Senior Mustangs win Division B, Game with Taber a confused affair

2011 Division B Champions
Pincher Creek Senior Mustangs
Dan Crawford photo

     The Pincher Creek Senior Mustangs played a powerful game against equally powerful opponents on Friday night, October 22, 2011.  First, a wrap-up of the game graciously supplied by Pee Wee Mustangs Coach Tom Holoboff, who was linesman for the Senior game.  After that, some color and commentary from the event, including an interview with Senior Mustangs Coach Dennis Sokownin, and of course photos and video.  Over to you Tom.

Pincher Creek Mustangs, Division B Champions

C. Davis photos

Mustangs hoist the Jerry Dawson Division B league championship trophy for the first time ever
Tom Holoboff, contributor and Coach of the Pee Wee Mustangs

     The Taber Rebels came to Pincher Creek on Friday night, October 21  to take on the Pincher Creek Mustangs Senior team. Using a strong inside run, the Mustangs controlled the line of scrimmage, moving the ball up and down the field. Unfortunately, one lucky play and a long injury time-out allowed the Rebels to take the game 7 - 6.

     The game came down to the last play after the Mustangs had marched the ball down the field only to fumble on the 15 yard line, allowing the rebels to take over on downs. After 2 plays all the Rebels had to do was take a knee and end the game.  Instead, the Rebels elected to attempt a kick and after watching the ball roll into the end zone the officials blew the play dead. The officials then deemed that the call should be moved to the 10 yard line and ended the game taking the 2 points off the board for the Mustangs. The explanation given was that the points could not be scored on a inadvertent whistle.

Mustangs #12 Gabe Rainford meets the opposition
Chris Davis photos

      It mattered not to the Mustangs as for the first time in the Mustangs history the league championship trophy was presented to the team. Now it's on to Provincials for the Mustangs.

Mighty Mustangs set a new standard for Pincher Creek Football

Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

C. Davis photo

     The Senior Mustangs delivered on Coach Dennis Sokownin's pre-game promise of "rock 'em sock 'em" football during Friday's game.  The first half saw a surprised Rebels team having to fight for every inch of turf, after showing up with the idea the Pincher Creek game would be a cakewalk afterthought on their way to the top. The Mustangs quickly disabused them of the notion, scoring early but ending the half down by one hard-won point, 6-7 for the Rebels.

     Early in the second half, a major injury sustained to the knee of a Rebels player brought the game to an extended halt.  Due to the severity of the injury, Pincher Creek EMS were forced to attend to the young man on the field for a long time.  A reminder that this is a tough game that sometimes carries with it tough consequences.  A more sombre attitude permeated the game when it resumed. The injury seemed from the sidelines to be caused by a collision between Rebel players as the subsequently injured young man went in for a big tackle on Pincher Creek short-back/double-back Braden Barber, one of those flukey plays where a split-second of landing wrong had a major negative effect.

Mustangs fans were given
a lot to celebrate at Friday's
game.
C. Davis photos

     With the cold winds picking up and the sun beginning to decline by the time play resumed, the game never quite recovered.  The Rebels seemed to be trying to run out the clock on the shortened half.  A contested play that seemed to be the result of confused reffing left the final score still in dispute at press time.  Officially, the game ended  6-7 for the Rebels, but the rulebook seems to indicate the Mustangs should have gained two points on the final play.  The Mustangs still walked home with the Jerry Dawson Division B league championship trophy for the first time ever in their history, winning on overall points for the season

     In a post game interview with Coach Sokownin, he expressed his elation at finally seeing his team at the top of the division, and also made it clear he wasn't happy with the way this particular game played out.  "I don't want to say we lost that (game), I think we would have won it if we played the whole game," he said.  "It was a good game, lots of back and forth, they were heavy hitters, Taber's always been tough with us, but this year, I mean obviously, we stand up to the tough teams."

Injured Mustang FB/LB Kory Geddes gets a little help
cheering on his team from the Blue Mustang group.
C. Davis photos

     Sokownin had a stop watch going, and said there was 32 minutes of daylight left after the game was ended, and indicated he and his team had really wanted to play it out.

     "We still ended up with the Lawson trophy, but I still would have liked to have played 32 minutes of football." He did believe it had been a "Great game between two great teams." 

It's been a long time coming for the
Mustangs coaching squad
C. Davis photos

     In terms of the remarkable turnaround for the team this year, he was quite pleased. "For us, for the guys that have played for me, for the guys that have played for you, and on and on down the line, yeah, it just turned around on us, this is amazing." Sokownin had nothing but praise for his athletes, saying "Gabe (Rainford) ran beautiful tonight for us, our quarterback Cord (Delinte) was using his wheels like he's supposed to, 'Ginger' we call him, and (Braden) Barber was on fire tonight. I think even the other kids, like Austin Sinclair, our linesmen, Rhys Denman,  all those boys are stepping up. Like I said, their's not one star, they're all stars."  Sokownin also had a lot of praise for his fellow coaches Peter Brannen and Wayne Alexander.  These guys built a magical team this year, and brought football back to the forefront in Pincher Creek.

The Mustangs have a bye next weekend, and are scheduled to play in the Provincial championship match the week following, another first for the team in a season where "first" has become a welcome cliche.

Pincher Creek Senior Mustangs 2011

08 Chase Gorgechuk   SB DE

10 Cord Delinte   QB/SB DB

12 Gabe Rainford   QB/SB DB

15 Austin Sinclair   TE/FB DE/LB

17 Stephen Hochstein  SB/WR DB

19 Wesley Dyck   SB DB

20 Isaac Jones   SB DB

30 Kory Geddes   FB LB

33 Karl Eng   C/TE DE/DB

36 Tayte Hale-Goddard   SB LB

39 Ryley Jenkins   FB LB

45 William Nicas   SB DB

50 Ben Puch   G DE/LB

54 Tyler Pittman   C/G/T DE/T

55 Alex Shade   G/T DE/LB

56 Alex Oliver   C/G/T T

57 Lane Crawford   C/G DE/LB

60 Eddie Many Guns   C/T T/NG

68 Rhys Denman   C/T T/NG

80 Brandon Cyr   SB DB

81 Brandon Morgan   TE DE

90 Braden Barber   SB DB

65 Jake Potts   G/T DE/T

70 Ferlin Crowshoe   TE DE

64 Jeremiah North Peigan   T/G NG/T

Coaches

Dennis Sokownin

Peter Brannen

Wayne Alexander