The Creighton Kodiaks football team opened the season with a little history Thursday, beating a southern opponent for the first time.
The Kodiaks ran roughshod over Rosthern in their home opener Sept. 14, winning 40-12. Creighton took an early lead and hung on 'til the clock run out - literally - in front of a happy home crowd.
Rosthern would begin the game with the ball off the opening kickoff, but it only took them two plays for a botched high snap to lead to a fumble - which Creighton's Kwinton Lycan would jump on, making it Kodiak ball. A three-and-out would follow, but Rosthern couldn't do much with their chance with the ball, handing it back to Creighton shortly thereafter.
From there, the Kodiaks introduced the Longhorns to the Peyton Pelletier show. The Grade 10 running back would write his name all over the scoresheet Thursday, starting it with three quick runs on Creighton's second drive - two for first downs and a third for a touchdown. Rogan Hlady hit the convert, making it 8-0 Kodiaks. They would never lose that lead.
A long five-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust drive would ensue for the Longhorns, ending with a QB sneak by Rosthern playcaller Jesse Wood, but the visitors couldn't convert the kick, making it 8-6. Rosthern got the ball back right after thanks to an onside kick that flummoxed the Kodiaks' receiving unit. A huge hit a few plays later led Rosthern's Carsyn Block to fumble the ball, which Creighton recovered, but then Creighton would give the ball right back with another fumble, deep in their own territory, to start the second quarter.
It was then that the game had the first of several scoreboard errors that would make the game hard to track. Power to the board was cut off - with an apparent short circuit in the power cord to blame - on and off for the rest of the game.
Rosthern would push the ball down to the Kodiaks' seven-yard line, but the Creighton defence held strong, with Creighton's Leland Feuerstein nailing Wood behind the line to force a turnover on downs.
That play would prove to be a turning point, as moments later, on Creighton's first play from scrimmage, Pelletier broke free, running from his team's own eight-yard line all the way to the house for touchdown number two. A missed convert made it 14-6.
A Creighton interception a few plays later by Feuerstein gave the Kodiaks the ball back on their opponents' side of half, where Pelletier would run the ball down to the three and then into the house for TD number three.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Longhorns' returner touched the ball without catching it, leaving Hlady to grab the ball himself and give the Kodiaks a chance within 20 yards of the house, but Creighton got into penalty trouble, putting the ball 25 yards away from a first down at one point and then turning the ball over on downs. Rosthern would march back down the field, running out of time before half, with one last deep shot by Wood ending with a pick by Creighton's Ethan Lavis as the Kodiaks went into halftime up 22-6.
Rosthern opened the half with an onside kick, but Aidan Joa-Hall handled and got a first down a play later with a gorgeous juke that left a Longhorn defender jumping at air. A few plays later, it was prime time for Pelletier once more, running it through once again for his fourth touchdown of the day, making it 28-6 Creighton.
The Longhorns got into penalty trouble on the next drive, ending up with a first and 30 situation. Wood, forced back into his own endzone, put his whole body into a deep desperation heave, but it landed in the hands of Kwinton Lycan, who marched it right back to the endzone for a Creighton pick-six.
The rest of the game for Rosthern was marked by occasional penalties, bad snaps and short gains. Lavis snapped up his second pick of the day on the next drive, setting up a big long catch by Kieran Bonsant, but the Longhorns forced a turnover on downs - only to turn it right back over three plays later. Pelletier immediately made them pay, running in his fifth touchdown of the game, making it 40-6 Creighton to end the third quarter.
With their lead well out of reach, Creighton put the rookies in for the fourth quarter. Rosthern was able to push through for a last second touchdown by Block as time expired, but the Kodiaks would end the day on top, with head coach Ryan Karakochuk getting a Gatorade bath for his troubles.
The game marks the first time, since the Kodiaks football program was established in 2014, that the team has ever beaten a team from outside northern Saskatchewan. The five-time northern champs would advance to play southern high finishers each year in provincial playoff games, but lost each one, leading to the Kodiaks leaving the northern league to join an all-southern league this season.
The win gives Creighton a 1-0 record, tying them with reigning champions Wakaw at the top of the league standings after Week 1. Wakaw handed Shellbrook, who had just beaten Creighton 43-10 in an exhibition game last week, a 52-14 Week 1 loss. Wakaw defeated Creighton last season in their provincial playoff game, en route to finishing second among 2A six-man football teams provincially.
The Kodiaks will play their first game in Hague next week for Week 2, facing the Hague Panthers Sept. 21. After a bye week in Week 3, the Kodiaks will be back in Week 4 with a home game against that powerhouse Wakaw squad Oct. 5.
