For the Hunting Hills Lightning, it simply wasn’t their day Saturday.
In their fifth consecutive meeting in the Tier II provincial semi-final, the Foothills Falcons topped the Lightning to win the south regional title.
Saturday’s victory for the visitors from Okotoks was a decisive and swift 42-7 win to clinch a third straight appearance in the provincial final.
“We could have given Foothills a battle. The scoreboard was not indicative, we had seven turnovers, they had zero,” Lightning head coach Kyle Sedgwick said.
“You’re never going to win at this level against a very good team. You shouldn’t win any football game, any time of the year against any team if you turn the ball over seven times and they protect the ball. They take advantage of mistakes, not only did we make mistakes, on offence and defence which is going to happen, we just coughed up the ball.”
The mistakes for the Hunting Hills were uncharacteristic of a Lightning team that was undefeated all season long and Sedgwick said once the problems compounded, that’s when his team got into trouble.
“It’s nerves after a while, when you start turning the ball over and you start killing yourself because then everyone is trying to do too much and you get too wound up,” Sedgwick said.
“I thought the first quarter and a half, it was a slug feast. These looked like the two best teams in the province. I’m proud of our guys and I don’t think the score is indicative of what that game could have been.”
Falcons running back Payton Price torched the Lightning for three touchdowns on the night.
“I haven’t seen him play that well in the previous two years to what he’s done this year, he’s a man on a mission and I’m glad to see that because they’re good kids and it’s a good coaching staff over there,” Sedgwick said.
Price cashed in a 10-yard touchdown after Lightning running back Luc Luklu fumbled early in the first quarter.
The Lightning drew even at the end of the first when quarterback Brandon Rees punched in a one-yard score.
Foothills flexed their offensive muscle in the second quarter with two touchdowns, including a five-yard run for Price. Payton Burbank caught the other late in the half to extend the Falcons lead to 22-7.
“That score right at the end of the half, 15-7 is a lot different than 22-7 at this time of year, that was a bit of a killer for us,” Sedgwick added.
Foothills quarterback Tyson Pitcher snuck the ball in for a one-yard score early in the second half.
A Fumbled snap by Lightning punter Kallen Vickery led to another Falcons score.
Keaton Neish converted an 18-yard touchdown catch from Pitcher after the fumble in the third quarter to all but sink the Lightning.
Another fumble on their own goal line by Hunting Hills allowed the Falcons to score again late in the third. Price scored for the third time in the game on a one-yard run.
Sedgwick also saidthe Lightning should be proud of the season they had despite it not ending the way most of them had hoped.
“We’re extremely proud of our players. A Tier I or II team to win a provincial game in this zone used to be the rarest thing around,” Sedgwick said. “For us to meet Foothills in the semi-final the last two years is a testament to our program.”
Email sports tips to Byron Hackett
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