You couldn't write a better script heading into the final game of the 2013 Moose Jaw High School Football League season. 6-0 Moose Jaw Peacock, lsst year's MJHSFL Champions going against the Yorkton Regional High School Raiders who lost to the Tornadoes in the Championship in 2012 and were 6-0 themselves. Heading into Gutheridge Field on Tuesday there was no questioning that the meeting between two of the favourites to lift the 2013 Provincial title was highly anticipated for both teams. After all a first round bye was on the line, a bye that would prevent the winning team from playing three games over nine days. Throw in the usual elements of revenge, pride and good old fashoned hatred for the other team and the game between the Peacock Tornadoes and the Raiders was set to be the highlight of the regular season and it didn't disappoint.
From the opening kickoff to the final whistle both teams showed why they were 6-0 and undefeated heading into the final game of the regular season. Big plays on both sides of the ball saw a back and forth battle that gave the fans at Gutheridge Field in Moose Jaw a real treat. Turnovers, special teams plays, long passes, longer runs. You name it and this game had it on Tuesday.
Yorkton would have the chance to strike first, but Zak Kais tweaked his hamstring leading to a fumble inside the Moose Jaw 10 after he was storming for a 50 yard touchdown run.
The Raiders would force great field position and score off some power running from Kais to give Yorkton the first score of the game on the next drive. 7-0.
Peacock answered back with a third down gamble to get into the Yorkton five yard line and score on a third and inches play on the goal line to tie the game up with 7:17 left in the first half. Special teams play lets Moose Jaw tie the game after a long kick return and the punt fake.
On the next Peacock drive quarterback Sawyer Buettner executed a drive with two big gains on screen passes to give Peacock position in the Raiders redzone before converting on a second straight third and inches play to give Moose Jaw a 14-7 lead with 2:26 left in the half.
Answering back, David Balysky completes a first down pass before hitting Alex Popoff behind the Moose Jaw defensive backs, for the second straight time a fumble with the endzone in the Raiders sights proves costly as Popoff is stripped of the ball before the Tornadoes recover the football, negating a big play from Popoff to catch the ball over his shoulder. David Balysky also threw an interception in the final three minutes of the half in what was an uncharacteristic sloppy performance in protecting the football for Yorkton.
Jonathon Muir interception keeps the YRHS within a touchdown with under thirty seconds left in the opening half. Peacock would go into the locker room with a one score lead after the Regional shot themselves in the foot with two turnovers that negated likely scores.
Peacock failed an onside kick attempt to start the second half, failing to kick the ball inbounds giving the YRHS excellent field position to start the half. Balysky executes an excellent drive to bring the Raiders into the red zone, hitting rookie Caleb Bymak with a big pass inside the Moose Jaw ten yard line. Inside of the redzone Balysky keeps it himself and beats the Peacock front seven to the outside for a touchdown run to tie up the score. The touchdown drive on the first Raiders possession of the second half continued the seesaw battle between two of the best HS football teams in the province.
Balysky then threw an interception that is returned for a touchdown with 6:13 left in the third quarter to give the Tornadoes the lead after tying the game up. It would prove to be costly.
On the following drive Kais is stopped short a yard on third and two for a turnover on downs giving Moose Jaw field position on the 55 yard line. Nathan Fall would put Moose Jaw in Raider territory before a questionable facemask penalty after a YRHS sack on Sawyer Buttner would turn what would have been a 2nd and long into a first and goal line situation for Moose Jaw who would swing the game with a touchdown to make it 28-14.
After a big stop from the Raiders defense, David Balysky and Popoff bounced back from earlier miscues to connect for a long pass to put Yorkton into the Tornadoes half of the field. On 3rd and 5 Balysky would once again remain cool under pressure by connecting on a pass just past the first down line to extend the drive after a bad snap. Balysky would then score on a quarterback sneak on third and short to put Yorkton within a touchdown with 7:29 left in the fourth quarter.
Moose Jaw would answer back with a long kick return before Buttner would find a receiver near the sideline to put the Tornadoes deep into YRHS territory. On second and goal Peacock would punch in their fourth score of the game to move back ahead two touchdowns, giving Balysky the challenge of leading the Yorkton offense to a comeback.
On the first play of the drive Balysky would start out strong connecting for a first down pass, but on the next play mixed signals between receiver and quarterback would lead to a costly interception that would seal Yorkton's fate. Moose Jaw would score two plays later to climb out to a 42-21 lead. A safety would finish the game with a final score of 44-21 in favour of the defending MJHSFL champions.
Still despite the three touchdown spread, the Raiders and Tornadoes both showed why they were the class of the league during the regular season in a game that was closer than the final score indicated. Something that both coaches mentioned postgame.
"Despite us winning by three touchdowns this was a battle and I will be making sure that my players know that, we won at the end of the day, but we had the benefit of forcing a lot of turnovers which was the deciding factor," says Peacock head coach Blake Buettner.
Buttner also mentioned that despite returning his starting quarterback and tailback in Nathan Fall, who led the game in rushing with over 130 yards, an undefeated regular season wasn't in the mindset of the defending league champions. "Every year there is a lot of hope on any team to start the season, but it is all about putting players in the position to succeed and the next step is continuing that through the playoffs.
Raiders head coach Roby Sharpe was disappointed to see an undefeated season end, but pointed out that if it weren't for eight turnovers on Tuesday, the scoreline would have been much different. "When you turn the ball over six times on interceptions and fumbles, including two that looked like they were heading for touchdowns it is hard to win and you saw us pay the price against a good football team," says Sharpe who made it clear that his feelings on the YRHS' provincial title chances have not changed heading into the playoffs this weekend.
"We are definitely a contender and we saw that in most aspects of the game today, the next step is eliminating turnovers and mistakes." "We are going to come back even hungrier and I wouldn't be surprised to see a rematch in the league final if we can do that."
Yorkton hosts Moose Jaw Vanier Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinals. If they win on Saturday they will host a semifinal game the following weekend before the MJHSFL Championship on November 1 at Gutheridge Field in Moose Jaw.
