Once again, it was warmer than we thought it would be. The wind hadn’t picked up at all and therefore, it was calmer than most of us parents. Actually, the entire atmosphere was positive and we were all looking forward to a good game — and that’s what we saw!!

Our offence started off quickly after a short pass ended with a 60 yard run and touchdown for the Raiders!! (Raiders 6 Falcons 0) But just as quickly, they handed off to their #8 and they found our end zone too. (Raiders 6 Falcons 6) Now, it seemed both sides were ready to settle in and just play. A 20 yard throw and HUGE YAC yards – touchdown Raiders!! (Raiders 12 Falcons 6) A sweet kick went well through the uprights (Raiders 14 Falcons 6) A spinning kick off and speed by us caused a fumble and we recovered — ball to the Raiders. Although, a quick fumble by us and the defence went to work. They got the ball back for us on downs and after some hard work up the middle by our offence, we broke outside and a huge run resulted in another touchdown. (Raiders 20 Falcons 6) The kick was good for two. (Raiders 22 Falcons 6) A spiral to the left and a reach into the end zone — another score for us!! (Raiders 28 Falcons 6) The snap was on the money, a quick hold and the kick was GOOD! (Raiders 30 Falcons 6) The offence showed some great scrambling ability and the defence stood strong to finish the 1st half.

We started the 2nd half with a kick — they bobbled and we recovered — offence was quickly on the field again. A short yard pouch and run and the touchdown was ours (Raiders 36 Falcons 6) A nice long kick by us but a reverse hand-off to their #8 and away he went – touchdown Falcons (Raiders 36 Falcons 12) A slow high kick eventually got through the uprights – another 2 for them. (Raiders 26 Falcons 14) Offence got to work and on a high toss, we won the battle and ran it into the end zone. (Raiders 42 Falcons 14) Under pressure – the kick was STILL good! (Raiders 44 Falcons 14) The Falcons poured it on a little in the 3rd quarter as #8 jukes and jived his way into the end zone (Raiders 44 Falcons 20) Their convert was good. (Raiders 44 Falcons 22) Some missed tackles in our backfield and away went #8 again. (Raiders 44 Falcons 28) A high kick again – 2 for them. (Raiders 44 Falcons 30) When our defence went out again… they were determined that their scoring was going to stop and it did… a SERIOUS stop by our defence at a crucial time and the offence came back roaring with… yep… a touchdown! (Raiders 50 Falcons 30) A well oiled convert machine was in motion – and it was 2 more points for us. (Raiders 52 Falcons 30) A perfect onside kick, recovery by us, ball back to the Raiders!! Great work by the offensive linemen all game — and now, at the end, they opened up a hole to walk through — a big time 1st down!! Then, some twists and turns and into the end zone we went. (Raiders 58 Falcons 30) A fitting end to a well fought game? The convert… was… GOOD!! (Raiders 60 Falcons 30)

Well done boys! We were challenged and we felt the pressure and that is the BEST thing that could have happened. They have prepared us for what is to come. We will not always win by such a margin… we can’t expect it anymore… but if we trust our training and simply play this like any other game — as hard as we can — we will be just fine!! There is no magic to winning — just giving absolutely everything you have on every single play — that’s all. The good news is… that’s all you need… oh, and wanting it with everything in you. Respect your opponents — never fear them. Do the work on your side of the field and the score will take care of itself. ONE PLAY AT A TIME! We believe in you. Our confidence in your effort is unwavering – we have seen it all season. We are proud of you and are looking forward to cheering our hearts out on Saturday!! GO RAIDERS GO!!!
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It was a sunny day… a new day… the first day for playoff football – 2014! We finished first after the regular season… they finished 8th… but today, we started the game at 0-0… in every way. It’s the playoffs… a new season… and every play counts. Good thing for us… our boys made it count today and here’s how it went.

We landed on the first kick off and offence took to the field. We kept the ball on the ground and marched down the field using all of our tools. It was a hard run up the middle that found us in the end zone for the first time on this day. (Raiders 6 Nomads 0) A quick snap, hold and kick that just cleared the cross bar. (Raiders 8 Nomads 0) Next came fast feet, turning the corner and in we go – touchdown! (Raiders 14 Nomads 0) The kick was good again. (Raiders 16 Nomads 0) A 30 yard throw was caught and resulted in a massive gain. They got their hands on our next pass but the defense held them where they started from and the ball was back to us. One quick play and it was another touchdown. (Raiders 22 Nomads 0) The kick was good. (Raiders 24 Nomads 0) A speedy blitz by TK and down came the runner, out came the ball, a fumble recovery by Dokken and GO offence!! A quick pass, catch and run and SCORE RAIDERS! (Raiders 30 Nomads 0) Four runs in a row and a push to the end zone – touchdown CALEB!!

The 2nd half began and it was a steady march up the field. The QB kept the ball and yep, we were end zone bound!! Strong defense caused a fumble and recovery for us – and our offence was in great field position again. Dylan carried the ball like a pro – right into the end zone!! Touchdown Raiders! And to top it all off – the convert kick was good.

Round 1 of the playoffs – DONE – the Pee Wee Raiders are off to Round 2. The teams will get tougher but so will we. We are ready for Round 2 – whoever it brings. We will take care of our side of the field and work harder than ever this week to make sure we are prepared to not only play well but also have fun doing it! We will give it our all – and that’s what matters!! Well done boys!! We are so proud of you!!

It was early, it was cold, and the expectation was that this would be our toughest game of the season… and from how it started… it looked like it was going to come true.

The whistle blew, we kicked it and their #99 had one thing in mind – getting into our end zone. He was off to the races and we didn’t stop him – so, he reached his target… touchdown Patriots (Raiders 0 Patriots 6) The convert was blocked and the score stayed. They kicked off next and a huge return by TB got our offence into great field position. A high “wobbler in the wind” landed in our receiver’s hands – TOUCHDOWN. (Raiders 6 Patriots 6) An offside by us took us 5 yards back but it was no problem as the convert flew through the uprights with ease. (Raiders 8 Patriots 6) A smart short kick followed, and a big tackle caused a fumble – recovery Raiders!! Some great defense on our side caused them to punt and a great catch and run into the end zone by TK got the crowd cheering… BUT… it was called back and the offence went to work. A throw and catch after a bit of a bobble resulted in 6 more points for us. (Raiders 14 Patriots 6) Great snap, hold and kick under pressure! (Raiders 16 Patriots 6) Another fumble and recovery by us got the ball right back to us. After a few tries up the field, some short runs up the middle and a throw – we sprinted to the end zone – TOUCHDOWN RAIDERS!! (Raiders 22 Patriots 6) The snap was on the money, hold in place and kick through followed by a fist pump – securing 2 more points. (Raiders 24 Patriots 6) Huge pressure on the quarterback directly resulted in a TK interception and the ball was back to us.

The second half continued with unbelievably tough defense. An interception by Alex got the offence going again. A 30 yard toss, catch and run was next and a-marching we went! The defense held them “1st down-less” for 3 complete quarters! A diving tackle and down they came. Some tough blocking by the O-line for a gain up the middle – FIRST DOWN! And then, defense held them exactly as they were supposed to and it was GAME OVER. Well done Raiders!!

So… we finish the regular season an undefeated team. 8 and 0 is a pretty sweet record and you should hold your heads high. But hold them high for only a few days and then, dig deep, work hard, play one play at a time, and never, ever, ever, let up. NEVER think it’s going to be easy. We have a brand new season to start now – it’s called the playoffs. We’re all at 0-0 now and the sky’s the limit!! Go get ‘em Raiders!! You have the tools to do it – now just BELIEVE IT!! ONE STEP AT A TIME and the Nomads are the first item on our to-do list. HERE WE COME! GO RAIDERS!!

A chilly 5 degrees Celsius at game time as the Raiders took on the Thunder for the last regular season game.
The game began with the Raiders receiving the opening kickoff and ended up starting at their own 50. The Interlake defense only gave up a few yards as Cazden and Gavin had short gains. The Raiders punted and Interlake began at their own 35.

Strong tackling by Stephen, Brayden, and Evan led to Interlake punting the ball back to Eastman. Brody returned that punt all the way back to the Thunder 5 yard line! Anthony managed to rush to the 1 yard line before being stopped. Unfortunately the next play was a Raiders fumble. That combined with the Raiders first penalty put the ball in the Thunder ‘ s possession on their own 15. 2 Strong defences and an interception by Evan highlighted the rest of the first quarter. At the end of 1st quarter a zero zero tie.

The 2nd quarter started with the Raiders with the ball on Interlake ‘ s 45. The Thunder defense kept Eastman from getting any significant gains. The Raiders turned the ball over on downs but a fumble recovery by Jerome gave Eastman the ball right back. The big play on offense in the 2nd quarter was a long run by Mikka. Any yards gained by either offense were hard fought. Danic, Bauer, Cazden, Anthony and Gavin had limited gains but at halftime it was still a scoreless game.

Record breaking hot chocolate sales were reported from the canteen at halftime.
The Raiders kicked the ball off to start the third quarter. The Raiders defense started things off with a renewed determination. Brayden, Damon and Stephen made some nice tackles and of course Evan and Jerome can always be counted on to stop the opposition in their tracks. Interlake ‘ s defense continued their strong play and at the end of 3 quarters still no scoring.

In the final quarter the Raiders finally had put together a drive with some tough runs from Cazden and Danic but ended up punting again. A long punt return by Interlake almost resulted in the first score. The Raiders defense shut the door the rest of the way and make the final Raiders 0 Thunder 0.

FIRST HALF

In a sloppy, breezy, rainy and cool Portage morning, keeping a grip on the football proved quite difficult. The ground game became paramount for both teams and in the end, the home team came out the victors.

Portage #15 scored a 32-yard TD with 1:49 left in the first quarter to put the home side up 6-0 (failed PA).

Eastman would quickly respond before the end of the first quarter with a 40-yard toss to #28 to take the lead 8-6. That unfortunately would be the only lead Eastman would have on this chilly morning.

Midway through the second quarter, Portage would respond with a 40-yard play to bring the home side up 14-8 at the half.

SECOND HALF

The second half resulted in little offensive punch leaving the defense on the field for the Raiders too long and in the end surrendered to more majors to the home side by #81 to make the final 28-8.

The Eastman Raiders (3-4) face the Eastside Eagles (2-5) in Winnipeg for their final regular season game at 7:30 pm on Friday, October 3rd.

It was a sunny, hot day and I’m not complaining but MAN was it HOT!!!! And a large percentage of Eastman Raiders families were prepared to attend the Bomber game with jeans and sweatshirts in hand. NOT needed at this game – that’s for sure!! But… we must remember that we will be missing the warm weather when the real COLD games come so, we were thankful.

On to the game: The heat didn’t seem to slow the boys down – even in all of their equipment. A huge run back to start the game gave the offence great field position. We faced a tough defense and our defense got busy. Super pressure, a blocked kick by Tank and we were on the attack again. After our defense stopped them in their tracks, the offence found the end zone and crossed the goal line. (Raiders 6 Coyotes 0) The cross bar defended the kick nicely and no extra points were scored on this one. After a constant march down the field, a 40 yard reception for a touchdown!! (Raiders 12 Coyotes 0) A sweet snap, hold and SCORE! (Raiders 14 Coyotes 0) A second blocked punt by Tank and good field position was once again ours. Our defense stopped them again and off we go. A super catch and some serious YAC yards by Troy came next. A hand off and a hard run resulted in another touchdown for us. (Raiders 20 Coyotes 0) Snap, hold, kick – voila – 2 points! (Raiders 22 Coyotes 0) Great variety on offence and a throw, run and dive and in we go!! (Raiders 28 Coyotes 0) Sweet kick for another 2. (Raiders 30 Coyotes 0) The first half ended with their running back getting Dokkened and went down, and the very next tackle – yep, Dokkened and yep – off the field they went.

The second half began with a good drive but we didn’t quite find the end zone but… guess what? Defense did!! Pick 6 – score!! A spiraling snap, quick hold and the kick is good!! A quarterback sneak with a great push forward by Aidan got us a short yards touchdown. Their running back got a little “Rile’d” up… get it? (Deb Rueckert gets the credit for that one) and a tough catch and run, Dylan slammed through the middle for a gain and Cameron stood strong with the ball. A fitting end to the game was a strong stand by the defense. We finished like we started – SOLID!!

Well done Raiders!! Valour is up next and we begin that journey at practice. One play at a time and we will be OK!!! GO RAIDERS GO!!

A warm day, but the clouds were threatening and sure enough, by half time, we were all getting soaked… good thing the Raiders made it a quick game and played well.

We started off the game with a high kick and defence got to work.We got a bit of an awakening when their #30 got away on us and found a path right to our end zone… BUT… a delay of game penalty brought it back. A blocked punt by us and the ball was back in our hands. A good fake hand off and we ran into the end zone. (Raiders 6 Interlake 0) A solid snap, hold and kick and we added 2 points to our side. (Raiders 8 Interlake 0) Defence didn’t take long to make their mark — a massive tackle caused a fumble and offence was back on. Super blocking to protect the quarterback and the pass was completed. Touchdown! (Raiders 14 Interlake 0) The convert was good for TWO. (Raiders 16 Interlake 0) The defence dominated. A huge tackle and “rip” and the offence went back to work. A sweet fake and strong run up the left side for 6 more points. (Raiders 22 Interlake 0) 2 for the kicker came next. (Raiders 24 Interlake 0) One of the highlights of the game certainly was the 30 yard throw and diving catch to gain some serious yards! Well done. Defence showed huge pressure when they returned to the field and off of the kick off, we cheered TB down the sidelines as he ran the ball all the way back for a touchdown….. BUT…. an illegal block on our part called it back. The good news is, offence still got the ball and moved the sticks. A 45 yard run got us a first down we really needed, and a huge touchdown catch and SCORE! (Raiders 30 Interlake 0) And yes, the snap was bang on, the hold was quick and the kick, once again, solid! 2 more for us. The story continued with a long march down the field, some short passese, a couple of hard short runs, some scrambling and 6 points were ours. Another picture perfect kick to add 2 more. The end of the story was the defence breaking through causing them to fumble the ball… and Caleeb, Dylan and more getting their turn to run with the ball and doing us proud!!

Yes… we ended this football outing completely soaked… but with a convincing win… completely worth it! GO RAIDERS GO!!

Crunchers Black vs Transcona Nationals…in the driving rain!

Kean kicks off the game for the Raiders, 10 yards. On Transconas first down, #88, Jett makes the tackle. On their next play, the nationals run the length of the field, scoring a touch down. On their convert attempt, Jett pushes the national player out of bounds. No convert.

The raiders receive the kickoff with Kean starting at quarterback. On first down, he hands off to Jett for a 15 yd run. On the next play, Kean (#40), hands off to #35, Brody, who is able to get 5 yds before being tackled. On 2nd down, Kean fumbles the ball with Kyle, (#13) falling on it. Great save! Kean hands off to #88, for a 5 yd run. Not enough for the first down, so raiders turn over the ball.

Transcona goes 4 and out as well and the raiders get the ball back. On first down, 88 receives the handoff and is tackled for a loss. On 2nd down, Kean is tackled, also for a loss of 3 yds. Transconas defence was on fire! On 3rd down, raiders quarterback hands off to Dylan, #82, and he runs for 7 yards. On the last play of the half, kean hands off to #99, Braysen, who runs 10 yards!

#69, Denver, kicks off the second half for the raiders. The nationals come out strong, with a touchdown. #82, Dylan, receives the kickoff. On our first offensive series, #18, Sam handsoff to Kyle. #14, who runs 10 yards. On 2nd down, Sam complete the pass to Jett who runs for 13 yards! On the next 1st down play, Sam hands off to Jett who is tackled for a loss. On 2nd down, he passes to Dylan(#82) for a 4 yd gain. Jett runs the ball on the next play for a gain of 11 yds. On 4th down, Sam hands off to Braysen, (#99) who is tackled for the loss. Turnover on downs!

To finish the game, the transcona nationals march down the field. It was hard game, in the cold and rain, but the boys played together as a team! Good job boys!

On Sunday, September 21, our cruncher team was able to represent the Raiders at the Rifles game at Investors Group field. The boys had a blast! They were able to go down onto the field for the introductions of the players and at half time, they played a mini game against the North Winnipeg Nomads. It was a beautiful day for football, and an experience unlike no other for the boys!

Captains 9/25 and 50 joined the coin toss, with a kick-off to Raiders to start the game. Kickoff was picked up by 60 for a good run. Our quarterback 42 handed off to 50 for a TD and an early lead. Another handoff to 11 for the convert, assisted by great blocking from 9.

25 kicked off with their receiver chased out of bounds. Their pass attempt was stopped by a tackle from 25. 48 and 61 tackled for 3rd down. On the next play, pass was intercepted by 44, and it was Raiders ball again.

A pair of hand-offs to 11 and then to 50 earned another 1st down. A successful pass to 50, followed by a hand-off to 11, and it was another touchdown Raiders. Great blocking by 20 during the hand-off to 50 lead to another convert.

A kickoff by 44 and the run was stopped by 66. A great tackle by 90 lead held them back. 61, 88 and 90 held them solid with a near interception by 44, to bring it back to Raiders ball.

A pass to 50 was successful for a good run, and a first down hand off to 11 earned another Raiders touchdown. 50 ran in the handoff for another convert. A quick kickoff by 88 was received and stopped by 48 to end the first half.

61 Kicked off the second half with 25 and 88 assisting on the tackle. Another tackle by 88 and a sack by 25 setup the 4th down where 90 recovered a fumble and ran for the touchdown. 42 handed off to 11 for a successful convert.

Another kickoff was held through 4 downs to give the ball back to the Raiders. A handoff to 50 produced another touchdown but an unsuccessful convert attempt.

A kickoff from 90 was stopped near its landing. A strip by 25 was run in for another Raiders TD with an unsuccessful convert.

A kickoff from 25 was stopped by him and 48. The next play produced their opponents only TD with a close race by the Raiders with 25 near missing at the goal line. The raiders held them for an unsuccessful convert.

A great game with good efforts by the entire team and lots of skills shown including passing plays. Great job coaches and players.

kick off to raiders other team gets ball tackled by #9
tyler howe 1st down tackle by 50 gavin neufeld 2nd down tackle by
#11 jace waytowich fumble raiders ball 1st down# 25 asher fehr
handoff to 90 raylund ross no gain 2nd down 25 asher fehr handoff to
# 48 mason funk no gain 3rd down #25 asher fehr handoff to #90raylund
ross who ran for a touchdown kickoff to other team tackie done by#
11jace woytowich 1st down ot tackle by#9 tyler howe #11 jace
woytowich and #48 mason funk for no gain 2nd down tackle by#11 jace
woytowich small gain but got 1st down again tackle by # 9 tyler howe
and #25 asher fehr 2nd down tackle by #11 jace woytowich #60 Dylan
godlewski and #20 blake sproule 3rd down tackle by #25 asher fehr and
#11 jace woytowich on raiders goal line 4th down ot runs for a
touchdown kickoff to raiders ot gets the ball tackle by #11jace
woytowich 1st down ot intercept by #50 gavin neufeld raiders 1st down
run by #90 raylund ross no gain halftime kickoff to raiders ot gets
ball tackle by #11 jace woytowich 1st down tackle by #50 gavin
neufeld and #20 blake sproule no gain 2nd down intercept by # 11 jace
woytowich raiders ball 1st down raiders a fumble gives ot the ball 1st
down ot tackle by #11 jace woytowich and #50 gavin neufeld 2nd down
ot incomplete pass 3rd down ot runs for a touchdown convert good
kickoff to raiders 1st down run by #90 rayiund ross small gain 2nd
down run by #88 hunter fehr big gain 1st down run by # 90 raylund ross
for a touchdown convert no good kickoff to ot tackle by#50 gavin
neufeld 1st down ot tackle made by #50 gavin neufeld and #60 Dylan
godlewski no gain 2nd down tackle made by # 50 gavin neufeld and # 60
Dylan godlewski no gain 3rd down tackle made by #61 Judah reamer no
gain end of game

It was a rain soaked afternoon when the Eastman Raiders Black team took to the field at Rods field. The game began with the Raiders receiving the kickoff and starting the drive at their own 30 yard line. The Raiders moved the ball down the field smartly with some nice runs from Cazden, Anthony, Gavin and Evan. The drive was stalled at the Rods 45 yard line due to a fumble. However St James gave the ball back on the very next play with a fumble of their own. Then Cazden provided the longest run of all setting the Raiders up at the 10 yard line. Evan finished things off with a good outside run to give Eastman the lead. The offensive line really stood tall in blocking to set up the first score. The convert was missed but at the end of 1 quarter is was Raiders 6-Rods 0.

The 2nd quarter was highlighted by some strong tackling by Jerome/Evan/Stephen and Cazden. The Raiders drove the ball down the field to the Rods 20 yard line before they ended up having to punt. As a result of the punt the Rods were pinned on their own 10 yard line. But on the Rods very next play #9 for the Rods got to the outside and went the distance for St James first points of the game. Strong defence by both sides made the half time score 6-6.

To start the 2nd half the Raiders kicked off to St James and the Rods put together a drive of their own to score the go ahead touchdown. St James managed to get the 1 point convert with a rush to the outside. There was’nt much more by the offences from there and at the end of 3 quarters the Rods led 13-6.

In the fourth quarter the Raiders offence put up a good effort driving it down the field with runs from Evan, Cazden, and Gavin before Danic ran the ball in to score the Raiders 2nd touchdown with just under 6 minutes left in the game. The convert was missed and it was Rods 13 Raiders 12. The Raiders defence worked hard the rest of the way but the Rods managed a long run to score their 3rd touchdown. St James made the convert and with 2 minutes remaining the Rods had a 20-12 lead. Unfortunately the Raiders were unable to put together another drive and the game ended Rods 20-Raiders 12.

It was a chilly Saturday morning when The Eastman Raiders black team took the field in Transcona against the Nationals.

The game began with the Raiders kicking off to the Nationals. Transcona began with the ball around their own 40 yard line. The Raiders defence started strong with some good tackles by Jerome and Evan. Then Evan followed that up with a fumble recovery. The Raiders offence then drove the ball down the field led by some strong running by Cazden and got as far as the Nationals 30 yard line before being stopped. Some more good defence from the Raiders and a holding penalty against Transcona led them to punt it back to the Raiders. The Raiders offence once again drove down the field starting at their own 40. Bauer, Isaiah and Evan had some nice runs before Cazden finished off the drive with a touchdown run. Stephan used a solid kick to make the convert and the Raiders were off an running with an 8-0 lead. The rest of the 1st quarter was dominated by the swarming Raider defence and transcona penalties. At the end of 1st quarter Raiders 8 Nationals 0. The 2nd quarter started with the Raiders having the ball on their own 20 yard line. Cazden moved the ball down the field smartly with a good run led by strong blocking from his teammates. Jerome then made a great block that sprung Mikka loose as he rumbled down the field for Eastman’s 2nd touchdown. The convert was missed and it was 14-0 Raiders. The Raiders defence continued to dominate the 1st half with strong tackling from Dominic, Jerome, Stephan and Evan. Eastman offence drove down the field again led by runs from Jerome, Cazden and Bauer and good blocking from Anthony. Danic then snuck into the endzone and gave the Raiders a 20-0 lead and the convert made it 22-0. The Raiders kept the Nationals off the scoreboard and the first half ended 22-0 for the Raiders.

In the 2nd half the Raiders received the kickoff and started things off at their own 45 yard line. Eastman used some solid running plays from Mikka, Cazden, Isaiah, and Evan to move down to Nationals 10 yard line before the Transcona defence stopped them. Penalties and defence dominated the 3rd quarter before the Nationals offence used a long run from #49 and made it Raiders 22-Nationals 6 after the convert was missed. So after 3 quarters the Raiders held onto the 22-6 lead. The fourth quarter was highlighted by an interception by Jerome and some much needed tackles from Cazden, Danic and Jerome to keep the Transcona team from scoring any more points and make the final Raiders 22 Nationals 6.

The sun was peaking through the clouds, the wind was doing a good job of reminding us that it’s fall and there were some BIG boys on the Nomads side — and we were ready to go. Well… not EVERYONE was ready to go… a few injured players didn’t suit up today, which was going to make the game even more of a challenge… and the Raiders were ready for it.

After a couple of powerful runs by the Nomads, a dropped ball and recovery by us and the ball was ours. Quickly, a 60 yard run resulted in a touchdown!! (Raiders 6 Nomads 0) Followed by a snap, hold and a new kicker — no problem — 2 points! (Raiders 8 Nomads 0) Super pressure by our defensive line and down came their runner – ball back to us. Great blocking bot us way down the field. Some big boys got running for the Nomads and a hard fought battle down the field, they found the end zone (Raiders 8 Nomads 6) Hard work up the middle and then a 40 yard toss, a super grab and 6 more points for us!! (Raiders 14 Nomads 6) Another kick through the uprights finished off that scoring drive. (Raiders 16 Nomads 6) The defense just got stronger and stronger and after a measure — it was a turn over on downs — AWESOME STOP!! A short turn by offense and defense returned with the Nomads in scoring position but after their #42 got “Dokkened” it ended up being a crucial stop near the end zone. Offence got into the action again and we ended the half with a short pass and huge YAC yards for a massive 1st down.

The offence started us off in the 2nd half. Some great plays kept moving the sticks. An awesome fake and a great sell on the hand off and we were off to the end zone. (Raiders 22 Nomads 6) 3 for 3 on the converts and we had 2 more points. (Raiders 24 Nomads 6) Defense figured out the run but a long pass moved the sticks for the Nomads this time. They were knocking on the door but the defence closed it big time! 2 huge stops and a crushing blitz and the ball was back to us. Offence stepped on to the field and after a bobbled ball – we landed on it in our end zone – a safety gave them a couple. (Raiders 24 Nomads 8) A huge swat on the pass and a recovery to boot and the ball was ours — come on Raiders!! A 25 yard objectionable conduct on the Nomads’ coach helped our march continue down the field. Some quarterback and running back variety and we found the end zone again. (Raiders 30 Nomads 8) The ball hit the cross bar on the convert… “missed by that much”. Defence decided to put an excalmation point on their unbelievable performance and a HUGE interception, some outstanding blocking and a long run to the end zone certainly did that!! (Raiders 36 Nomads 8) And you guessed it — even with a bit of a low snap — the kick squeaked through — final score Raiders 38 Nomads 8.

Well done boy!! Some adversity going into this game. The Nomads are a great team with some unbelievable size… but our bigs boys took on their big boys and there was no looking back. We were great on both sides of the ball but our defense had to stop the big boys and they did that in a determined, stifling manner. Coach Joe will be sorry he missed this one — but will be thrilled with the result and how we got there!! GO RAIDERS GO!!!

FIRST QUARTER

The first quarter featured Eastman #16 run for a touchdown to make it 6-0 (missed point after). Portage responded with a major five minutes later with a pass from #27 to #71 to go up 8-6.

SECOND QUARTER

Both teams traded possession of the ball until Eastman #16 found Eastman #2 through the air for a big gain to the Portage 5-yard line. The very next play Eastman #16 called his own number to give the Raiders the lead again 16-8.

With just over a minute to go, Eastman #16 found his favourite target Eastman #2 for another big gain. Two plays later, Eastman #16 punches it into go up 22-8 over the Pitbulls.

Not to be outdone, the Pitbulls kept pace with no time left on the clock with a 48-yard pass from Pitbulls #27 to #81 to close the first half within a converted touchdown, 22-14.

THIRD QUARTER

The Portage Pitbulls came out of half time with three big plays to march down the field however were eventually shutdown by the Raiders defense. That allowed Eastman #16 to run nearly untouched down the left sideline 61 yards for the major to make it 28-14 (missed PA).

Portage responded on the very next possession with a 59-yard pass from Portage #27 to Portage #81 to close the gap once again 28-22.

Portage took over the ball after the Raiders were forced to punt the ball and thought they had a touchdown which was called back after an unnecessary roughing penalty was called. Two plays later, Eastman #52 picked an errant pass to give the Raiders great field position going into the final quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER

The final quarter featured more turnovers than a bake sale by both teams.

Both teams were adamant at throwing the ball into the opposition’s hands. Undoubtedly, Portage finally took advantage with Portage #81 running 32 yards into the end zone to tie the game 28-28 with 6:43 to play.

Once again, both teams felt the need to cough up the ball to the other team. This time however, Eastman #16 found Eastman #30 in the flat who ran it in to make it 34-28 with two minutes remaining on the clock.

The Pitbulls marched down the field on the very next possession, however with 40 seconds to go, Eastman #22 sealed the victory with an interception to seal the victory.

After a shaky start, the Eastman Raiders (Bantam Sunday) improve to 2-3 and face the Greendell Falcons at A.D. Penner Park next week (Sunday, September 21st) at 10:00 am.

The game begins with a big kick from Eastside, picked up by #42 (Zachary Vogt) at the 40 yrd line. #25 (Asher Fehr) receives the ball and gains first down with a 10yrd run! #48 receives the ball in the next play, however is taken down by the opposition.

Our defense starts their play with a great team tackle from #60 & #42!! (Dylan Godlewski and Zachary Vogt) The Eagles attempt a pass which is incomplete and another great team tackle by #50 & #20! (Gavin Neufeld & Blake Sproule)

Offense is back on the field, # 48(Mason Funk) receives the ball, but is quickly taken down. Their defense gives our guys a run for their money! Despite great efforts, and additional attempts to break through, we are unable to gain any ground this round.

Eastside run’s the ball wide, but is quickly taken down by #50! Eastside is continually held back with great tackles from #60, 50, and 20! Excellent teamwork!

Offense makes several attempts once again to gain some yards, with #25 breaking through for a big gain in yards! He is taken down, and loses the ball to Eastside.

Defense is back on with a surprising interception by #50, who snags the ball on a pass and runs it in for the first touchdown!!! Convert is incomplete. Defense continues with several great tackles by #9 (Tyler Howe) as well as #20!

Second half begins with a big kick from #50. Eastside pass intercepted once again by #50!! Raiders Ball! The next play sees #88 (Hunter Fehr) running the ball for a 5 yrd gain! #25 receives the ball and completes an excellent 20yrd run! Next play, #25 receives the ball again and runs in for a touch down!! Convert incomplete.

Big kick by #11 (Jace Woytowich) of the kicking team, followed by a fast takedown at Eastside pickup. Defense continue with many great tackles by # 11 and #60 as usual including a huge team pileup! Great teamwork as usual!!

The last few plays did not see any major movement on the field and before we knew it, that was the game!!! Fantastic job Crunchers!!

It was a bit of a chilly start to the day but the sun was out and the only ones who were really complaining were the parents. The boys were just fine and they played like it.

A screen pass and a fast run started the game on a scoring note for us. The raiders found the end zone. (Raiders 6 Rods 0) A huge tackle on the kick off stopped them in their tracks. Defense was back on the field which resulted in a huge interception and run back – ball – Raiders!! A fast run up the right side and we flew to the end zone. (Raiders 12 Rods 0) Convert was good! (Raiders 14 Rods 0) A long throw to the left – yep, another touchdown. (Raiders 20 Rods 0) The convert got a good bounce – just through the uprights for 2. (Raiders 22 Rods 0) A quarterback run in behind some great blocking and we scored again. (Raiders 28 Rods 0) Beautiful snap, hold and kick. (Raiders 30 Rods 0) Defense was stifling to hold them pointless for the rest of the first half.

The second half started off with a super reverse play and a 60 yard run for a touchdown. Convert was good once again. A great march down the field – touchdown Raiders! The snap was on the money – the kick FAR through the uprights…. Score Raiders. A super grab for a second interception of the game by the same defensive player gave the ball back to Raiders’ hands. A gritty run to save the first down and keep the drive going and then, a touchdown on short yards resulted in yet another touchdown. A fitting end? Snap…. Hold…. Kick…. 2 points Raiders.

Well done gentlemen… you stayed strong when some teams would have let up. You showed great variety in the offence and great strength on defense. It was fun to watch… and we’re looking forward to more great football!! Go Raiders Go!

Kick Off to the Raiders, Eagles get the ball. # 11 Jace with the tackle, second down for the eagles. # 25 Asher Fehr and Jace Woytowich with the tackle, Third down Eagles run it in for a touch down. Jace #11 stops the conversion point. Kick off to Raiders, recovered by the Eagles. 1st down Eagles and Eagles bring it in for a touch down. On the conversion # 11 Jace Woytowich intercepts the ball and stops the play. Kick off to the Raiders, Touch down by the raiders # 50 Gavin Neufeld runs it the whole way down the field. Raiders kick off to Eagles, 1st down and # 11 tackles the eagle player, small gain. 2nd down Tackle by # 11 Jace and # 42 Zachary, 3rd down Eagles tackled by # 11 Jace, #60-Dylan and #42 Zachary but Eagles make the first down. 2nd down another great tackle by # 11- Jace and # 25 Asher, 3rd down tackle # 11 Jace and # 60 Dylan, 4th down tackle by # 42 Zachary and 60 Dylan, Raiders ball. Raiders run the ball for a touchdown #50 Gavin Neufeld on the conversion fumbled no point. Kick off to the Eagles # 11 Jace and # 25 Asher with the tackle and we are at half time. Kick off to the Eagles,1st down eagle # 42 tackle no gain, 2nd down Tackle by # 25 Asher , small gain, 3rd down Eagles intercepted by # 60-Dylan. 1st down Raiders, # 50 Gavin makes a run but no gain, 2nd down raiders hand off to # 50 Gavin and he runs it in for a touch down. Extra point was good. Kick off to the Eagles, tackle # 25 Asher and # 88 Hunter. 2nd down Eagles tackle by # 11 Jace, 3rd down with tackles by # 11, 25 and 88. First down Eagles tackle by # 11 and #60. 2nd down Eagles tackled by #11 Jace but make first down. First down tackled by #11, Second down tackled by # 11, Third down tackle by # 25 no gain. 4th down 88, 25 and 42 with the stop Raiders get possession of the ball. Raiders have the ball on the goal line, tried a reverse play stopped at the line. 2nd down no gain, 3rd down no gain, Kick off to the Eagles. 1st down Eagles , no gain stopped by #88, 11 and 60. Eagles get 1st down big run and big tackle by # 25, 2nd down tackled by # 11 Jace, 3rd tackled by # 11 and 25. Game over.

The Raiders receive the kick off to start the game! Jett (#88) handles it well and runs for 5 yds. We start at the 15 yd line, with Sam (#18) handing off to Jett – who runs to the outside and all the way down the field. Touchdown Raiders! Great start to the game. Sam hands off to Jett again for the convert, who is tackled almost immediately. No convert. Sam kicks the ball – The Lightning receive and fall on the ball. They start on the 25 yd line. They handoff on 1st down and just like the Raiders, run it in for the touchdown. For their convert – they handoff the ball – fumble it and we recover! No convert. Lighting kick the ball and Jett recovers it. For 1st down, Sam hands off to Jett who runs 25 yds with great blocking. On our next play – Sam hands off to Brody (#35), who runs for a gain of 2 yds where he’s tackled. On 2nd down, we fumble the ball on the handoff, but recover it quickly. Great recovery! On 3rd down, with Sam in the shot gun, he receives a high snap that goes off his helmet. He recovers quickly again, falling on the ball. On 4th down, Sam settles in and hands the ball off to Jett, who runs to the outside and scores the touchdown. On the convert – Sam tries to pass to Brody, but the ball falls incomplete. Raiders #18 kicks a booming ball and the Lightning fumble the ball. They recover but Aidan (#3), tackles him immediately! They start on the 33yd line. The lightning hand off the ball – with three of our raiders trying to tackle the runner. Finally #88 takes him down after he gains the first down. The Lightning handoff the ball again, with #13, Kyle tackling him at the line of scrimmage! On 2nd down, they fumble the ball again, but recover quickly. On 4th down, on our 20 yd line, the lightning handoff the ball and Jett tackles him before he can get into the end zone. On the last lay of the half, our Raiders tackle the running back behind the line of scrimmage stopping them in their tracks.

HALF TIME

Raiders kick the ball with the Lightning recovering at the 30yd line. On 1st down, the Lightning handoff the ball, with Cody (#30) tackling him after a 9yd gain. On 2nd down the Lightning player receives the handoff and runs 20 yds, weaving through our players, Jett (#88) finally takes him down. On 1st down the Lightning handoff the ball and Denver (#69) and Jett(#88)tackle him for a loss. on 2nd down, the lightning go the outside, but Jett tracks him down again, for no gain. On 3rd down, they handoff again, gaining only 5 yds with Denver and Jett in on the tackles. On 4th down, the Raiders, led by Sam (#18) pile on the lightning player, stopping him again! Turnover on downs! Great job boys! We start on our 10yd line, where Sam is sacked on 1st down, for a loss of 2yds. on 2nd down, Sam throws laterally to Jett at the sidelines, who runs in for the touchdown! Awesome Play! On the convert attempt, Sam hands off to Brody (#35), who gets the ball stripped – he lands on it, but can’t get in to complete the play. Raiders kick – Lightning run it back with Samuel tackling the player. Lightning 1st down on the 40 yd line – hand off the ball, run 7 yds – #82 (Dylan), gets to him first with Jett and Kyle helping take him down. On 2nd down – they handoff the ball – with Kristjan missing the tackle, Jett missing the tackle and they score. They complete the convert with another handoff and run in. Lightning kick – Raiders miss the ball and the Lightning recover. Turnover! The lightning hand off – Denver and Dylan first miss their tackle, then recover with the help of Jett and stop him after 15 yds. On 1st down, #40 Kean, comes up with a HUGE tackle – stopping him at the line of scrimmage. On 2nd down – they run in for the touchdown with Dylan tackling him in the end zone. Great job for not giving up! On the last play of the game – The Lightning fumble the ball on the convert attempt and we recover!

GREAT GAME BOYS!

Raiders Days for the Atom Black team started with a pre-game interview with Gavin Pidsadny on the short ride to AD Penner Park where he was asked what the keys to the game were for Raiders game against the Fort Garry Lions. He responded with “we just have to keep working hard and physically dominate the Lions”. Well that statement certainly rang true as the game went on.

AD Penner Park was at full capacity for the 11:30 start where the Lions kicked off to the Raiders with a short return by Gavin which was called back due to an illegal block. The first drive started nicely with a nice 1st down run by Cazden, an explosive run by Anthony and a gorgeous passing play from Danic to Gavin but ultimately the drive was stopped by the Lions swarming defense. The Lions offence took the field for the first time but had no luck as the ferocious Jerome had 3 consecutive tackles to hand the ball back to the eager Raiders offence. After a few short run plays, Cazden exploded for a 40 yard touchdown run with some incredible blocking from the offensive line. The convert attempt was blocked. On the ensuing kickoff to the Lions, their run was cut short by a nice tackle from Damon. Once again the stout Raiders defense would hold the Lions with Evan making another tackle for a large loss which led to a punt by the Lions. The Raiders were once again able to move the ball which was highlighted by a nice run by Isaiah as the 1st quarter ended at 6-0 for the Raiders.

The boys were unable to punch the ball into the end zone early in the 2nd quarter but quickly got the ball back with Jerome dominating the defensive series. This next series was highlighted by the Bauer’s best run of the season as he rumbled for 35 yards down the sideline. The Raiders drive would end at the 5 yard line unfortunately but a fumble recovery by the swarming Raiders defense would give the ball back to the Raiders near the goal line. Danic would keep the ball and push his way through for the Raiders 2nd major of the game and would take a 12-0 lead late in the 2nd quarter. On the ensuing kickoff, Stephen was all over the return as he made a great tackle. On that play, the Lions #38 injured his ankle which resulted in the ambulance arriving shortly thereafter as they attended to him. As #38 left the field on the stretcher, he raised up his hands to indicate he would be ok as the huge AD Penner crowd cheered him on. After the lengthy delay, the defense dominated the next series as they pushed the Lions back 20 yards on their 3 plays. Then the offence caught fire again. The series started with Cazden rushing up the gut for 10 yards and another Raiders 1st down. On the next play, Gavin (or better known as Superman by his teammates and fans alike) took a beautiful reverse handoff and used all of his 52 pound frame to get across the line for the Raiders 3rd major of the day. The Raiders once again attempted the convert but was blocked. The defense was fired up once again with huge tackles by Brody and Damon. The Raiders got the ball back with very little time on the clock but another determined run by Cazden got the Raiders in the end zone and 24-0 halftime lead.

The 3rd quarter started with the Raiders kicking off to the Lions which resulted in a drive for the Lions which saw their first 1st down of the day but that drive ultimately was denied by the Raiders D. The Raiders offence was eager to get back on the field as Mikka said “just give me the ball coach”. The ball was handed off to the hulking centre and Mikka rumbled for a 50 yard touchdown which was capped over with a successful convert. On the kickoff, Evan booted the ball deep which and once again was highlighted by a down the field tackle by Stephen. This Lions drive would end with them punting on 3rd down and thats where Brody stepped in. He went back to retrieve the punt and returned the ball over 60 yards deep into Lions territory. On that run back, the block of the year was made by Jerome as he flattened a Lions player to help set Brody free on that huge run back. Odin had a powerful run late in the 3rd quarter that ended up a few yards shy of the end zone and that ended the quarter at 30-0.

That drive continued in the 4th quarter with the shifty Anthony squeezing in for another Raiders touchdown. The Raiders attempted another kick for the convert but fumbled the ball on the snap, but Stephen picked it up and ran it in anyway to conclude the Raiders scoring for the day. The rest of the 4th quarter was a defensive battle with the game ending on a big sack by Jerome as the Lions were attempting to score their first points of the game. The 30 – 0 final score was highlighted by the exceptional offensive and defensive line play as they were dominant all day.