Tornadoes Use Ground Game To Defeat Colts Securing Fourth Place Playoff Birth
By Robert Thomas
What a difference a week can make had to been the buzzwords from the Peacock Tornadoes players bus as the team is on the way to the playoffs in the South 5A 12-Man Football League after defeating the Swift Current Colts 43 - 27 on Saturday.
The game, a must win for the Tornadoes, gave the Peacock squad a 3 - 3 season record edging out Swift Current who end the season 2 - 4 and are out of the playoffs.
The Tornadoes were led by what could be best be described as a stellar performance - if not high school football career performance - by Josh Johnson who managed to rush the ball 345 yards on 32 carries. Johnson also made three receptions for 43 yards.
Peacock Tornadoes Josh Johnson (left) may have had a career high game versus the Swift Current Colts - MJ Independent file photo
Johnson would also score six touchdowns in the victory. The highlight was a first quarter 70 yard carry for a touchdown.
Just one week prior in their loss to the visiting Weyburn Eagles the Tornadoes saw the visitors take away their running game and corral Johnson.
Other scoring from Peacock came off of the toe of Ruzah Borufu Magarwa who kicked a second quarter 30 yard field goal.
Peacock Tornadoes individual offensive stats versus the Swift Current Colts - courtesy league
Tornadoes quarterback Keaton Doerksen would complete six out of nine passes for 62 yards. Doerksen would also carry the ball on three occasions for 10 yards.
A Tornadoes game statistically on the ground also saw Owen Varjassy carry the ball nine times for 55 yards.
In the end the Tornadoes managed to record 417 yards on the ground and 62 yards in the air for total offensive yardage of 479 yards.
While the Tornadoes relied upon their ground game the Colts on the other hand took to the air.
Colts quarterback Elijah Siemens would complete 15 out of 34 pass attempts for 243 yards. Siemens also threw one interception.
Top yards getter for Swift Current was Ryder Smith with 186 yards on eight passes. Smith also rushed for 19 yards on three carries.
The Swift Current running game mustered 91 yards with Jarron Reid carrying the ball 15 times for 53 yards.
The Colts total offense was 334 yards.
Scoring for the Colts came from Smith with two rushing touchdowns, Siemens with a touchdown and Reid.
The Tornadoes will next weekend be traveling to Weyburn where they will face the powerhouse Eagles in playoff action. The Eagles defeated the Tornadoes 23 - 6 last weekend in Moose Jaw.