MOHAWKS FOOTBALL – Hat High wins second straight zone title

After winning Tuesday, Mohawks hope to play underdog Saturday in provincial quarter-finals

It sure wasn’t easy, and it sure was cold — but for the second straight year, the Medicine Hat High School Mohawks were able to come out on top as the South Zone Champions with a win Tuesday over Lethbridge’s Catholic Central Cougars.

“That was a really tough game,” said Mohawks head coach Quinn Skelton. “The field conditions are just terrible when it’s that cold. But still, we created a turnover in the first quarter and Tanner Winter was able to pick the ball up and run it in for a touchdown. We then missed a couple field goals, a couple chip shots we would usually be good to make. We went into the half at 8-1. They then went for a third-down play and we made a turnover, scored shortly after and made it a 15-4 final.”

With a frozen field, and a brutal wind chill, Skelton says he knew it was going to be a low-scoring affair.

“It’s tough to play in that, and you could see it in both team’s offences,” he said. “Both teams did move the ball a bit but it was tough. I think both teams had the same idea, really. Just make the small plays, and do the little things right. In that type of weather, you just have to concentrate on making plays. If you run around recklessly, you’re not going to find much success. You need to use your skills, find your balance and make plays. It’s tough — but we did enough to get the win.”

Skelton says he is disappointed in the field conditions both teams had to play through Tuesday.

“We’re happy with the win, but it was a pretty nasty field to tell you the truth,” said Skelton. “It hadn’t been cleared at all really. Compared to what we expect at the Methanex Bowl and what our city does for us, it was pretty disappointing. The field out there is synthetic, so it should have been a lot better than it was for sure.”

The Mohawks will have very little time before their next game, which is Saturday in Okotoks against the Foothills Composite Falcons. Skelton says he is hoping the team can play the underdog role in their match.

“Foothills is going to be a really tough game,” said Skelton. “They’re a very good team, very talented and very well coached. They’re always ranked top two or three in the province. I know it sounds cliché, but we need to do what we do to the best of our abilities. We need to hope for those guys to turn over the ball a little bit, but it’s going to be tough. We’re definitely there to play the underdog role.”