The Yorkton Atom Gridders put it all on the field on Saturday afternoon in their 60-36 victory over the Weyburn Ravens in Weyburn. The second half of the game saw all of the players contribute to the points up, not just the first stringers. "It truly was a total team effort," says head coach/offensive coach, Jason Boyda.
The first half was an exchange of punches between the two teams with Yorkton answering Weyburn's first touchdown in the first two minutes. Yorkton took the lead and never looked back.
"They're a pretty good football team," says Boyda of the Ravens. "It was pretty tight until halftime.
The Gridder ground attack was lead by Dylan Lepowick and Garion Miller as they sliced and diced their way to pay dirt.
The Gridder hoggies opened the running lanes for the ball carriers. The offensive line is bolstered by Daniel Balysky, Justin Fookes, Spencer Welke, Richard Richards, Colby Ross, Tannon Keltie and Keegan Halliday. Jordan Rusnack, quarterback, ran the show and ran for a touchdown himself. It was a great day for the Gridder offence as they lit up the scoreboard for 60 points.
"Offensively, we were firing on all cylinders," says Boyda. "It was awesome. All the hard work they put in (in practice) is paying off."
The Gridder defence had some difficulties containing the Raven ball carriers in the first half, but after some crucial adjustments, they were able to come up with lots of great stops.
"We put pressure on their ball carriers," says Boyda.
The middle of the Gridder defence was lead by Logan Danylko with a great fumble recovery and a tackle for a loss. Steven Smith and Carter Pawliw worked hard to contain outside runs. The total defensive unit came together in the second half to allow only seven points.
The Atom Gridders have built a 2-1 record with both wins on the road. They look forward to next weekend's home game at Century Field, Saturday, Sept. 9 at 11 am when they play the Regina Canadians.
