Colts blast Rifles; now at 6-0
- September 23, 2012
Jeff MacKinnon Media-coordinator
Canad Inns Stadium is seeing plenty of home losses pile up this season and the Calgary Colts kept that movement going Sunday with a massive blowout.
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.
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.