Co-head Coach Rob McNab has previously pointed out defending a championship is never easy, and this game wasn't for the Cochrane Cobras.

Winners, though, find a way and the Cobras were able to shutdown the Holy Rosary Raiders in the second half to be crowned the tier 3 provincial champions for the fourth consecutive season and the 15th time in the program's history.

Held in Lacombe under the Friday Night Lights, Nov. 24, the teams were deadlocked after two quarters and a chink in the Raiders' defensive armour was discovered that gave the Cobras a seven-point lead with less than four minutes remaining. An interception by Dawson Laye late in the game allowed the Cobras to burn off the clock and claim a 21-14 victory.

Jackson McLean opened the scoring for the Cobras with a 15-yard outside run into the end zone at 6:45 of the first quarter. The Raiders tied it up with 4:52 remaining in the second quarter. The biggest scoring spree of the defensive battle took place in the final two minutes of the half. With 1:42 remaining, Jack Tocher caught a 12-yard pass to put the Cobras ahead but with two seconds left the Raiders responded, sending the teams to the dressing room in a 14-14 deadlock.

Following a scoreless third quarter, success on a 3rd and 2 gamble set the stage for Cobras quarterback Brett Conlon to connect on a 37-yard pass to an open Jack Tocher in the end zone with less than four minutes to play.

"We had noticed their halfback was jumping every out route I ran previously in the game," explains Tocher. "We had a coach in the stands call out a quick out and up and I just executed that. Both the halfback and safety jumped it on the out and I just turned up the burners and Brett sent it over to me."

For Tocher, the championship is the icing on the cake of his high school football career that started in Okotoks. He has three rings in three years, two of them with the Cobras, and has proven to be an impact offensive player.

"It feels pretty good. but at the same time It feels odd. I never thought in grade 10 that I would go on to help win three back-to-back-to-back championships. It's amazing."

After graduating in June from Cochrane High he'll be heading to Guelph, ON. where he has signed by the Guelph Gryphons, another dream of his. He hopes to follow in his father's footsteps in university football there. His dad, Dan, was a stand out star receiver from 1986-1990 and three years ago was named to the university's hall of fame.

Jackson McLean is also one of the three ringholders for the Cobras and played his entire high school career there.

"Three rings, three years, it's been a great run with the team and I couldn't be more proud of them," says McLean. "It's been a real thrill the entire time. I couldn't ask anything more from this group of guys."

McLean was switched to middle linebacker in the second half when coaches saw the Raiders favoured the inside run.

"Once we made that switch it forced the pass and it changed the game from there, leaving it scoreless on their side."

"We held on to the end until the final whistle and the strongest team came out on top and that was us."

McLean also graduates in June and he wants to continue to focus on improving his game with his eye on playing university football.

"I am really hoping to step it up to the next level and I'm going to be looking throughout the summer to get to that point where I can be more competitive than I already am."

The Cobras continue to be a powerhouse in high school football and have won 15 provincial titles, two in tier 2 (1996 and 1998) and 13 in tier 3. Twice now they have won four consecutive championships, the first from 2002 to 2005. Since 2002, they have only been stopped five times from claiming the crown and they have appeared in the final in all but two of the last 16 years.

No other teams come close to matching their stellar record. Raymond won the tier 3 title three times in 1990-92 and WR Mayers won from 1999-2001, but since then the Cobras have owned the record book.