Being No. 1 means having the ability to win when you don’t bring your ‘A’ game.
The Holy Trinity Academy Knights, the top ranked Tier II team in the province, downed the Medicine Hat Mohawks 21-4 Friday at HTA despite not playing at their best, according to head coach Matt Hassett.
“I told the guys it’s good that we got the win and we fought through some adversity — Hat high is always a tough team,” said Hassett. “But we had way too many mistakes.
“Guys were running the wrong routes, offsides, blocking from behind. It cost us today.”
The Knights proved if you can turn it on for one-quarter, it can be enough.
HTA scored all of their points in the second quarter after trailing 3-0 after the first 12 minutes on a 32-yard field goal by the Mohawks' Aaydan Callan.
The Knights got on the scoreboard the hard way — driving 106-yards to take a 6-3 lead early in the second quarter.
HTA worked their way out of the hole from their own four yard-line when runningback Sawyer Quinlan broke free for a first down to the Knights 27-yard line.
Quarterback Ben Leggett then hit receiver Noah Gutek across the middle for a 33-yard gain to the Mohawks' 53
But the duo wasn’t done yet.
A scrambling Leggett unleashed a pass to Gutek, who somehow got his hands on the ball, and worked his way to the 20 yard-line.
“I was waiting for Ben to see me and then I had to reach over a guy and I kind of bobbled the ball,” Gutek said. “I was really focused and I was able to come down with it.”
Two plays later, Quinlan bounced to the outside and scampered in for the 11-yard TD romp to put HTA up 6-3.
The Knights would add their second TD of the quarter when Leggett looked off another receiver and hit Gutek with a 35-yard TD strike. HTA would score a two-point conversion when a Leggett pass went off the arms of a Mohawk defender and was caught by Nick Dielissen who went into make it 14-3 when just 55-seconds left in the half.
Med Hat was unable to run out the clock and HTA got the ball back at about their own 45.
Leggett called his own number and ran the ball to the Mohawk 20. Then on the final play of the half, the athletic QB hit a streaking Gutek for the major and HTA went into the locker room with a 21-3 lead at the half.
“We came up with that play and we were able to run it perfectly,” Gutek said.
Mohawks head coach Quinn Skelton said his squad got a little stunned in the second quarter.
“At halftime, it was a bit frustrating because I thought our boys had done so well, but a couple of blown opportunities and HTA put the points on us,” Skelton said. “We knew they were a high-powered offence with the kids they have at the slots and their quarterback.
“We challenged our boys in the second half and they came out and played.
“We do this for experience. We play the No. 1 team in the province for a reason and now we can build on this…. Hey we beat them 1-0 in the second half. It’s always great coming up to HTA.”
The Knights defence didn’t give up a touchdown for their second straight game.
“We have a good group here, really good hitters,” said Knights linebacker Jack Dutton, an HTA captain. “The only thing we mess up on is sometimes we make mental mistakes.
“We have to work on that.”
The Knights kept the Mohawks out of the end zone with the help of a pick by Luke Gutek on the HTA 18 yard-line late in the fourth quarter.
The Mohawks were also stymied on a first-and-goal from the seven in the third quarter when Knights defensive back Jack Pawlick made back-to-back big tackles to force a field goal. It went wide to give Med Hat its single point in the second half.
HTA will take on the Foothills Falcons in the rivalry game next Friday at the Comp. Kick-off is at 7 p.m.
