After a season full of aerial attacks, Saturday’s city football final could be more like trench warfare.
This high school football season featured unprecedented passing performances league-wide, but Saturday’s Yorkton-Peacock final (1 p.m., Gutheridge Field) is likely to be decided on the ground.
The Yorkton Raiders featured a strong option offence that has caused teams fits of late as they pound the ball behind their large and talented offensive line.
“They’ve got some big boys along the o-line. They outsize us — definitely,” said Peacock head coach Blake Buettner.
Peacock tailback Nathan Fall led the league in rushing with 765 yards and 12 touchdowns, despite only playing four regular season games. When Nathan Fall was out injured in last week’s semifinal win, his brother Chris Fall filled in and rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns.
The Tornadoes are hopeful that Nathan will be ready to carry the ball Saturday, but having his brother available gives them added peace of mind.
“Nathan is out in pads today. It’s been a slow process, but having the time off has been good for him,” said Buettner. “Having Chris in there too and having the brother situation helps with the support between the two of them.
“We’re hoping that Nathan is recovered for the weekend. He certainly wants to play and he’s getting himself ready to go.”
The Raiders boasted the league’s best offence during the season. They averaged 433.7 yards per game thanks to their league-best rushing attack.
Yorkton ran the ball 48 times a week ago for 298 yards in their 48-22 win over Central. Rookie tailback Tyson Haas carried the ball 26 times for 159 yards and three touchdowns in the semifinal.
The Raiders biggest offensive threat is quarterback Dalton Fichtner. He was second in rushing with 599 yards on the ground, though he averaged a league-best 10.2 yards rushing. He also passed for 805 yards during the regular season.
