By WAYNE SHIELS
The Clavet Cougars enter the 2024 season as the defending SHSAA 2A 9-A-Side champions. They served notice they are a threat to repeat in their dominating 54-4 home win over the Davidson Raiders on Thursday, September 5.
The last time the Clavet Cougars played on their home field they defeated the Watrous Wildcats 46-40 to take the provincial title. Some of the current players had big roles in that win and made their presence felt early in the new season.
Quarterback Waylon Blacklock hit receiver Jackson Shabatoski for the opening touchdown and gave the home squad a quick 16-0 lead, scoring on a six yard quarterback keeper after the Cougars special teams flipped the field with a blocked punt deep in Davidson’s end.
The Clavet defence forced a midfield turnover on downs, setting up a long catch and run touchdown by Aiden Lalonde.
Clavet Cougars’ #34 Sam Pitzel and #47 Buster Shultz pressure Davidson quarterbac Eric Menzies
Davidson employed some special teams trickery, using an onside player to gain possession of the punted ball in Clavet’s side of the field, A pass interference penalty gave the visitors the ball on Clavet’s 19 yard line where they were able to split the uprights for a field goal, their only points of the game.
From then on, though, Clavet’s high-powered passing game took over.
Shabatoski scored on a 42 yard catch and run to give the home team a 32-4 first quarter lead.
Ryder Anderson hauled in a pair of touchdown passes from Waylon Blacklock to start the second quarter.
Clavet’s Aiden Lalonde looks the ball into his hands when making a catch
With the starters on the bench Clavet did not miss a beat. Backup quarterback Tyler Brakefield hit Chase Federowich on a long pass deep into Davidson’s end and then completed the onslaught, hitting Federowich on a short pass to make the score 53-4 at halftime.
The second half was used to give backup players valuable game experience.
Next up for the Cougars is a trip to Watrous to take on the 2024 Wildcats. This will be a good litmus test as the two well-coached programs square off in an early season tilt.