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Sr. Raiders off to the finals

First it was the Elecs of Estevan. Then it was the much anticipated re-match against the Central Collegiate Institute (CCI) Cyclones of Moose Jaw.
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YRHS QB Dalton Fichtner finds David Balysky for a gain during the semi finals of the Moose Jaw High School Football League playoffs Saturday afternoon. Following the game, the YRHS waited for scores to be sent in from the other semi final, between Weyburn and Moose Jaw's Alfred E. Peacock.


First it was the Elecs of Estevan.

Then it was the much anticipated re-match against the Central Collegiate Institute (CCI) Cyclones of Moose Jaw.

Now it is on to the grand finale that will take them back to Moose Jaw to play the only other school still left standing.

Yorkton is playing a team called Peacock.

The game is Yorkton's first appearance in the Moose Jaw High School Football League championship.

The announcement comes after Saturday's 48-22 victory over CCI in semi final 1 at Kinsmen Century Field.

In semi final 2, it was Alfred E. Peacock over Weyburn by a 29-7 final.

"It was a really close first half," said Blake Buettner, Peacock Tornadoes head coach. "It was really windy too. It was a pretty good second half (for us)."

That win sets them up with a home-field match against Yorkton.

Buettner isn't convinced that having home field will be a huge factor.

"I don't know about a huge factor," he told Yorkton This Week. "Weather conditions are always (iffy). It's actually been fairly nice weather here (lately)."

Buettner said his team is going to try to balance their attack against Yorkton and hope that the roster can remain healthy.

"Everybody's banged and bruised at this point," he said, referring to playing high school football late in October. "We can run a balanced attack. Both teams are balanced," he added, talking about his YRHS counterpart.

"I hope it is going to be a good game," he closed. AE Peacock will carry three players into the game who have won league awards, to be presented at the half of the finals game.

Levi Paul (#16) is the receiving yards leader with 556 yards and 27 receptions and averaging over 20 yards per catch. Nathan Fall (#26) leads the league in scoring with 72 points, as well as the rushing leader with 765 yards on the ground, and QB Sawyer Buettner (#10) is the league's passing yardage leader with 1150 and 71 completions.

Yorkton QB (#12) Dalton Fichtner was named league MVP with 805 passing yards and 599 rushing yards with 42 points scored.

Yorkton was led in their semi final by Fichtner, David Balysky, and Adam McCannell, who each intercepted passes by CCI quarterback Bren Forbes.

In the September meeting, the YRHS was guilty of five of them; in Saturday's win, there there were at least five between both teams.

After Fichtner got in the way of a Forbes pass early, a defensive pass interference call against CCI that came on a 1st down Raiders, ended up setting up Haas for his first of four touchdowns in the game.

Fichtner also ended up recovering a fumble by his own team late in the second quarter.

On Central's ensuing play, they fumbled a punt but they got it back, too.

Tyson Haas stepped in at running back and ran all over the place, including the end zone, which he found four times.

"Yorkton's a good team," adds Buettner. "Size-wise, they're big. We will prepare for Yorkton."

"I thought both sides played really well," insists YRHS quarterback Dalton Fichtner. "I was able to make a pick. I am so happy right now. Most of us had nerves before the game."

Yorkton was up 20-6 at the half. Defensive lineman McCannell scored a 70+ yard touchdown rush when he intercepted a Moose Jaw Central pass and carried into the end zone.

"It was shocking how well

The fourth quarter saw five majors scored, four of them actually counted; the fifth would have brought CCI to within 20 points of Yorkton but was called back due to an illegal block. It also set CCI back 10 yards from the point of infraction.

Haas had two of the remaining three touchdowns.

"Tyson (Tyson Haas) stepped up and did a helluva job," adds head coach Roby Sharpe.

"He came into football this year as a rookie. He's been able to step it up," added Fichtner.

There is a busload of students and fan support leaving the YRHS this weekend for Gutheridge Field in Moose Jaw.

"We are looking forward to a good game," Fichtner signed off.