it.

Cochrane opened the scoring with a 17-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Those would be the only points the Cobras scored. Late in the second quarter, Grade 10 Davanni Brown scored from 9 yards out, and the Cavs went into halftime trailing 7-6.

Croxford took control right out of the break. The defence forced Cochrane to concede a safety to open the second half, putting the Cavs ahead 8-7, and Grade 10 Davin Bankebabone found McKayo McFarlane through the wind for a 42-yard touchdown to make it 15-7. Late in the fourth quarter, the Cavs put together a long, clock-draining drive capped by Bankebabone's 7-yard touchdown run to put the game away.

The Cavs ran for 258 yards and finished with 344 total yards. Brown carried 26 times for 140 yards and a touchdown. Bankebabone added 106 yards and a score on 12 carries, and went 5 for 12 for 86 yards and a touchdown through the air. McFarlane led all receivers with two catches for 54 yards.

The defence shut the door after the first quarter. Every Cochrane possession in the second half ended in a punt or a turnover on downs. Croxford held the Cobras to 119 total yards and 11 passing yards on 2 of 14, and kept them 0 for 4 on third down. Caleb Bourassa led the team with three tackles, N. Koester recorded a sack and a tackle for loss, H. Chapman added a tackle for loss, and Hudson Frampton was in on the defence's lone takeaway, a Cochrane fumble.

The road to the final ran through Bert Church, as the Cavs beat the Chargers 56-21 in the semi-final.

THE SEASON IN NUMBERS

Croxford finished the regular season as the league's highest-scoring offence, and this championship was built on the ground, on both sides of the ball. Through nine games, the Cavs rushed for 2,112 yards and 31 touchdowns, averaging 234.7 yards per game and 9.7 yards per carry. The defence allowed just 305 rushing yards all season, 33.9 per game and 2.4 per carry. The Cavs outgained opponents 3,572 to 1,520, recorded 11 sacks and won the turnover battle 14 to 8.

Brown led the rushing attack with 808 yards and 11 touchdowns on 72 carries, averaging 11.2 yards per carry. Bankebabone was responsible for 22 touchdowns: 9 rushing, 8 passing and 5 receiving. He finished with 516 rushing yards, a team-high 393 receiving yards and 641 passing yards without an interception. Grade 12 captain Marshall Diggens completed 65.7 per cent of his passes for 819 yards, 13 touchdowns and one interception.

Carson Stewart scored 15 touchdowns: six receiving, four rushing, three on kickoff returns and two on punt returns, averaging 45.5 yards per kickoff return. McFarlane added 283 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

On defence, Christian McElligott led the team with 33 tackles, followed by Smith Layton with 29 and Hudson Frampton with 25. Bourassa had three interceptions, a fumble recovery and a defensive touchdown. Noah Rivard led the team with six tackles for loss, and B. Vankessel and C. Slivinski added four each. Mateo McCormick went 35 for 39 on converts.

For years, the top of the Rocky View standings belonged to the same two schools. This season, the Cavs closed the gap and then some. The league has a new champion.

Thank you to Coach Chamberlin and the coaching staff, the volunteers, the families and every fan who stood in the cold to cheer this team on, in Cochrane and all season long. This one belongs to all of you.

FINAL: Croxford 22, Cochrane 7