CJFL: Colts rout Rifles

Rodreke Joseph caught three touchdown passes and Chucks Okafor ran for
three as Canada’s No. 1-ranked junior football team ran their record
to 6-0 in the Prairie Football Conference by blasting the winless
Winnipeg Rifles 63-22.
The Rifles share the stadium with the equally-unfortunate Winnipeg
Blue Bombers, who are bringing up the rear in the Canadian Football
League.
“It was a good effort on offence and defence and special teams,” said
Colts head coach John Stevens.
“We made some plays on both sides of the ball.”
Indeed they did.
The Colts ran out to a 14-1 lead, stumbled to trail 15-14 in the
second quarter before exploding for six straight touchdowns.
Joseph had touchdowns of 10 and six yards before breaking free with a
64-yard pass and run TD on a third-down gamble in the fourth quarter.
Okafor ran for touchdowns of 14, 13 and three yards. The last one came
in the dying seconds of the contest and was set up by Jermaine
Gabriel’s 58-yard interception.
“We challenged the guys at halftime to come out and play the game they
are capable of playing and they did that for sure,” Stevens said.

Defensive back Pat MacDonald returned an interception for a 52-yard
major in the fourth quarter. Jeremy Long snuck over from one yards and
Jimmy Ralph hooked up with quarterback Derek Cooper for a 23-yard pass
strike.
The lone bright spot for Winnipeg was receiver, Brett Carter, who
caught a pair of touchdown passes. Martin Hovi ran the Rifles other
score in from a yard out.
Okafor finished with 98 yards on 14 carries. Joseph made eight catches
for 148 yards. Ralph and Ben Hnatiuk had four catches each.
Quarterback Derek Cooper was 16 of 22 for 214 yards and two TDs.
Jeremy Long was five-for-five for 106 yards and two TDs.
The Colts are on the road again next weekend to face the winless
Edmonton Huskies Saturday, Sept 29 at 7 p.m. before they close out the
regular season at McMahon Stadium with a against the Saskatoon
Hilltops.
It was a dramatic last-minute win over Saskatoon that kick-started the
Colts season Aug. 12 and brought them to the top of the Canadian
Junior Football League’s weekly rankings.

1st Quarter
CGY-TD Joseph 10 pass from Cooper (Fabian Convert) 3:44
WPG-SG Mikoluff 56 5:36
CGY-TD Okafor 14 run (Fabian Convert) 9:01
WPG-TD Hovi 1 run (Mikoluff Convert) 13:14

2nd Quarter

WPG-TD Carter 12 pass from Vieira (Mikoluff Convert)
CGY-TD Okafor 13 run (Fabian Convert) 12:14

3rd Quarter

CGY-TD Ralph 23 pass from Cooper (Fabian Convert) 11:46

4th Quarter

CGY-TD Long 1 run (Fabian Convert) 1:24
CGY-TD McDonald 58 INT return (Fabian Convert) 2:05
CGY-TD Joseph 6 pass from Long (Fabian Convert) 6:38
CGY-TD Joseph 64 pass from Long (Fabian Convert) 10:33
WPG-TD Carter 6 pass from Kiesman (Mikoluff Convert) 12:13
CGY-TD Okafor 3 run (Fabian Convert) 13:37

CGY    14   7   7   35-63
WPG     8   7   0    7-22

YARDSTICKS        CGY      WPG
1ST DOWNS          21       18
YDS RUSH          180      137
YDS PASS          320      217
NET OFF           477      335
TURNOVERS           3        5

RUSHING             C    YDS     TD
Okafor CGY          14   98       3
Fox    CGY           4   43       0
Cooper CGY           2   14       0
Whetton CGY          4   14       0
Long    CGY          3   11       1

Hovi    WPG          14  103      1
Kiesman WPG           4   20      0
Vieira  WPG           2    9      0
Cox     WPG           1    6      0
Sesay   WPG           1   -1      0

PASSING               C    A   YDS   TD   INT
Cooper  CGY           16  22   214   2     1
Long    CGY            5   5   106   2     0

Vieira  WPG            13  20  135   2     3
Kiesman WPG             4   9   66   1     0
Buckland WPG            1   5   16   0     0

RECEIVING             C    YDS    TD
Joseph  CGY           8    148    3
Ralph   CGY           4     76    1
Hnatiuk CGY           4     70    1
Fabian  CGY           1     15    0
Whetton CGY           1      6    0
Lamoureux CGY         1     -5    0

Carter  WPG           8     113   2
Banares WPG           5      52   0
Preun   WPG           2      21   0
Shea    WPG           1      16   0
Cox     WPG           1      13   0
Hovi    WPG           1       2   0

PINK OCTOBER
The Oct. 7 contest will again feature the Colts’ Pink October
fundraiser for cancer.
Players will be wearing pink spats on their ankles during the contest.
As well, Colts will have pink T-shirts for sale at the game. All
monies raised will go to the Canadian Cancer Society.
At some point in the first week of October players, head coach John
Stevens and some member of the team’s board of directors will present
the past five years of team posters for the gallery at the Alberta
Children’s Hospital.
The Colts athletic therapists, players and others associated with the
Colts have also put a team together in the Run For the Cure later this
month.