After a humbling 40 point loss in Abbotsford on Sept. 13, the Howe Sound Sounders football club got back on the winning track with a 19-6 over Timberline at Howe Sound Field on Saturday (Sept. 21).
Rolan Mendoza scored on the opening kickoff of the game to set the tone for the win and Adam Stangowitz caught a touchdown pass from Scott Messier to give Howe Sound a 12-0 lead after the first quarter.
Mendoza added a rushing touchdown in the second quarter and Howe Sound cruised to a 19-0 lead at the half. Timberline responded in the third quarter, scoring on their opening drive but the game turned into a defensive battle after that with Howe Sound picking up the 19-6 win.
It was a good game, they're a very physical team and know how to hit, Stangowitz said after the game. After our hard loss in Abbotsford last week we put a lot of hard work into practice so it feels good to win.
This is the third year for Stangowtiz on the Sounders and he's been making an impact on offense since moving from centre to tight end for 2013.
I worked on my speed and hands and lost some weight I trained really hard for this, he said. This is my dream position.
He also plays nose tackle on the defensive side of the ball and said strong defensive play was one of the keys to the win.
I was really impressed with our defensive ends, he said. They contained really well today and our corners came off the ball and fought the run well.
Stangowitz said he was a little disappointed with the team's failure to score in the second half, especially with great field position.
We need to put in the same effort in the second half as we do the first, he said. We always say it's 0-0 when each half starts but maybe some of the newer guys thought we had the game won and began to over think things. There's a lot we still need to work on but it's a good win for us.
Cam Dare had a team high 14 tackles defensively, with Calvin Elliot picking up the team's lone quarterback sack.
Sounders coach Jim Errington pointed out it was the first game in recent memory that the team committed zero turnovers. He also said special teams have been a big difference maker for the Sounders this year, with kick off and punt returns giving the team good field positioning.
Errington said the coaching staff made up of Vince Feacteau (offense), Brent Borthistle (receivers and special teams) and Andrew Stevens (defensive backs and new player fundamentals) has done a great job this season.
Howe Sound improved to two wins and one loss on the season after Saturday's result.
The Sounders will next host Moscrop on Saturday (Sept. 28) with a kick-off time of 1:30 p.m.
