The Yorkton Raider Gridders were given the scare of their season Saturday in Moose Jaw.
“We won 19-16 ... But we were down 14-0 early and battle back,” said Yorkton head coach Roby Sharpe.
Moose Jaw Central had a huge play on a catch Sharoe said was maybe a one-in-100 type.
“Then we fumbled the ball on a punt return on about our five-yard line, and they punched it in,” he said.
Suddenly the Raider Gridders were in unfamiliar waters, trailing the game 14-0. The team could have cracked, but they didn’t.
“I said after I was very proud of the way we responded. There was no finger pointing ... They just got it done as a unit, as a team,” said Sharpe.
With about five-minutes left on the clock the Raider Gridders kicked a field goal to go ahead by three, playing stout defence to hold the slim margin until the final whistle.
Sharpe said they were hoping for a close game to get them ready for the playoffs, and it was certainly that, a nail-biter with first place on the line. A loss would have given Moose Jaw top spot.
With first place in the bag, the Raider Gridders will host their playoff opener this Saturday (Oct. 26), at Century Field; the time still to be determined. A win Saturday and Yorkton would host the league final Nov. 2.
