W.H. Croxford Cavaliers claim first RVSSA football title, ending Cochrane's dominance in freezing conditions
Croxford defeats undefeated Cochrane Cobras 22-7 on Oct. 23 in -7 C wind, marking first league championship for the school since its founding 11 years ago.
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The W.H. Croxford Cavaliers won the school's first Rocky View Schools Sports Association (RVSSA) Football championship on Oct. 23, defeating the undefeated Cochrane Cobras 22-7 in blistering wind that cut the temperature to -7 C throughout the four quarters.
Cochrane had dominated RVSSA football since the mid-1990s, winning 28 titles since 1991 and arriving at the final as back-to-back defending champions. The Cobras had beaten Croxford 27-21 earlier in the season — the Cavaliers' only loss of the year.
Saturday, the Cobras scored first with a field goal in the opening quarter, but then stalled. Croxford, which led the league in scoring during the regular season, scored its first touchdown late in the second quarter. After forcing a Cobras safety at the start of the second half, Croxford's defence held. Late in the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers marched down the field and scored their second and final touchdown, putting the game out of reach.
The win marks a watershed for the league. In their semi-final, Croxford walloped Bert Church 56-21. Cochrane, meanwhile, shut out George McDougall 23-3 in their semi-final. But Croxford's victory breaks a 26-year streak: the last school besides Cochrane or George McDougall to win a league championship was in 2000.
Croxford's football program, in its 11th year, had never competed in a league final before. For years, the Cavaliers sat in the middle of the pack, watching Cochrane rule from the top. This year was different. The Cavaliers closed the gap between the league's elite and the rest, signalling a possible reshuffling of RVSSA's traditional power structure.
The facts
Who won the RVSSA football championship and when?
W.H. Croxford Cavaliers won on October 23, 2026, defeating Cochrane Cobras 22-7.
How long has Cochrane dominated the league before this loss?
Cochrane had won 28 RVSSA football titles since 1991 and was the back-to-back defending champion.
How many years has Croxford's football program existed?
Croxford's football program is in its 11th year and had never competed in a league final before this championship win.
When was the last time a school other than Cochrane or George McDougall won the championship?
The last non-Cochrane, non-George McDougall champion won in 2000, ending a 26-year streak.
