CLOSE to 1,500 alumni, family, friends and students collectively held their breath Saturday afternoon as Christian Hansen prepared to split the uprights from 33 yards out with only 14 seconds remaining at Father Barry Connolly Field.

It was the St. Paul's Crusaders' homecoming but the visiting Churchill Bulldogs wanted to spoil the party. Having taken a 13-0 lead in the first quarter of their Winnipeg High School Football League AAA matchup, the Bulldogs battled the Crusaders tooth and nail to hold a slim 26-25 lead, before Hansen hit a field goal to complete the hosts' 28-26 win.

As the ball sailed through the uprights, the partisan crowed let out a thunderous cheer for the now 4-0 Crusaders. The Bulldogs, 3-1, limped home to lick their wounds.

In an earlier AA game, Sturgeon Heights Huskies trounced the Crusaders No. 2 team 35-6 on three touchdowns by Anthony Coombs and two more by Keinan LaFrance. The lone Crusader touchdown was scored by Rhys Hansen.

"I was scared, but I knew I was going to make it," said Hansen of the winning kick. "I kept my head in the game didn't think about anyone, and just put it through."

Hansen also scored a touchdown on a 42-yard pass from quarterback Nicholas Cobb, added one more field goal and a single.

"Everyone was screaming, and it was so hard to concentrate," Hansen said, describing the home crowd pressure. I'll remember (that field goal) for the rest of my life." Also scoring for St. Paul's was Cobb and Chad Okumura, each on one-yard runs, while Ivasyk Chabluk kicked two converts.

The Bulldogs got two touchdowns and converts from Sean Clark while Riley Coates and Ben Watson added majors.

St. Paul's head coach Stacy Dainard praised his quarterback.

"Cobb played on the AA team last year and the on the provincial team," said Dainard. "The kid can run, and that is definitely an added threat. He throws a really good ball, and we have some talented receivers."

"Today was a great day for high schools sports," said Churchill coach Kelsey McKay. "St. Paul's is consistently one of the best teams. Even when we got up early, they didn't lay down. They are a great team, very disciplined, they stayed in it and they got the ball last."

"If we are fortunate enough to meet Churchill again, it will be late in the season," said Dainard of the possibility of a rematch. "We'll be glad to play them again."

allan.besson@freepress.mb.ca