Last Thursday marked another domination by the Yorkton Regional High School senior boys鈥� football team.听
The Moose Jaw Vanier Vikings were in town and the game was held at Century Field. The Raiders took the win 57-0.听
The win improved Yorkton鈥檚 record to 5-0, and put them in first place in the Moose Jaw 3A 12-man league.听
Yorkton鈥檚 head coach Roby Sharpe said beforehand, they weren鈥檛 quite sure how the game would play out.
鈥淰anier came to us with a 2-2 record, so we thought they鈥檇 be better than what we had been seeing,鈥� he explained. 鈥淏ut we just came out, and it was like punched them in the mouth right off the bat and that was it 鈥� it was over.鈥�
Quarterback Jordin Rusnack took a small injury in Thursday鈥檚 game, but Sharpe said he鈥檇 be back to playing shape for the final game of the regular season against the also undefeated Moose Jaw Peacock Tornadoes, which was played on Tuesday. The results were not available at time of print. If they win, it will be the team鈥檚 first ever undefeated season.
Sharpe said the key to that game will be to shake off the bus legs after they travel to Moose Jaw, and avoid coming out flat.听
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Long time coming
The last time the YRHS Raiders won a provincial championship was in 1994 鈥� years before any current players were even born.听
鈥淲e say every year that we hope it鈥檚 our year, but everything has to fall into place. Not only do you have to be good, but you have to be lucky,鈥� said Sharpe.听
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want to look too far ahead,鈥� he added.
After last Thursday鈥檚 game, Yorkton led the league in points for, with 274. They also had the fewest points against with only 25.听
That adds up to an average of 54.8 points for and only 5 points against per game.听
But Sharpe said it鈥檚 taken quite a lot of time to build this team鈥檚 impressive record.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not like we鈥檙e an overnight success. I鈥檝e been coaching for 18 years, we got minor football started and we got all our levels running the same systems,鈥� the head coach explained.
鈥淛ordin Rusnack has been running that system since he was in atom. It looks pretty smooth, but he鈥檚 been running a long time, and he鈥檚 been throwing to Matthew Mandziuk since they were nine years old.鈥�
This year鈥檚 YRHS senior boys roster consists of players who were Yorkton鈥檚 first group of Yorkton Minor Football atom players.听
So, while those years of training are finally paying off, it鈥檚 not over yet. The YRHS senior boys football team still has a long way to go before they can get their hands on a provincial championship trophy.
