Two wins with zero points against.
The math is adding up nicely for the No. 8 ranked Foothills Falcons who improved to 2-0 with a 41-0 triumph over the visiting Notre Dame Cougars with another dominant defensive effort in high school football action on Sept. 8 at Falcons Field.
“Our coaches are phenomenal and have been pushing the guys big time, expecting a lot and we see the results here,” said Falcons head coach Nathan St. Dennis. “We’re still not really content, there’s the scoreboard, yes, but there’s a lot to fix and that’s the expectation we have.
“Having a great group of Grade 12s who’ve been through it for three years, that goes a long way. They’ve been through ups and downs and they understand the rewards of working hard.”
Falcons middle linebacker Jaysen Young was quick to praise the work of defensive co-ordinator Bryan Brandford for getting the team as prepared as possible.
“He’s been coaching us up and his information in football is invaluable,” Young said. “He knows so much, he’s coaching linebackers this year and I’m so excited to learn from him. That’s years and years of football knowledge.
“Mr. Brandford set us up well and we had a great gameplan, our run stop game was great, our pass coverage could use a little bit of work, but it is what it is.”
With the ball, the Falcons showcased a balanced attack led by Grade 11 quarterback Emerson Liepert.
Second quarter touchdowns from Jed Rodriguez on a jet sweep and Caleb Baker on a five-yard reception gave the Falcons a 20-0 advantage at halftime.
In the second half, Liepert scored on a quarterback sneak and later on a 28-yard scamper.
Baker then put the finishing touches on the victory with a punt return touchdown, following a great block from Jeremy Welykochy and tip-toeing down the right sideline into the end zone.
“We ran the ball really well and Emerson did a great job of controlling the offence, finding the seams and hitting it,” St. Dennis said. “It’s great to see him confident and really having some veterans around him with the receivers and our O-line.
“And Jackie (Kellogg) coming back another year to run the offence, I think we’re starting to see that a bit more where guys are getting more comfortable with it and they’re working harder.”
Boasting a strong squadron of linemen on both sides of the ball has been a huge boost as well for the Comp.
“We’ve got a great group and don’t really need to have anyone go both ways, which is great to give kids a break,” St. Dennis said. “We’ve got a good mix of older veterans like Seb (Lee) and a couple Grade 10s who’ve come in and are starting for us.”
Foothills opened the season with a 21-0 victory at home over Edmonton’s Jasper Place.
The Falcons did not play on week two with their planned trip to Idaho to take on Bonners Ferry called off amid smoky conditions in the area and instead did some team bonding at the U SPORTS Battle of Alberta pitting the Dinos and Golden Bears at McMahon Stadium last week.
The Falcons will have their own rivalry contest in short order.
The Battle of Okotoks featuring Foothills and the Holy Trinity Academy Knights, the No. 1 ranked team in Tier II, is Sept. 15 at Falcons Field.
“Here at home, it’s going to be awesome playing a team like that,” Young said. “It’s a great test for us and I’m excited to see what happens.”
