The Knights are one step closer to getting back to the big dance.
Holy Trinity Academy scored four running touchdowns and earned three safeties in a game of field position to overpower the Springbank Phoenix 40-0 on Friday afternoon in Cochrane to move on to the high school football Tier II provincial quarter-finals.
“We started off slow and played well in the second half,” said Knights receiver Ben Gutek, who had a game-high three touchdowns. “We just had to adjust to what they were doing and just execute.
“The D had a solid game for sure. They really helped us with getting that field position.”
Knights head coach Matt Hassett said the Knights didn’t have the best of starts, with intensity and urgency missing from the early going.
“We started slow and there wasn’t a lot of energy and we’ve got to change that for next week or we’ll be done,” Hassett said. “There was no urgency, but we slowly corrected things and they did a good job.”
HTA star runningback Seth Poelzer took a knock in the first quarter and was rested from there.
In his stead, the Knights showcased their offensive depth with the likes of Gutek, Cayden McCullough, Ashton Ramsay and Ryan Maloney at tailback.
“The guys have to step up on a lot of defences, early on Cayden had a really nice run because they were overloading on (Seth),” Hassett said. “Him and (Gutek) had really good games today.”
HTA took a 26-0 lead into the half with Poelzer, Gutek and Ramsay finding the end zone in the running game.
“Defensively, we played really well,” Hassett said. “There was just that one series in the second half where they changed a few things and put (Mark Schroeder) at QB and tried to stretch the field horizontally with his speed.
“They got a few first downs and earned it and then our guys kind of got used to it a little, took better angles and were able to cut him off.”
Gutek added his second major through the air, with a circuitous route to a reception from quarterback Declan Lyth before deking out a defender, following a block and getting into the end zone for a highlight reel touchdown in the third quarter.
“I got it and I thought I was going to slip and just got up,” Gutek said. “I stiff-armed him, Jack (Bjorge) made his block and I cut back in.”
Gutek, a Grade 11 student, then put the final touches on the victory with a 30 yard scamper in the late stages.
“The moment is never too big for (Ben) and he works really hard,” Hassett said. “He’s one of those guys where when the game is on the line you want to try and get it to him because he’s going to make you look pretty good as a coach.”
Springbank, fresh off its season best performance in downing the W.H. Croxford Cavaliers for the division crown the week prior, had a goal of keeping it competitive with the defending Tier II provincial champions.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game and we just wanted to give them a scare,” said Phoenix head coach Tyler McRae. “It’s tough to end the season like this, but I’m proud of the guys. We’ve really built a program this year from last year.
“Our goal this year was to play in this game so we met out goal and we’ll move forward.”
The Knights will be on the road on Nov. 11 for the provincial quarter-finals against the Medicine Hat High Hawks, a 2:30 p.m. kickoff.
“We’ve just got to have solid practices,” Gutek said. “Don’t take any teams like they’re weak and have the right mindset going into the game.”
