The Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) Elecs football team’s first playoff home game in eight years proved to be a successful one.
The Elecs defeated the Moose Jaw Vanier Viking 32-19 Friday night at the Woodlawn Athletic Field in the Moose Jaw High School Football League’s Tier 2 semifinal. The Elecs will face the Moose Jaw Peacock Tornadoes in the Tier 2 final next Saturday.
ECS raced out to an 11-0 lead on a receiveing touchdown by Nigel Mack, a field goal by Ilya Korita and a punt single by Kaleb Bechtold.
Schott noted it was the first field goal by the Elecs in 10 years.
Vanier responded with a couple of touchdowns to lead 13-11, but the Elecs rallied. Bechtold had a 65-yard touchdown run and Hunter Eagles had a 29-yard touchdown late in the first half for a 25-13 advantage at half-time.
“Our message at the half was we have to close this out and we have to come out and make a big statement to open the second half and finish the game off. We did just that.”
Eagles returned the opening kickoff of the second half 80 yards for a touchdown to increase the lead to 32-13. The score remained unchanged until the end of the game, when Moose Jaw scored in the final minute.
The Elecs defence allowed some yards in the second half, but didn’t allow a score until that final possession. The Vikings pushed the ball deep into ECS territory with their first possession of the second half, but the drive ended on a fumble.
They had another strong drive on the next possession, but the Elecs forced another turnover on a third down gamble.
“Those were two big stands by our defence that really crushed Vanier and took back the momentum,” said Schott.
It was the second time the Elecs have defeated the Vikings this year. Last month the Elecs blanked the Vikings 35-0 in Moose Jaw.
The next edition of the Mercury will have more on this story.
