The final minutes of the Sacred Heart High School Saints’ game against the Esterhazy Warriors on Sept. 13 were a rollercoaster ride. The Saints had a successful touchdown drive, tying the game at 14. The team was excited to be back in the contest, with little time remaining.
Immediately after, on the kick return, the Warriors evaded the Saints’ defense, getting a touchdown of their own. A successful conversion extended their lead to 22-14, finishing the game for the Saints.
In spite of the painful loss, coach Nick Jonassen is proud of the way the team played.
“It’s tough to give that one up at the end, but the boys put some hard work in this week and they battled right to the end. We had a couple injuries and a guys that came in late, so it was nice to see them come together.”
This is their second loss of the season, following a loss in their first game in Foam Lake. Jonassen that the team had not quite come together in time for the Foam Lake game, while the competing team had started the season earlier and were playing stronger. Describing the first game as a eye-opener, he’s happy to see the team is playing better.
“We had some of our older guys step up and make some big plays, but we had a couple of new guys who made a big difference in the game. Ethan Hubick on the line, who had a couple sacks, Chance Corcoran had a couple sacks on defense. Defense was our struggle in our last game, but they really picked it up and helped us out.”
The next game for Sacred Heart is in Melville on Sept. 20. Always a traditional rivalry, Jonassen said it’s fun to play against Melville. It’s a contest that gets both teams pumped up.
Jonassen said that even if they didn’t win against Esterhazy, they improved significantly over their first game. Their goal is to continue to play better each game over the season.
“We’re getting a bit more commitment out of the guys. The coaching staff is pretty new and young too, so we’re working through things and we’re starting to see it gel,” he said.
