Rebels take on rival Crescent Heights in 3A Zone semi-final

Posted on October 31, 2024 by Taber Times

By Cole Parkinson
Taber Times

After an incredible regular season, the W.R. Myers Rebels were back on the gridiron this past weekend to compete in the semi-finals for 3A Zones. Taking on their rival — the Crescent Heights Vikings — it was sure to be another tough test for the Rebels. While the Rebels beat Crescent Heights earlier in October 37-26, playoff games are a different beast and anything can happen.

“Going in, we knew we were in for a fight. They’re a powerful, hard running team, with a couple of big bruising runningbacks, and when we played them a couple of weeks ago,  they gave us real problems in the second half,” explained Jason Jensen, head coach of the Rebels. “In fact, we barely held on to win. So of course, the message we preached all week was aggressive, hard-hitting, gang-tackle football. Now it’s easy enough to say all of that in practice, but you never really know if that has stuck until you get on the field.”

Getting the ball first wasn’t a good thing for the Rebels as they turned it over immediately. Despite the stumble out of the gate, the defensive unit was more than ready to put up their first stop of the game.

“We had the ball first, and unfortunately lost a fumble near midfield. This would be the first real test of the defence, and thankfully, the boys showed they were up to it, holding the Vikings to a short drive, and forcing them to punt,” said Jensen. “A big punt return allowed our offence to set up near midfield, and we got to work from there.”

Returning to the field after the fumble, the offence seemed to shake off any of the nerves they had at the beginning of the game.

“We drove 57 yards on 10 plays, finishing it off with a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Dane DenHollander, putting us up 7-0. From there, we exchanged drives, with neither team giving up much as we got into the second quarter,” added Jensen.

The lead heading into the second quarter was big for the Rebels who were eager to add a few more points before halftime. Thanks to another big play to start the quarter, the Rebels saw the lead continue to grow.

“The second quarter was a big one for us, as Elias Cooper broke things open with a long punt return touchdown to widen things to 14-0. The defence was in lockdown mode, holding the Vikings to a two and out on the next drive before another big punt return set the offence up on the Crescent Heights 45,” stated Jensen.

Another great stop from the defence allowed the Rebels to continue to put offensive pressure on the Vikings.

“Three plays later, running back John Van Uden broke through with a three-yard touchdown run to make it 21-0. A big Carson Becker boot on the ensuing kickoff allowed us to widen things a bit further, as he was able to down their returner in the endzone for a single, making it 22-0. We weren’t done yet, as after another Vikings two and out, the offence went to work again. It looked like they had us stopped, but Cooper showed some amazing hustle, racing downfield on punt coverage, and downing a bobbled ball just shy of the goal line, setting up John Van Uden for another short run, sending us into halftime with a score of 29-0,” continued Jensen.

A big lead heading into the locker room was not necessarily comforting to the Rebels as they saw that lead evaporate quickly in their previous matchup with the Vikings. The coaching staff were preaching for the team to continue with their game in the final half of the game.

“Now, when we played this team a few weeks ago, the score was 30-7 at the half, we maybe let up a bit, and Crescent Heights staged a huge comeback. We weren’t going to let our guys forget that. The halftime message was foot to the floor until the final whistle,” explained Jensen. “Of course, the Vikings came out fired up for the second half as well, and it looked like it might be a defensive battle from here on out. That is until Cooper made his presence felt again, this time breaking off a 35-yard run to the endzone, to put us up 36-0.”

A great start to the third was just what the doctor ordered and the Rebels were in good shape. But the Vikings weren’t just going to lie down as they were able to finally put some points on the board.

“Of course, Crescent Heights wasn’t done yet. They finally broke through our defence on a wacky play that saw two of our players collide and open up a seam, allowing their back to scramble 77 yards before being brought down on our four-yard line. I have to say, our defence put up one heck of a valiant stand here, stopping their big backs cold on two consecutive plays before they finally managed to push over the goal line and get on the board,” said Jensen. “Thankfully, that would be all the success the Vikings would have, as the defence went into lockdown mode, with linebacker Red Cunanan picking off a pass in the Crescent Heights end. This set up a short, awkward angle field goal attempt, that barely went wide, but still cleared the endzone for a single, capping the score at 37-6. One last-ditch Vikings scoring attempt was thwarted by a fumble recovery by Keatyn Standing, and from there it was two plays and a kneel-out to finish things off.”

With a huge 37-6 win in the semi-final, the Rebels’ successful season keeps on rolling. One rival has been defeated but the team still has another big game against another one of W.R. Myers’ biggest football rivals — the Willow Creek Cobras.

“Man, it sure felt great to get the victory here. That Vikings time is tough as nails, and it demands a seriously physical brand of football to beat them. I am so proud that our boys proved up for the task. I’ve noticed that we’ve been seriously improving week to week, and this was the first game that it really felt like we were humming in all three facets of the game. It being playoffs, I guess this is the right time for that to happen,” continued Jensen. “Next up is the zone championship game, and we’re facing a familiar opponent in the Willow Creek Cobras. We’ve faced off in every zone final since 2016, so to say this is a significant rivalry might even be an understatement. They knocked off the Cardston Cougars in a wild 8-7 game to get here, so you know they’re in a mood to scrap.”

Looking forward to a great game, the Rebels have a busy week ahead of them as they prepare for the Cobras.

“This is going to be one heck of a test for us, maybe even the biggest one of our season. We’re going to need a good week of practice, and a continuation of the energy and focus that we had this week if we want to knock them off and take home the banner. It should be one exciting game,” said Jensen.

The Rebels host the Willow Creek Cobras for the 3A Zone Championship on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. at Ken McDonald Memorial Sports Complex.