PFC PREVIEW: THUNDER VS COLTS IN MEDICINE HAT
PFC WEEK 6
WHO: Regina Thunder (3-2) vs Calgary Colts (4-0)
WHERE: Medicine Hat, AB
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 17/2016, 7:00 pm MT
FORECAST: Cloudy, 21 degrees Celsius
UPDATES: @Regina Thunder
OVERVIEW – The Regina Thunder head to Medicine Hat on Saturday for their Week 6 matchup with the first place Calgary Colts. The Thunder are coming off a 20-18 loss in Saskatoon on Saturday while the Colts were on a bye. Calgary was last in action on September 3rd when they beat the Edmonton Wildcats 43-4.
THUNDER OFFENCE – Regina has scored 151 points in their first 5 games, second most in the PFC. Quarterback Sawyer Buettner leads the league with 1380 passing yards and with a 67.6 % completion percentage. Buettner has thrown 8 touchdowns (2nd most) and 6 interceptions. In week 5 against Saskatoon, Buettner set a CJFL record with 43 completions as a part of a 442 yard passing night. Kris Calcutt who missed last week with injury still leads the PFC in receiving yards with 350 and has 3 touchdowns. Kristiane Desautels has put up 245 yards (5th most) and has 3 majors. RB Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette leads the PFC with 583 rush yards and a league leading 6 touchdowns. The Thunder have turned the ball over 11 times this season, 6 on interceptions, three times on fumbles and twice on downs.
COLTS OFFENCE – Calgary has put up 138 points in four games, 3rd most in the PFC. QB Bailey Wasdal is 5th in passing yards with 783 and has 5 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Richard Sindani is 3rd in receiving yards with 286 and has caught two majors. RB Xavier Ramsay has accumulated 405 rushing yards this season, 4th most, and has scored 5 touchdowns. Teammate Dylan Minshull has 302 yards along the ground which is 5th in the PFC and has scored once. Calgary has turned the ball over 6 times this season, 4 on interceptions and twice on fumbles.
THUNDER DEFENCE – The Thunder have given up the second least points through five weeks at 97. Marcus Hall is tied for 2nd in tackles in the PFC with 18, he has added 4 assisted take downs and a blocked kick. LB Paul Toth and DB Polis Koko are next on the team with 15 tackles each. Koko is tied for the league lead with 3 interceptions and also has a forced fumble. Matt Williams is second in sacks in the league with 3.5 and has a fumble recovery. In total the Thunder have forced 8 turnovers, 3 on interceptions, 1 on a fumble and 4 on downs.
COLTS DEFENCE – Calgary has given up a league low 45 points through four games this season. Colton Burr leads the team with 17 tackles (T-4th in PFC) and is tied for the league lead in interceptions with 3 and has 1 fumble recovery. Ankamah Kendrick, Dylan Niedermaier and Austin Daisey are next on the club with 12 tackles each. Niedermaier also has 2 interceptions while Daisey has a fumble recovery. Christopher Peet-Schwartz leads the club with 2 sacks (T-3rd) while Justin Keys and Michael Bright each have 1. The Colts have forced a league leading 22 turnovers, 12 on interceptions, 5 on fumbles and 5 on downs.
THUNDER SPECIAL TEAMS – Kristiane Desautels leads the PFC with 228 yards on punt returns and has another 58 on kickoffs. Tyson Haubrich leads the club with 178 kickoff return yards and has 26 on punts. Quinton Ruckaber replaced the injured Kris Calcutt last week and punted 6 times for a 36.5 yard average and James Reid made 1 of 2 fields goals attempted against Saskatoon, he is 1 for 3 on the year.
COLTS SPECIAL TEAMS – Richard Sindani leads the team with 80 yards in punt returns, that is 5th best in the PFC. he also leads the Cots in kickoff return yards with 99. Jesse Kuntz has recorded 98 yards in kickoff returns and has 55 more yards on punt returns.
Kickoff from Medicine Hat on Saturday at 7 o’clock.
(Courtesy Phil Andrews)
