The bad news is they got killed on the scoreboard, the good news is they can still make the playoffs.
The other good news is they found out that they have got two quarterbacks who are scary good with the football in their hands.
More good news is that one of those quarterbacks would be considered a junior in other parts of the country so he should be on the football field every weekend this fall, and next fall, and the one after that, too.
Losing the game by 30-7 was not what the YRHS Raider senior football team had in mind heading into Saturday afternoon's tilt with the O'Neill Titans at Kinsmen Century Field.
But there is at least one person on the team who isn't taking that rough loss too hard.
"I know we're better than that!" claims head coach Roby Sharpe during a post-game pep talk, where it really didn't seem like there was any kind of good vibrations in that huddle.
The other good news is that even though nobody on the team was thinking about it at the time, their next game is against a team that Sharpe says has been getting beat up worse than his team has.
"I love this game," says Sharpe sounding like YRHS had won the game. "(But) they're a very slick, polished, older team."
The O' Neill Titans and Luther Lions are currently sitting on top of the standings in the Regina Intercollegiate Football League.
Yorkton and Martin Collegiate are at the bottom. Next weekend, somebody's record is going to give.
Both are tied with records of 3-0. Martin and YRHS sit in the bottom with records of 0-3. Martin has recorded six points in those three contests, YRHS has 22. Martin has given up 109 points so far this season.
"They have a lot of good stuff (plays) they run," Sharpe said of O' Neill. They're well coached."
...and we like to shoot ourselves in the foot."
Yorkton has put up its highest point output in a single game last week against Weyburn (who are four-time league champions including last year's winners).
In Saturday's game at Century Field, YRHS fell behind and stayed behind, one score came off a 50-yard run. On their second score, it took the visitors three attempts from inside the Yorkton five to punch the ball in the end zone.
"The only way we can compete is if we start hitting," adds Sharpe.
All is not yet lost on this team; Sharpe said he's been impressed from the start with the ability of Gr. 10 quarterback Mackenzie Shore who plays the game with skill well beyond his years.
Despite four straight losses going back to the exhibition, his confidence is still where Sharpe needs it to be.
Shore was brought up to the senior team from the YRHS juniors to help get the football to fellow quarterback/tailback Jake Prybylski who has an insane ability to run it.
"By Gr. 12, he's going to be an awesome player," says Sharpe of Shore.
In the first half of the game, O' Neill got fancy with their playcalling and as a result had everybody within an earshot of Century Field surprised when they faked a punt on a third-down-and-long.
The played resulted in the easiest touchdown they will ever score.
The exact same play was also used later that evening by the Michigan State Spartans as they used the trick play to turn a field goal into a touchdown to beat Notre Dame in overtime.
"It's a pretty sneaky play," said YRHS tailback Christoph Zawatsky of the O' Neill trick play, adding that "I honestly thought he fumbled it."
Defence has never been the Raider's problem and they were assisted by a bunch of O' Neill's penalties on that same drive, including numerous offside and procedure calls.
Into the fourth quarter, Sharpe's Raiders offensive unit finally started to match the work and efforts of the defence.
YRHS quarterback Shore did his thing with the ball and strung together five first-downs in a row in the final quarter, led them to a touchdown to get that annoying zero off the scoreboard, then he nearly did it again.
Time was not on their side as the clock ran out.
YRHS made good on the convert attempt to end the game with a 30-7 final.
Sharpe said in the huddle after the game that "we got tricked" adding that they were also "outfinessed".
He said it's now going to be essential that "we have to smash Martin" in week four.
We could still make the playoffs," he noted, but the offence has to be able to match the defence like they showed they could do in the fourth quarter when Shore connected with Zawatsky who had to break tackles on his way into the end zone.
Sharpe said Zawatsky was the obvious choice for the weekly winner of the Game Helmet, an award that goes to the team's hardest worker.
After the game, Zawatsky said it was a game that YRHS probably could have won and suggested that his Raiders "just need to come out better."
We realized we could play with these guys," he added, following a fourth quarter where QB Shore moved the ball like everyone's life depended on it, leading to the lone Raider touchdown.
"He's actually pretty good," Zawatsky commented. "He can run too."
In the second half, we really showed our determination," observed Zawatsky.
Despite the efforts of a handful of the players, coach Sharpe admitted that it's getting harder and harder to take losing when some players apparently don't even come out for practice.
"We're there to work with you guys every day," he claimed. "You've got two decisions..." he said in the huddle. "We can give up right now or you can bust your butt!"
Sharpe is ready to go into the next game undermanned if need be.
"We'll play with 12 guys for all I care."
Sharpe said he expects a huge effort from every player on the team when the remaining three games are played out. The Raiders will conclude the season on Oct. 15 when they head to the University of Regina to take on Johnson Collegiate.
That game will mark the end of high school football for Sharpe's Gr. 12 contingent, Zawatsky being one of them.
The game was also a fundraiser for the annual Terry Fox run, said Sharpe. The YRHS family donates $1 for every yard of offence that the senior football team puts up. This year's total should be somewhere over $200, Sharpe suggested. On on individual basis, Prybylski ran for 51 yards, Shore cashed in 30 and Zawatsky racked up 62.
The YRHS seniors now take their show on the road for the remainder of the season, three straight away games that will take them on a little tour of the City of Regina, beginning Sept. 30 when they take on Martin Collegiate, a game scheduled Mosaic Stadium.
