Hawks clinch first playoff berth

Tyler Lowey
Times Reporter

 

Expansion seasons are always difficult to predict no matter the sport.
The Holy Cross Collegiate (HCC) Hawks clinched a berth into the B division playoffs for the Alberta 6 Man Football League following their 54-32 dusting of the Provost Panthers (0-8) Oct. 28 at a damp Holy Cross Collegiate field.
“We are very excited about our performance today and now the opportunity to head to the playoffs,” said Hawks head coach Michael Annicchiarico.
HCC (3-4) held a pep rally the afternoon leading up to the clinching game that featured face painting and a performance by the HCC drumline.
“Today was a lot of fun, a lot of excitement got built up and it’s nice to end our home season on a winning note,” said Annicchiarico.
The Hawks went 3-1 on home turf this season and carried a plus-30 point differential.
Annicchiarico’s squad is turning things around at the right time. The Hawks went through a stretch from mid-September to mid-October where they were outplayed on three straight road games.
Now, enjoying the fruits of a pair of back-to-back home wins, the Hawks are flying high with the playoffs on the horizon.
“We had a chunk of our schedule early in October that we knew was going to be tough, and it was. I got to give these guys a lot of credit for being able to see the big picture through all of that,” said Annicchiarico.
The Hawks have been heavily reliant on running back Jayden Hendricks all season, but received a more balanced approach with multiple players finding their way into the end zone for the first time.
“It’s extremely important to reward these guys,” said Annicchiarico. “Jayden has been a touchdown machine for us this year and we are going to need him to continue that moving forward, but we had to get some guys experience on offence.”
With one regular season game remaining, the Hawks don’t know for certain their playoff opponent.
The regular season finale sees the Hawks travelling to take on the Rimbey Senior High School Spartans Nov. 3. The Spartans (5-1) sit in second in the South Division.