Cobras show strength in loss to Regina

Sigourney-Keota knew it would have its hands full on Friday night, but that didn?t dissuade them from making sure everyone knew they had a lot of talent.

The Cobras went up to Iowa City on Friday to take on perennial powerhouse and No. 1 ranked Regina, and although the game ended in a 22-point deficit (50-28 in favor of the Regals), the final doesn?t tell the entire story.

The Cobras were going blow for blow with the Regals until late in the contest, when Regina added a pair of scores to pull away.

?They played like they wanted to win,? Sigourney-Keota head coach Jared Jensen said. ?We put ourselves in position to be in the fight and we were there until the fourth quarter. They left every ounce of energy they had on the field. The last four minutes of the game, Regina scored twice, making the game look worse than it was. We took our level of play to an entirely new level this week.?

Highlighting the night for the Cobras offensively was senior Avery Moore, who continued his stellar season.

Moore accounted for all four Sigourney-Keota touchdowns, averaging 13.2 yards per carry for 238 yards on the ground and three rushing scores.

He also took three receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown.

Junior quarterback Luke Greiner completed five of his nine pass attempts for 122 yards and the 77-yard touchdown to Moore.

?Give kudos to the offensive line,? Jensen said. ?They are making things easier for our backs and that allows them to make big plays.?

Defensively, the Cobras saw Noah Boender lead the charge, as they looked to limit the Regina offense.

?Defensively, a number of guys played really well and Noah Boender has stood out on film,? Jensen said. ?He had 13 tackles and going up against the great tackles Regina has, he?s showing he?s going to be a force. He had a great game for us.?

In the first half, the Cobras went blow for blow with the Regals, fighting to a 29-22 deficit at the break.

The Cobras got within a point of the Regals late in the third quarter on the 77-yard passing strike from Greiner to Moore, but Regina fought back in the fourth to pull away.

?They were disappointed they didn?t win, but when you play a team as good as Regina is, and you are hitting them as hard as anyone has hit them this year, we told them that we can build on this the rest of the season,? Jensen said. ?If we can take the loss, and understand how hard you played and do that from here on out, that?s the expectation now.?

The Cobras sit at 3-1 on the season with a 1-1 record in district play with Van Buren coming to town on Friday night.