Spring football wrapped up in a big way for the Yorkton Regional High School (YRHS) Raider Gridders Friday evening as the Raiders finished up their spring season with an impressive 48-14 victory over Crocus Plains High School from Brandon, Manitoba.
The Raiders looked much more polished after an extra week of practice and erased the turnover and tackling problems that plagued them in the second half of their game against Murdoch MacKay and controlled a Crocus Plains team that was every bit as physical and athletic as the Raiders.
The Raiders benefited from big play scores of over fifty yards in the fourth quarter, including an impressive touchdown from Tyrell Ulmer to put the game completely out of reach for Crocus Plains.
Coach Roby Sharpe was quick to admit that even though the scorelines from the Murdoch MacKay game and this one were flipped, the purpose remains the same. Sharpe repeats the point that the purpose of the game is to, "Work on systems and get familiar with the plans for next season." He also points out Layne Hull was once again a big part of the Raiders performance saying, "He is a player that is comparable to guys we have had that have gone on to the next level."
Hull put in a tough performance on defense despite being ejected late in the fourth quarter when a scrum broke out after a Crocus Plains player delivered a late hit from behind after the whistle.
Also noted was the fact that a lot of the first time players for the Raiders showed real growth from the previous week, something that bodes well for the Raiders heading into their first season in the Moose Jaw Football League. If the young Raiders can continue to improve at this rate they should be able to contend right off the bat in their new league.
Adam McCannell and quarterback Dalton Fichtner also had notable performances for the Raiders as did the offensive line to round out the key performances of the game.
The Raiders now look to improve in the weight room and at various summer camps before kicking off practices for the 2012 season on August 23 to prepare for their season opener, which takes place after the Labour Day long weekend.
