Picture it, if you will. The kick returner for the home team picks up the opening kickoff and runs it back some 70 yards for a touchdown. The home crowd goes wild.
The teams settle down to a grinding game of football as each team chews up the yards each way but neither is able to give that final push for another major until the home team scores another six pointer. A two point conversion is good. The score stands at 14-0.
In the fourth quarter the visiting team rallies, and marches downfield. The home defense digs in and stops a scoring play. The visitors kick the ball into the end zone. The home team takes a knee, giving the visitors a two point safety.
They follow up with a touchdown. The score is 14-8 for the home team.
The visitors, fired up by getting onto the scoreboard continue to press. They take to the air and in the dying minutes of the game march the ball deep into the home team's end. It looks like they can't be stopped. Six points and a two point conversion will give them the game.
With 20 some seconds on the clock, the visitors pass to their star receiver. Just as he goes to haul in the ball, a well timed hand of a defender knocks the ball loose for an incomplete pass.
Time for one final play. The visiting quarter back throws the ball into the end zone. A crowd of offensive and defensive players go for the ball each pushing and shoving to pull it in.
When the officials wade in to separate the players and settle things down, the home team has intercepted the football to prevent the visitors from scoring and to clinch the win for the home team.
Exciting football? You bet! Was it the Saskatchewan Roughriders playing at Mosaic Stadium? They usually manage to stage game winning finishes late in the game.
Nope. As a matter of fact the game was played right here in Yorkton as the Yorkton Junior Raiders claimed a 14-8 win over the visiting Regina Renegades Saturday afternoon at Kinsmen Century Field.
It was the third game of the day preceded by the Yorkton Minor Football (YMF) Atom Gridders and the YMF Peewee Gridders.
Now admittedly the players may not have been as polished nor skilled as our own pros, the Riders. But, believe it or not, they were every bit as entertaining. And they played with every bit as much energy and enthusiasm as their professional counterparts.
Unfortunately the crowd that went wild didn't make nearly as much noise as the fans at Mosaic Stadium are wont to do, possibly because there weren't many there. I suspect if one counted, we would find more supporters of the visiting team than the home team. Maybe so, maybe not.
YMF deserves a huge kudo for the promotion of the sport in Yorkton and the interest it has created among local youngsters. The kids are getting involved in a safe, healthy activity that builds them physically, emotionally and heads them in a positive direction.
As parents, supporters and fans we owe it to ourselves to take in local games for our entertainment. We owe it to the kids to let them know we appreciate their efforts.
