We didn’t like it, so we put our starters back in when they got back to within a touchdown.
— Roby Sharpe
Sr. Raider Head Coach
Seven different Raider players found the end zone and the YRHS Sr. Raiders scored a total of 11 touchdowns in the game as they completely dismantled the hapless Estevan Elecs 76-28 to move to 2-0 in the Moose Jaw High School Football League standings.
Quarterback Nick Payne completed 19-of-26 passes for 378 yards and four touchdowns, while Caleb Bymak led the way scoring three touchdowns and rushing for 141 yards on just eight carries.
Brody Popowich and Ben Koroluk both had multiple touchdown games as well with Popowich finding the end zone twice on 13 carries for 165 yards and two receptions for 31 yards, while Koroluk hauled down three passes for 44 yards.
Koroluk also picked off Estevan quarterback Andrew Kehler three times. “Defensively Ben Koroluk had a great day,” mentioned YRHS Raider head coach Roby Sharpe. “He had three interceptions for us. I don’t know if it’s a school record, but it’s got to be close to it because I can’t remember anyone else getting three interceptions in one game before. That’s not to say it didn’t happen, but I can’t remember it happening.”
Also scoring for the Raiders were quarterback Nick Payne and receivers Matthew Balysky, Matthew Mandziuk and Jon Nagy.
The Raiders opened the game with a statement first quarter, scoring 28 points with their starting offence while their starting defence feasted on the Estevan offence, limiting the Elecs to less than 50 yards of offence in the opening quarter.
However things got chippy in the second quarter when, with the Raiders resting some of their top players, Estevan began to throw their weight around, physically dominating the younger Raiders all the while coming back to within one score at 28-21. “It was one of those things where we went up 28-0 early, and then we took our foot off the gas pedal,” offered Sharpe, continuing, “We were up 28-0 after the first quarter then we put some younger guys in, some backups in and Estevan started to hit them hard.
“We didn’t like it, so we put our starters back in when they got back to within a touchdown.”
The Raider starters ensured that 28-21 was as close as the game would get as they held the Elecs to just one more touchdown the rest of the way while scoring 48 points of their own in the second half.
All in all coach Sharpe believes that his team put together a very strong game, and that the 28 points against doesn’t really mean that the defence struggled. “Offensively we had a very strong offence all game. We were sustaining drives and outworking their defence,” suggested the Sr. Raider bench boss. “Defensively our guys played tough after we gave up those 28 points. But really the second quarter when we put in our younger guys was really the only time that we gave up points, so when you look at it our defence nearly shut them out.”
But while the result was positive, there were negatives, such as an injury to the Raiders’ starting running back Brody Popowich. “It’s one of those games where it sucks because you’re winning big time and then one of your guys gets hurt. It happens, it’s football, but it sucks,” mentioned Sharpe. “Losing Brody Popowich is a huge hit to us. Huge. He’s one of the best running bests in the league and now he might be out for the whole season.”
However the Raiders might have a replacement waiting in the wings, as Tyrone Munro, who was injured in their opening game of the season against Swift Current, might be able to return for the Regional’s third game against the Central Cyclones. “We’re hoping Munro will be back next week,” said Sharpe. “If he is, then we’ll be fine at the running back position.”
Next action
The next action for the YRHS Sr. Raiders (2-0) will be this Saturday when they travel to Moose Jaw to take on the 2-0 Central Cyclones.
