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The conditions were almost perfect for the Pee Wee’s game against the Greendell Falcons… except for the smell. 🙂 Whew!! But we were up against a really good team and the boys had to focus past the meat plant scent and play football – so, off they went.

TB got the first grab and a fine run back off the punt. We didn’t gain much ground on our first drive and when they got their hands on the ball it was a quick run by them, into OUR end zone (6-0 Falcons) Offence got back on the field and a long run by Mason up the left side was followed by a tough run by Egan but the ball went back to them. Isaac had a huge tackle, speeding through their offensive line, Parker and Avery hunted down their punter for a turnover on downs… BUT… a penalty gave them another chance on the kick so the defence kept working. TB chased, they fumbled and we recovered – offence back on. A pass completion to Austin for a quick first down, a super run by Egan and then, a massive 25 yard run by Mason, aided by a block from Thomas! Mason carried the ball again and a bad facemask penalty by them brought us right to the 1 yard line. A fake and a run by Egan found the endzone – TOUCHDOWN!! (6-6) Defence got the ball back quickly as TB intercepted – great pressure on quarterback by Keone and crew! Mason sprinted for 30 yards and thanks to them adding an unnecessary roughness penalty at the end – we were on our way. The ball went back to them and Nick had a super tackle to stop another Falcon passing play. TB threw in a shoe-string tackle and Daniel wrapped up the receiver. Super pursuit and teamwork by the defence stopped them short and turned the ball back to us on downs. A 20 yard run by Egan with a little tiptoeing down the line was sweet. Thomas came up with a block in the backfield to open up some running room for Mason. Riley K. (Tank), Dylan K, and Tristan opened a hole for a 1st down. Riley Kitzel tripped up the tackle for another big gain by Mason. A diving TD by Kraus and we scored!! (12-6 Raiders) We kicked off and as their kick returner was picking up speed, Tyson K. threw in a touchdown saving tackle to end the first half.

Defence started strong in the second half. A super stop on the line by the defensive line… unfortunately, the referee’s whistle was a bit delayed J and they broke free and scampered off to the end zone. (12-12) A completed pass by them counted for the 1-point convert (13-12 Falcons). A short kick by them came next and our offence went to work. We gained yards but eventually our defence had to hold them again. Nick, again, was right on their receiver, TB, Spencer and Isaac did some tough blocking for Avery as he ran back the punt. Super pressure by Andrew on their quarterback caused an incompletion and the ball came back to us. Egan had a fantastic run with Austin blocking all the way. A 1st down run by Mason and then a completion to Teg for a gain of 8 yards. Big blocking by the O-line for a dive over the line by Mason – another Raiders score! (18-13 Raiders) and a successful convert kick by Nick! (20-13 Raiders) Avery wrapped up a receiver, TB had a great low tackle on another receiver and Parker capped those off with a huge interception

AND a great run back for super field position. When our defense found their way back on to the field, they worked hard but a perfectly executed screen pass by them found the end zone. (20-19 Raiders) They were successful on the one point convert. (20-20) TB had sure hands and a run on the kick off, Avery knocked the ball away from their offence and Daniel and TB combined for a big stop on their receiver. After that, a fantastic tackle on their receiver caused a fumble and Raiders recovered when we needed it the most!! A score was needed NOW, and after a 15 yard run by Mason for a 1st down, the O-line opened up a small space for Mason to fly through and run the ball down to the 10 yard line. The next play was sweet – fake to Mason, HUGE touchdown run by Egan!! (26-20 Raiders) The pressure was on the snap, the hold and the kick to put us the score out of reach and it was all bang on!!! YES!! (28-20 Raiders) The defense had a couple of minutes to hold their offence – not an easy task — but our boys were up for the challenge!! Daniel knocked the first pass down and a huge stop by the defense turned the ball over on downs and GAME OVER BABY!!

As coach Marlin said in his email to us all, “The boys had to play to the very end to win this one – AND THEY DID!!” Well done boys – we’ll see you at EVERY practice this week as we prepare for one of the best teams in our league. We’ve got to continue to leave everything out on the field and the sky’s the limit for this young Pee Wee crew!! GO RAIDERS GO!!

HOT, HOT, HOT!! That would describe the conditions and to say that this game didn’t start out as we expected, would be a major understatement. After the first 5 minutes, most of us were wondering what was going on. Very quickly we realized that the Portage Pitbulls are a very good team and we had to pick it up if we wanted to win. So, here’s how it went.

We kicked – they ran and ran and ran – all the way into the end zone. (6-0 Pitbulls) Andrew came up with a big tackle to stop the convert. Paxton secured the short kick for good field position but an attempted pass by US was tipped right into the defense’s hands and a touchdown was scored. (12-0 Pitbulls). TB, Isaac and Spencer gang tackled for no convert. The defense was hard at work. TB got past the blocker for the next tackle and Keone wrapped up their big runner. Unfortunately, on the next play, good blocking by Portage led them right into the end zone. (18-0 Pitbulls) They finished it off with a pass completion for the 1 point convert. (19-0 Pitbulls) It was clearly time to “get it together” and the comeback started. Parker R. had a super reception on the kick off and the defense was back in action. Thomas blocked for a much needed 1^st down and off we went. A great block by Teg opened up the field for a huge run by Mason for a touchdown. (19-6 Pitbulls) A successful snap, hold and kick by Nick added 2 points to our side. (19-8 Pitbulls). Some adjustments were made by our defense and it made all the difference. Andrew pursued and George finished the tackle and the ball was back to our offence. A great reverse play with a block from Paxton and Mason carried the ball for a gain of yards.  Defense was called on again and after Daniel caused an incompletion, Gab stopping the runner in the backfield and Isaac shutting them down – the ball was turned over on downs. The offense moved the ball down the field and the O-line opened the hole that Mason dove through for 6 points. (19-14 Pitbulls) A super hold by Tyson K. and a strong kick by Nick was GOOD! (19-16 Pitbulls) Avery got a shoe-string tackle and Andrew finished the series with a serious quarterback sack for a loss of yards for them and the ball was ours. A good grab by Austin and tough run by Mason got us down the field but we turned over the ball and our defense got busy again and stopped them in their tracks. The offense made them pay and after a clean handoff from Tyson K. to Egan, Egan turned the jets on and found himself in the end zone after a long, FAST run!! (22-19 Raiders) On an unusual play, instead of holding the ball for the kick, Tyson K picked it up and threw it to Dylan for the 1 point convert. (23-19 Raiders) A lightning run down field by Mason and TB on the kick off led to TB stopping their kick returner in his tracks. Defense returned and pressure by Keone, a super job of wrapping up the runner by Lennox and Parker R. hunting them down for a stop was what we all liked to see. Spencer stopped their big runner and after a few missed tackles and a loud, “COME ON!” from Coach Koop, the defense stood strong for a turn over on downs. Austin had a huge run but the ball found it’s way back into the Pitbulls’ hands. So, defense got busy and Anthony wrapped up the running back with a convincing hit! A hard fought run by Mason was next, aided by a block by Teg and Riley, Jayden, and Isaiah on the offensive line opening a hole for Mason to dive through for yet another score!! (29-19 Raiders)

Teg started us off in the second half with a great catch on the kick off. Egan completed an 8-yard pass to Paxton. Austin completed a tough run up the middle and a 15 yard reception play from Egan to Reagan followed. Defense took the field and George took down their running back, Isaac and TB CRUSHED their quarterback for a loss of yards. Back to offense: a highlight was a 30 yard COMPLETION to Dylan  and a huge run by Egan when we needed it for a 1^st down. The Pitbulls found the end zone again to close the gap in the score. (29-25 Raiders) Our offence answered with a nice drive down the field. A fake to Austin and Mason resulted in a 10 yard, 1^st down run by Egan. Blocking by Tyson K and a big tough run by Austin moved the sticks. Another timely run by Mason and we were at 1^st and goal. A great play was called and Egan followed Mason right into the end zone. (35-25 Raiders) Kudos to the protection by Karlenzig and crew on the O-line all game! Adam stopped the run and Parker R. SLAMMED into their running back to cause him to fumble and Anthony was right there to recover the ball – Hello offense!! J Parker Toews threw in a great block to help us get another first down, and then, Egan sped through the waiting defense right to the end zone. (41-25 Raiders) The next offensive outing included a 40 yard run by Mason, beating their #98 into the end zone. (47-25 Raiders) Daniel intercepted the next pass by Portage to get our offense back on the field. When the ball went back to Portage, pressure by Matteus on the defensive line and pursuit by Parker R., and Isaac forced their runner out of bounds. Nick got an interception of his own to stop their march down the field. A massive run by Austin with Tyson K running with him all the way put some more points on the board for us. (53-25 Raiders) Thinking on his feet, Nick threw to Jayden for the 1 point convert. (54-25 Raiders) That’s where the scoring stopped… but a few more Raiders highlights to wrap up the game? A gang tackle for a loss of 8 yards, Isaac crushed the quarterback, Brad made a great catch from Egan and a big punt by Tyson K. and this game was in the books as another big win for the Eastman Pee Wee Raiders.

So, boys, what did you prove today? That not even a quick start by the other team OR blazing heat and high humidity can beat us. We learned that we can come back when we need to.  We learned that you can’t take any team for granted and there are really good players on every team! We just have to give it our all in every game, walk through or practice. Always respect the team you’re facing but know that if you leave everything out on the field you always have the opportunity to make it OUR game and OUR win!! Hold your heads up high Raiders – in tough conditions you were winners again!! GO RAIDERS GO!!

Looking at the standings you knew this was going to be a battle and both teams didn’t disappoint with their version of the Labour Day Classic. The Game started off with the Raiders kicking off to the Eagles. Eagles scrimmaged 1st and 10 from their 52 yd line. First play from scrimmage was a mirage of last week with #3 taking it 58 yds for the Eagles touchdown. Anthony denied the Eagles of the extra point with a great tackle. 6-0 home side. But not to be outdone the Raiders responded with an outstanding 65 yd run by Aidan A going untouched to the end zone. Aidan A ran in the convert 7-6 Raiders. If this was a sign of things to come, the fans were in for a treat. An illegal kickoff gave the Eagles a first down at midfield. A 25 yd run and the Eagles were quickly down to the Raiders 25 yd line. Two plays later, #3 put the home side up once more 12-7 but were again denied on the convert with a great tackle by Sawyer. These two missed converts would prove to be critical points later on. After the kickoff the Raiders began at their own 45 yd line. Bryson carried for 8 yds but the Raiders eventually turned it over on downs. With some strong play by the defense and Anthony making a couple key tackles for loses, the Raiders got the ball right back and didn’t disappoint with Sawyer scampering 90 yds for a Raider touchdown. Convert good by Logan and our team was up 14-12 after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, after a huge return by the Eagles down to the Raiders 20 yd line the Raiders defense stiffened when they needed to with Marianna making a tackle for a loss and Joshua hanging on for dear life on the very next play, waiting for help which eventually led to a turnover on downs at the Raiders 5 yd line. The Raiders really needed field position after the work by the defense. They responded in resounding fashion with what looked to be an electrifying 105 yd touchdown run by Aidan A. This touchdown was called back by an illegal block, which still set them up at the Eagles 40 yd line. Two plays later Aidan A gave the ball to Sawyer on a reverse and it was quickly 21-12 with Logan running in the convert. Eagles began their next drive on their own 50 yd line. They needed a score and you guessed it on third down #3 ripped off a 55 yd run. 21-19 Raiders. With some solid defense of play on both sides to end the quarter the Raiders held on to their 21-19 half time lead.

If the first half was any indication of how this game was going to end you knew the team who had the ball last was probably going to win. After Payton pounced on the opening kickoff of the second half, the offensive line opened up a gapping hole and Logan was gone for a 52 yd touchdown run 27-19 Raiders. Not to be denied the Eagles gave the ball right back to their go to guy and it was a one point Raider lead at 27-26. It was clear that the coaching staff made a few adjustments at the half with some great play calling because on the ensuing drive the Raiders methodically marched the ball down the field chewing up 10 minutes off the clock. From the 1 yd line Logan plunged in for the touchdown capping off the drive putting them ahead 34-26. It was clear clock management was going to be key if the Raiders were going to stop the Eagles #3. Again after the kickoff, the second play from scrimmage saw #3 scamper 65 yds for a touchdown. With their convert unsuccessful the score was 34-32. The Raiders got the ball back on their 45 yd line. With the coaches opening up the playbook there was no stopping the Raiders offence. After a nice 15 yd pass to Sawyer the Raiders scored once again on a reverse Logan to Bryson for a 15 yd touchdown run. Payton to Bryson on the convert and again the Raiders had a 9-point lead 41-32. After a great kickoff by Logan the Eagles were pinned deep. On third and inches you guessed it, #3 ripped off another touchdown run. Convert good 41-39. Raiders responded once more with a 6 minute drive. Highlight catch by Sawyer for 20 yds gave the Raiders good field position. Some great runs up the middle set up a reverse Aidan A to Sawyer for a 35 yd touchdown run. Logan with the convert and we were up 48-39 with 1:58 sec left in the game. Looking good you would think but on the next play from scrimmage for the Eagles, #3 made it a 48-46 score with 1:45 left. With the fans biting their nails, all the Raiders needed to do now was hold on to the ball and get one first down. No worries!! Payton recovered the kickoff and on 3rd and 8 Payton found Sawyer on a 35 yd pass and run to seal the deal for the Raiders. Make the final RAIDERS 48 EAGLES 46. It was a heart stopper and the team deserved every bit of this victory with some great execution especially on the offence side of the ball – holding the ball for nearly 20 of the 24 minutes in the second half. Now how’s that for a Labour Day Classic!!!

Raiders Grey had another strong offensive and defensive outing on Saturday. Starting the game off a little sluggish (due to the heat) the team picked up their game on both sides of the ball shortly after the first series. After giving up a touchdown to the Mustangs off a lost fumble the offence turned around and marched down the field, capping off the drive with a touchdown by #48 Ryder Lewis (conversion made by #7 Logan Maroni). The defense held strong on the Mustang’s next possession and the offense ended up with great field position. On the next offensive series #12 Nate Anderson orchestrated a great drive, finishing it off with a guard around play to # 45 Jett Labossiere who ran in for the score (conversion made by #7 Logan Maroni).

In the second half we saw some more strong defensive play, limiting the Mustang’s to only one touchdown and stopping them on the conversion. Good tackling by the entire defense and some heads-up plays on short yardage kept their offense off the field for most of the half.  The offense continued to eat up chunks of yardage scoring two more times, one off of a kick-off returned by #61 Lewis Hartung and the other a nifty run by #48 Ryder Lewis. Every week we see our team getting better and better, incorporating the fundamentals that will allow them to be safe and successful in the sport of football. This week we saw two great halves of football with strong play in all three phases of the game. Great job boys!!!!!

First Quarter: It was a beautiful hot summer day and the Eastman Raiders opened the scoring when #30 (Oliver Peters) picked up a Nomads fumble on the second play of the game and ran the ball 45 yards for the Touchdown. The Raiders followed up with the convert. The Raiders completely dominated the game and proved to be more than what the Nomads expected. The next play after making the opening touchdown was the kick-off from the Raiders to the Nomads where the Raiders #52 (Graham Cruise) recovered the ball to gain possession. The offense took advantage and #32 (Jack Lenchyshyn) ran a 45 yard sweep for the Raiders 2nd touchdown but the Raiders were unable to convert. After the Nomads brief possession and 3rd down punt, the Raiders gained possession at the Nomads 50 yard line. The Raiders offense #31 (William Cruise) then ran the ball for the Raiders 3rd touchdown and subsequent convert. The Raiders were now leading by a score of 22 to 0. Now the Nomads gained possession of the ball but we’re not able to gain yards and tried a 3rd down punt. The Raiders #30 (Oliver Peters) returned the  ball back for the Raiders 4th touchdown. Unfortunately the Raiders were unable to complete the convert. The Raiders held the Nomads for no yards gained and required them to yet again try another 3rd down punt. The Raiders #51 (Tanner Breustadt) returned the ball to the Nomads 30 yard line. Then the Raiders #80 (Luyanda Magonya) ran the ball to the Nomads 5 yard line. The Raiders then unfortunately fumbled the ball and now gave the Nomads possession on their 3 yard line. The Raiders redeemed themselves however on the next play when the Nomads fumbled the ball in their end zone and Raiders #66 (Cyrus O’Connor) grabbed the ball for the Raiders 5th touchdown. This time the Raiders were able to complete the convert and now the score was 36 to 0. The Raiders then held the Nomads at their 45 yard line and again the Nomads were forced to a 3rd down punt. That was the end of the first quarter.

Second Quarter: The Nomads executed their punt attempt at the beginning of the quarter and again the Raiders returned the ball back to the Nomads 45 yard line.  The Nomads now had suffered several injuries and forfeited the rest of the game. The game started at 11:30 and ended at 12:05. Unfortunately it took longer for the Raiders to travel to the game than playing it.

1st Quarter
As we stepped out of our vehicles and walked towards the field, we all knew the heat was the winner here. It was a hot, humid sunny day. We started off with the ball but with 3 short tackles, by the Rods, we knew it would be a challenging game. The Rods fumbled their ball, we tackled for a 3rd and 4th down and our offense was out once again. We had another 2 short tackles by the Rods and started to think I was watching a ping pong match as the ball seemed to be switching teams just as fast. Then out of nowhere Evan had his chance and made a run to give as a first down when he was pushed out of bounds by the Rods. Kelbyn tried to keep the momentum going but was quickly tackled by the Rods. For a 2nd down but quickly brought us back to a first down on the next play. As the game went on The Rods got their first touchdown and ran the ball for the extra point. The Rods kicked and Zach V. made an awesome catch and was taken down at the 50 yrd line. Gabryal had a good, short run for a 2nd down and Jayden caught a great pass just short for a 3rd down. Zach Y. made an awesome attempt to run but The Rods just wouldn’t give him the chance and then out came the defense. Once the defense was out, Zach D. and Evan helped each other out to take down The Rods for a 1st down. Matthew made a quick work for The Rods when he made a tackle for a 2nd down. The Raiders tackled The Rods for a 3rd down but The Rods big guy #61, ran for a 1st down and was brought down by Matthew and Kelblyn. The Rods then fumbled and recovered the ball but Dominic D. brought him down. The Rods then snuck in their second touch down but could not make the run for a score of 0-13

2nd Quarter
The Rods kicked and made some quick tackles on our offense. Zach Y. was tackled for a 2nd and 3rd down. Zach H. got the ball and made a good run but was tackled for a switch.
#7 Rods was running pretty good and weaving through our guys until Mackenzie and Kelbyn took him down, and he was brought down again but this time, by Gabryal. Who was also brought down by #99 in the next play too! The Rods #95 fumbled the ball for a third down.
Mackenzie and Jayden teamed up and took down The Rods #85, who was injured and could not return to the game. Evan made short work of The Rods big guy #61 for a 2nd down. The Rods then stepped up their blocking long enough to allow their #17 to run in for a touch down, but did not make the run for the extra point for a score of 1-19.

3rd Quarter
The Rods made an illegal kick 1st down on the 55 yrd line. Jayden tried to run but was stopped for a 2nd down and the next play was the same but with Zach H. for a 3rd down. Zach V. made an awesome pass that was caught by Jayden but The Rods quickly worked to bring us down and then out came the defense. #99 Rods tried to run but was brought down by Kelbyn for a 2nd down. #99 Rods made a 1st down in the next play but Evan stopped him from going any further by pushing him out of bounds. Dominic R. stopped #99 Rods short for a 2nd down. #99 found a hole because he made a touch down and then followed it with a run for a score of 0-26. The Rods kick was caught by Zach V. but he was brought down by Rods #20. Jayden had a good run as his team mates did some good blocking for him to be able to make a 1st down. We then 3 short tackles which brought out our defense. Kelbyn made a great tackle on the #61 Big guy and the #7 Rods was making a good run until Dominic R. brought him down just before he was able to make a touch down. Gabryal made a great attempt the hold down #7 Rods but he was able to make a touch down to give a score of 0-30, The Rods also made the run. The Raiders offense came out just in time for half time.

Half Time
A break was what we needed, we made a couple 1st downs to give Zach Y. just what he needed when he ran in for our first touch down of the game. I think everyone felt the energy Zach Y. had going on when he scored. We had some good tackles, and some fumbles but it was not good enough to stop The Rods from making another touch down. Which made the score of 6-36 at the start of the 4th quarter.

4th Quarter
We had a couple good tackles made by Kelbyn and Caleb, Evan made an awesome stop of #7 for a turn over. We had a couple short runs and a fumble that was picked up by The Rods and we stopped them there. The defense came out and #61 Rods can in a touch down but have an incomplete run for a score of 6-36. The rods kicked the ball and It was grabbed by Zach V, and we had the 3 minutes warning. The Raiders made an attempt to pass but #91 Rods snatched it and went in for the touch down and followed it up with the run. The game ended with a 6-36 score but it was another learning experience for our team, who is looking up!

The Eastman Raiders Grey hosting the La Salle Lightning this past Saturday on what was a very hot and humid day. Both teams played extremely well in what was a defensive battle with only 1 touchdown being scored between both teams. The Raiders scored the only touchdown of the game on their first drive of the 2nd half, a 43 yard drive capped off by a 1 yard goal line plunge by #48 on 4th and 1. The ensuing extra point was successful after #7 shed several tackles before crossing the goal line. Both #48 and #7 ran for several yards this day with drives ending in turnovers as the Lightning defence forced fumbles. Defensively the Raiders racked up several sacks and solid tackles for losses and racked up 2 fumble recoveries. The boys put up a great effort on the day, especially given the temperature that day. Players of the game went to Ryder Lewis #48 on defense and Lewis Hartung #61 on offense.

The teal green wave continues to roll on home turf! The Eastman Raider bantams played the Corydon Comets on August 24 at AD Penner park in Steinbach. It was a humid Saturday morning with fairly strong breeze as the game began at 9 AM. Strong outside running and a hurry-up offense approach characterized the Raiders efforts in the first quarter. Their ground attack led to a touchdown run by #12 Austin Buhler. On the defensive side, #54 Dustin Erickson made a great touchdown-saving tackle stopping a long run by the Comet’s #32. Erickson also made a nice tackle on a flair pass and #37 Barrett Friesen had a wonderful tackle in the backfield. #32 Jack Lenchyshyn ran outside on a hurry-up offense play with the direct snap on a third and 11. It was a 45 yard rumble attacking from the left side of the formation. The first quarter ended with a 16-0 score. In the second quarter the Raiders #52 Graham Cruise had a punishing tackle on a kickoff return highlighting a solid defensive effort. #39 Kyle Giesbrecht-Martens had a punt return for a touchdown. After bobbling the ball at first he rambled 40 yards behind good blocking for the score. #51 Tanner Bruestedt had a great knockdown on a pass play stopping the Comet’s attack. Quarterback #12 Austin Bueller had a 19 yard keeper for a touchdown. The Raiders’ scoring was capped off in the first half by fantastic return for a touchdown by #30 Oliver Peters. With a determined effort, Peters returned a punt to the house by breaking several tackles. The first half ended with a score of 30-0.

In the second at half, the Raiders’ dominance continued with the defense providing pressure on the quarterback on passing plays. #31 Will Cruise scored a 30 yard touchdown on a beautiful center screen pass. #32 Jack Lenchychyn also scored two more touchdowns in the second half on a 21 yard pitch option play and on a 45 yard run. The defense tightened up even further In the second half. #34 Dakota Funk had several good tackles including a couple in the backfield for a loss. Funk displayed great sportsmanship helping the opposition player up after tackling him and also giving the ball to the referee after making a great defensive play. The point-after kicking unit led by #2 Eric Adams looked sharp making 6 of 9 attempts. Head coach Jesse Adams and the rest of the staff have the Bantam Raiders executing well as a team and playing some very good football at this point in the season. Final score 30-0.

1st Quarter

Raiders opened the game kicking off to the Comets. Raiders were close to recovering the kick but comets were very fortunate to pounce on it to give them the ball at their own 43 yard line. On the opening play of the game #5 carried the ball 67 yds for the comet touchdown. Convert attempt was unsuccessful thanks to a great tackle by Joshua .6-0. Not the start the Raiders were looking for on this sweltering day. Raiders took possession at their own 43 yard line but sputtered on offence going 3 and out giving the ball to the comets. Two great sacks one by Aiden B and the other by Cameron T put the Comets 3rd and long. Some sloppy tackling and a 43 yard run by #5 put the home side up 13-0. Things went from bad to worse with the Comets recovering the ensuing kickoff. Now the defense decided to come and play forcing the comets 3 and out with some great tackles from Anthony and Cole. Eastman took over and started moving the ball with Sawyer running for 25yds on a quarterback draw. A Roughing the passer call and the Raiders were looking good but 3 plays later they were intercepted giving the ball back to the comets.

2nd Quarter

A quick 3 and out with some great tackling by Cameron and the Raiders took over on downs. A great 25 yard run by Payton and the raiders were marching the ball once more. Unfortunately a few bad snaps saw the Raiders going the wrong way and the Comets took over on downs. Great tackling by Cameron, Cole and Mareanna saw the Comets go 3 and out. Eastman took the ball and after a huge loss Aidan A scampered for 15yds and fell short of the first down. After a first down the Comets go 3 and out with Cole making some superb tackles. With halftime quickly approaching the Raiders looked to get some points on the board. On 3rd down Payton on a quarterback draw gained 25 yards thanks to a bone crushing block by Sawyer. Again on 3rd down the Raiders gained another 12yards to put them on the comets 35yard line but unfortunately the whistle blew and that was the half with the comets up 13-0.

3rd Quarter

With defense humming right along it was up to the offence to make a game of this. The Raiders received the kick off and Cole pounced on it just in time to give the Raiders a first down at their own 45 yard line. 3 and out and the comets took over. The defense really stiffened in the 2nd half not allowing a first down with some great team tackling. Midway through the 3rd quarter saw Eastman strut their stuff. Mason gained 7yds on first down. After a 5 yard loss Sawyer electrified the visitors on a naked boot leg for a 45 yard gain. This set up the Raiders at the comet 7 yard line where Mason took over and ran for a 7 yd touchdown. With the convert good this made the score 13-7. Now things were getting interesting. Eastman threw an interception to end the quarter but were right back in it heading into the 4th

4th Quarter

Anthony was a wrecking machine in the final frame with several tackles for losses. On the Raiders first possession of the final frame they were looking to flip the field. After a 2 yard gain by Aiden B, Aidan A electrified the bench with 30 yard romp down to the Comets 20 yard line. Things were looking good but after a couple key injuries on the offence side of the ball Eastman couldn’t get past the Comets 13yard line and fell short of their comeback. After a slow start this bunch played some outstanding football and looked like the better team. A few blocks here and there and this game was theirs. Great effort all around in the sweltering heat.

#66 (Joshua) good tackle right off the kick, #5 (Austin) tackle after a pursuit #35 (Noah)good team work allowed him gain some yards, #5 touchdown with #35 getting the conversion. #50 (Devon) great kick with #66 getting the tackle at the 30yrd mark. Another tackle by #66 made the opposition not gain any yrds. #13 (Eric) great tackle after a pass play by the other team. #82 (Boston) made them loose additional yrds with the tackle. #82 recovered the ball off the kickoff and ran it to the endzone for a touchdown. #5 scored the conversion. #50 big tackle. #82 stopped them with a great tackle when they cameup the middle. #13 intercepted the ball on a pass play from the other team. #13 caught a pass and took it up the field for a touchdown. #13 diving tackle to get one that almost got away.

This past Saturday the Crunchers Grey visited the La Salle Lightning on a nice but windy day. The boys got off to a great start as #40 ran a nice play in for a touchdown. On the following series the defence stepped up and forced a turnover. The running game was working quite well as #45 and #40 combined on two great runs, resulting in another touchdown. La Salle got back into the game on a couple of great kickoff returns. The defence was working really hard and the work is starting to pay off as the boys are getting the hang of tackling. The secon half resulted in two more touchdowns by #40 and #45. The boys are really starting to work together as a team as the blocking on offence as really improved from those first couple games. They worked hard and are steadily improving each practice and game. Great work guys!

It was a “balmy day” at Raider field on Sunday, August 18. Although both the Peewee and Atom teams played in the rain, the Crunchers Black team battled against the Nomads in humid heat. Our defense hit the field first and great tackles were made by Austin, Gavin N.and Eric. Although the Nomads scored a touchdown, Boston stopped them from crossing the goal line for a conversion. The Raiders answered back, however, when Eric used the rockets in his shoes and returned the kickoff to score a TD. A great kick by Devon, and more great tackles were delivered by Eric, Austin and Gavin N. However, the Nomads get a big gain and score despite Austin’s “never give up” chase. The offense returns to the field and blocks effectively to allow Austin into the end zone to score the Raiders second major. After another great kick by Devon, Joshua recovers a fumble that brings the offense back on the field. Noah runs the ball in for another touchdown and Eric runs in for the conversion. After Boston loses a tooth in his mouth guard, the Raiders run to the bench for a well deserved half-time break in this blistering heat!

The second half is all Raiders…scoring touchdowns with nice carries by Noah and Austin. However, the Raider defense also did their part by keeping the Nomads to 1 touchdown and scoring their own touchdown when Devon forced a fumble and Gavin N. ran into the end zone. The game ended with Eric running in for a convert. Strong team game, Raiders! Great job! Go Raiders Go!

It was a far cry from a “balmy day” at Raider field on Sunday, August 18. The Atom Black Raiders proved they were not to be affected by the weather as they battled the rain and the Nomads. Teddy was handed the ball to run for a first down and landed us up in great field position. Then Sawyer ran in for a touchdown to put the Raiders up on the scoreboard early in the first quarter. Teddy was then given a second opportunity to cross the goal line and succeeded. 7-0 Raiders. Logan then made a short kick with Aidan recovering the ball – Raider ball! After another touchdown scored by the Raiders, Logan made another amazing short kick that was again recovered by the Raiders! This time the Nomads made it more difficult for the Raiders to get into the end zone, but a couple of great throws were made by QB Payton. By the end of the first quarter, the Raiders led 20-0.

In the second quarter the Raider defense continued to do a fantastic job of keeping the Nomads from getting a first down. Blasting tackles by Cole and Anthony brought our offense back on the field where carries by Mason and Bryson made it possible for the Raiders to score their 4th major. As it began to pour, Cole recovered a fumble to bring our offense back on the field. Payton and Bryson made carries to cross the goal line one more time. With another great kick by Logan and a 3 and out defensive stance by Joshua, Anthony, Cole, Logan, Brady, Corbin, Aiden Jonah and Cameron….the Raiders offense returned to the field. Great blocking by the offense consisting of Aidan, Noah, Mason, Teddy, Payton and Bryson made it possible for the Raiders to score.

Unfortunately, thunder, lightning and pouring rain caused the game to called near the end of the second quarter. Final score 30 – 0. Another great game, Raiders! Another great team effort! You proved that weather won’t stop you! Way to go!

Our game started with a kick off by Cazden that was
stopped quickly by our defense  With a tackle by Asher, our boys
pushed the Mustangs into their end zone for a safety.   Our offence
came out with a good run by Gavin. We had a bit of a fumble that was
quickly recovered. A couple of great hand offs by Kian and a few good
runs by Gavin and Bauer.  Our defense came out strong with a kick by
Jerome, with a great tackle by Jerome and Treyton.   Mikka followed
it up with 2 beautiful sacks, causing a fumble that Treyton
recovered.  Mikka came up to help our offence by taking down 2 opponents
making sure that Bauer had plenty of room to run, making a touch
down. We didn’t get the convert.

Our defense came out with a kick by Noah, an amazing
tackle by Treyton, another tackle by Cazden, and our defence working
together to keep the Mustangs offence scrambling. Just before the
half, our offence tried a few passes, the first missing, and the
second starting with a hand off from Kian to Bauer who passed it to Gavin.

Asher started the second half with the kick, with
Bauer stopping the Mustangs return with a tackle.  Noah stopped the
next run by forcing his Mustang opponent out of bounds. The Mustangs
finished up their drive with a touchdown, but Asher came in with a
tackle to prevent the Mustang convert.  After a bit of a scramble
Cazden returned the Mustang kick, followed by a couple runs by Gavin,
and a  touchdown pass from Bauer to Gavin. No Convert.  Kean`s kick
return was  quickly stopped by Treyton and Mikka, and our boys
recovering the fumble. With Bauer quickly recovering our own fumble,
he had a clear path up the middle of the field for a touchdown.  Even
with Gavin working so hard and trying to keep pushing his way through
we didn`t get the convert.  Our defense came back with a couple more
tackles by Cazden, our offence helped  Bauer with another touchdown,
no convert. Another great game played by our boys!

Crunchers Black kicked off the first half and on the first Eagles drive the ball was intercepted by #50 Devon and ran in for a TD. This was quickly followed up by a convert from #5 Austin. Following the Raiders kick off, a big tackle from #5 Austin prevented the Eagles from gaining a first down. Two plays later the Eagles fumbled and the ball was recovered by #5 Austin. From this turnover #5 Austin ran in for his second TD of the game. This time the convert was scored by #35 Noah. On the next Eagles drive the ball was again intercepted by #50 Devon who was run out of bound preventing his second score of the game. On the next drive #5 Austin ran in for another TD, and the convert was made by #35. The ensuing kickoff was recovered by the Raiders and on this drive #35 Noah ran in for a TD and #5 Austin for the convert.

The Raiders kicked off the second half and with Eagles moving the ball up the field another big tackle this time from #63 Gavin H prevented what would have been a certain TD. This broke up the Eagles play and the ball was turned over on downs. On the next drive the Raiders #35 Noah ran 40 yards to score his second TD of the game, with #5 Austin running in the convert. Following the kick of the Raiders defense forced a turnover on down deep in Eagles territory from which #13 Eric ran in for a TD; however the Eagles blocked the convert attempt this time round. Again following the kickoff the Eagles got some momentum going but a last ditch tackle from #55 Gavin N prevented the Eagles from scoring on the very last play of the game.

Good Job Raiders.

A cloudy cool morning greeted the eager players and bleary eyed fans as the Eastman Raider Bantams rolled into Charleswood to play the Broncos. The first half of the game was characterized by solid run the play by the Raiders. #31 Will Cruise and #32 Jack Lenchychyn both had long rushes for touchdowns behind solid team blocking. Quarterback #12 Austin Buehler also rambled for several runs including two touchdowns in the first half. One interception by Buehler was the only setback in an otherwise impressive first half offensively. The defense look spectacular with their run stopping force often provided by several players tackling the running back together. An interception by number #80 Luganda Mongolia for 35 yards run back for a touchdown was another defensive highlight. Pick six baby!  Special teams were very solid at both ends of the ball and the first half ended with a score of 36-0 in favor of the of the Raiders

In the second-half, the sun came out and the Raiders continued their domination on both sides of the ball. The Broncos mounted a couple of drives but the Raiders defense did not break even though assessed several penalties. The Raiders produced one touchdown score in the second half, a 60 yard run by #33 Tyler Bueckert. The Raiders were comfortable moving the ball and the defense and special teams played very well. The shut-out victory for the Raiders was characterized by swarm tackles, tackles in the backfield, and great special teams play. The offense displayed solid run blocking and ability to spread the ball around to different offensive weapons.

It was a cool, foggy morning when the Pee Wee Eastman Raiders’ parents drove their athletes to the field. It was an exciting morning because this was it — our first regular season game. Our first game against the newly amalgamated Corydon Comets. So, here’s how it went: