MOOSE JAW -- The Yorkton Raiders and Central Cyclones opened the South Rural 5A Football League season the way they were hoping for, each picking up victories this weekend.
The Raiders started their campaign on the road on Saturday and took a 22-7 win over the Peacock Tornadoes at Gutheridge Field in Moose Jaw, while Central traveled to Leibel Field in Regina and defeated the Balgonie Greenall Griffins, with the score from that contest unavailable as of this writing.
Yorkton led 14-7 at half against Peacock, with Hunter Nagy giving the Raiders their first points of the season on a 95-yard run with 7:41 remaining in the first quarter. He’d pick up his second major two minutes later, plunging in from two yards out.
Leighton Dufour got a touchdown back for the Tornadoes as the first quarter came to an end, hauling in a 14-yard pass from Ethan Durrant.
A 21-yard field goal by Yorkton’s Colton Keltie made it a 15-7 lead at half.
Nagy added his third touchdown of the game on a 58-yard run to finish off the third quarter, and a Keltie single would cap scoring in the contest.
Nagy ended up with 25 carries for 287 yards to lead Yorkton’s offence.
Jake Holmes was 4-for-6 passing for 47 yards for the Raiders, Derek Kienie had four catches for 33 yards.
Rayan Yuhas Gebhart had 18 carries for 77 yards for the Tornadoes, who were much more busy through the air -- Durrant would finish 14-for-22 passing for 182 yards.
Measner was his favourite target with four catches for 65 yards.
The Weyburn Eagles were in Swift Current to face the Colts on Friday night, with no score reported from that contest.
League action continues on Friday, Sept. 5 with three games as Swift Current hosts Peacock (4 p.m.), Weyburn hosts Yorkton (7 p.m.) and Estevan is at Central (7 p.m.).
