Lacombe- Lacombe Rams quarterback Johnny led an all-out aerial assault on the Notre Dame Cougars in city high school football action Friday night at MEGlobal Athletic Park.
The Rams closed out a wild victory 39-28 with a two-yard touchdown score, but Ericson was a beast through the air all night along.
He finished the game with four touchdowns, including two to Matt Darnnell, one to Richard Jans and the other Tristen Foley.
“Tonight was his best game of this year,” Rams head coach Jason Petrie said. “He sharpened the saw this saw week. We had a couple of good meetings… they got stuff figured out and our line gave him a ton of time to throw the ball. Our O-line played very well.”
Aidan Vida ran wild for the Cougars as well, including a 72-yard in the opening quarter of the game. He also added a two-yard run for a score late in the second quarter.
With just 14 seconds left in the first half, Cougars quarterback Triston Taylor hit Wyatt Reefhuis for three yard score.
The teams traded scores almost the entire game and were tied at 22 at halftime.
Reefhuis also had a touchdown catch at the end of the third quarter for the Cougars, their only score of the second half.
Zach Schwab finished the night off with a two-yard rushing touchdown for Lacombe.
“We had some breakdowns and that happens in high school football. In the first half, on kickoffs and special teams and punts we were giving up big returns. They weren’t big enough for scores but they were big. We talked about that at the half and we fixed that up,” said Rams head coach Jason Petrie.
“We got the ground game going on in the third quarter behind our O-line and they fired off, then they adjusted so we went to the air.”
Petrie was extremely complimentary of the Cougars, who last time were beat 42-17 in the season opener by the Rams.
“They played much better this time around,” Petrie said.
“Both teams played okay tonight. Obviously they put up 28 on us and that was really unexpected. I thought our defence was going to be a bit more stout this week. They played well, they’re very well coached. They’re getting better every week.”