Rebels return with a big win over Cardston

Posted on September 19, 2024 by Taber Times

By Cole Parkinson
Taber Times

After a shootout against the Chinook Coyotes in Week 2, the W.R. Myers Rebels football team was back in action this past weekend looking to return to the win column. Heading out on the road for Friday’s game in Cardston, the Rebels were eager to put their loss last week behind them but they knew a tough test was coming in the Cougars.

“What a wild, emotional night. We knew going into Cardston that we were in for a game. Last season was the first time we had beaten Cardston in 22 years, and we knew that was going to give them extra motivation, especially playing at home this time,” explained Jason Jensen, head coach of the Rebels. “People have nicknamed Walker Field ‘Death Valley’, and for a very good reason. It’s got a very unique atmosphere that makes it one of the tougher places to play in the Province. In fact, before this game, we had never won there before.”

It was a battle between two great teams and in the first quarter, it was evident it was going to be a close game. After neither team was able to put any points on the board in the first few drives, the Rebels were able to break off a big play that saw them in the red zone.

“It was clear from the start that we were pretty evenly matched teams, exchanging short drives, with each of us turning the ball over on downs. Eventually, receiver Logan Van Uden broke things open with a 66-yard run, getting tackled just before crossing the goal line. The next play, his older brother John Van Uden finished the drive with a short touchdown run to put us up 7-0 midway through the first quarter,” continued Jensen.

The battle in the trenches continued after the first touchdown of the game as both teams struggled to generate much offence. With both defensive units remaining strong, it was the Rebels’ troops that were able to force a turnover that resulted in another touchdown.

“After that, we went back to exchanging drives, with Cardston complimenting their high-flying passing attack with a heavy stack offence to grind out yards and exact a serious physical toll on both teams. Thankfully our defence would bend but wouldn’t break, keeping the Cougars in check until Logan Van Uden picked off one of those passes, returning it to the 12-yard line. The next play, our offence would show off our own passing attack, with quarterback Dane DenHollander hitting receiver Brady Jensen in the endzone to make it 14-0, late in the second quarter,” said Jensen.

But the Cougars wouldn’t let the end half without finding the end zone. Late in the second quarter, it was Cardston’s turn to make a big play on offence to make it a one-score game yet again.

“Of course, I wish I could say that Cardston folded up their tent at that point, but of course, they had plenty of fight left, and a slip on the muddy field by one of our defenders led to a 67-yard catch and run, putting them deep in our end. It looked like the defence was going to hold firm again, with 2 defended passes, but a tipped hail mary into the endzone on the last play of the quarter ended up in the arms of a Cougars player, and we went into halftime with a 14-7 score,” stated Jensen. “A big play like that to end a half can be a serious momentum swing in a game, and considering that Cardston would get the ball to start the third quarter, it made it even more concerning.”

The Cougars would come out blazing from the locker room as they stretched the field. The Rebels were pushed back to deep in their own zone, but another interception turned things around.

“Sure enough, the Cougars came out firing, breaking off two long runs before Logan Van Uden saved it for us with an interception in our endzone. Our offence then turned things right back around and them, going on a 12-play, 85-yard drive, capped by a one-yard touchdown run by DenHollander, making the score 21-7,” continued Jensen. “Against a team like Cardston, a two-score lead is never safe though, and of course, they were prepared to answer right back.”

Heading into the final quarter, the Rebels saw a big push from Cardston as they looked to make it a one-score game yet again.

“They were able to drive 71 yards to narrow the score to 21-14 early in the fourth quarter before both defences dug in again. Finally, late in the game, Cardston was able to take advantage of a tipped punt, getting good field position and again finding their way into the endzone, tying the game with only a few minutes to go,” added Jensen. “Points like this are where you really learn the mettle of a team. Cardston seemingly had all the momentum, and a lot of teams facing that would fold. But our offence went right back to work, with Logan again breaking off a huge run of 70 yards, putting us deep in Cougars territory.”

The Cougar defence was holding strong as the Rebels threw everything they had to try and get within field goal range. With the special teams unit called upon late in the game, the pressure was at a boiling point. Making it even more so was the fact the Rebels’ kicker had never been called upon in a game-winning situation up to this point.

“And Cardston’s defence wasn’t letting anything else go though, so we called on kicker Evan Abela to attempt a potentially game-winning field goal. I believe this was his first-ever field goal attempt in a game, so we were putting a lot of pressure on him here, but he didn’t seem to be bothered by it, booting a 22-yard kick that looked like it would have been good from 40, straight through the uprights to put us ahead 27-24,” said Jensen. “There was still over a minute and a half left on the clock, which in Canadian football can seem like a lifetime, so our defence still had work to do. Cardston had one big play left in them, getting across midfield before our strong pass rush, and great coverage led to three straight Cardston incomplete passes, and a turnover on downs. From there, we just needed another first down run, and a kneel-out to finish things off.”

With another huge win over Cardston, the mood for the Rebels was ecstatic. Stringing together back-to-back wins over a team like Cardston is a testament to the Rebels’ abitlity to produce some of the best teams in southern Alberta.

“In the history of our high school program, we had never won in Cardston before, so this win is pretty special for these boys. We suffered some key injuries throughout the game and combined with the hostile environs of Walker Field, there was a lot of adversity to overcome. I couldn’t be more proud of how they responded to it, fighting back from a couple of big momentum swings to find a way to win when they needed to,” continued Jensen. “And it took a total team effort to do so, with 15 different players recording tackles, lead by Carson Hughes and Tony Peters, with five a piece. Red Cunanan, Gavin LePard, and Nik Binnie each had a sack, and Logan Van Uden had a fumble recovery to go along with his two interceptions. Offensively, DenHollander passed for a touchdown and ran for one, while John Van Uden and Brady Jensen accounted for the other two, and of course, Abela contributed the game-winning field goal.”

Once again, the Rebels don’t have much time to revel in the big win as they’re right back at it this Friday. Another road game awaits as W.R. Myers is readying to take on one of their rivals — the Willow Creek Cobras.

“Next up we head back into hostile territory, this time being Claresholm, as we travel to face our biggest rivals, the Willow Creek Cobras. Those games are always very tough for us, as they’re a talented, very well-coached team. The rivalry between us just ramps things up just that much further. Hopefully this week we can get healed up, and get fully prepared for them because we’re going to need to be if we want to get another win,” said Jensen.

Kick-off goes on Friday at 7 p.m. in Claresholm.