The Peacock Tornadoes are coming into the 2012 Moose Jaw High School Football season in unfamiliar territory.  They can be considered an underdog team after seeing their run of three consecutive league titles end last year with a 3-3 regular season.

"We've got a young team again, but I'm pretty excited, they're a great bunch," said head coach Blake Buettner.  "The older kids are showing really good leadership and really good enthusiasm and I'm really happy with it.  For a young team, I think we've come a long way in the last week and a half."

It could be another building year for the Tornadoes in 2012, but Buettner says they're just focused on getting every week they step on the field, "One of the things we talk about is don't be afraid to make a mistake, but you want to learn from your mistakes.  We want to make sure the kids are out there and we're coaching them up, and then just advancing because we are young and that's going to happen, but we just want to keep improving."

Offensively last year, Peacock was led by a strong two-headed running game that saw brothers Nathan and Chris Fall both ranking in the league's top-five in rushing yards, but both players, along with leading receiver Kyle Dalgarno, are gone.  Sawyer Buettner is expected to take over the offence as the new quarterback after he saw some game action last season.

"We've got some really good athletes in all of our spots, but it's a matter of gaining experience again, so you're going to have your bumps along the way with that," stated Buettner.  "I'm feeling that as the season goes along, I think they're going to come along way because they are good athletes, so we're looking to improve a lot over the course of the season."

Senior offensive lineman Ty Nordick, who's heading into his fourth year with the team, says he feels the team is poised for a bounce back season despite being very young, "I feel we're going to improve a lot.  We've got a lot of young players, but they all have a lot of skill, so I think we're going to do pretty good this year.

"We've got a pretty young offensive line, but they're all doing really, they're all catching on pretty easily.  We have a new running back and that's been different, but other than that it's all been really good."

The defence for Peacock has always been their strong suit and Buettner says they expect to lean heavily on that group again this season, "That's where most of our veteran kids are and I think you talk to any football team that's where you want to stack your bricks up, is in that area, so we feel that's going to be a strength of our team."

Grade 12 linebacker Zach Huschi says he's looking forward to getting the year underway and likes the work ethic of the team so far, "I see a lot of positives so far this year, we have lots of hard working players on our team and I think that if we keep trying hard a practice, it's going to end up really well for the team.

"We're a little bit young every where, but I think the young kids are really stepping it up at practice and laying some big hits, so it doesn't look like we're a young team."

The Tornadoes will get an extra week to groom their team for the upcoming season as they get a bye for Week 1.  They'll be playing an exhibition game against Regina Campbell on Friday and then open their year against Estevan next Thursday at Gutheridge Field.

Peacock head coach Blake Buettner goes over the upcoming season with Marc Smith.

OL Ty Nordick

LB Zach Huschi

HS Football Preview:
Big Changes To MJHSFL
SC Colts Improving
Coaching Change In Estevan
Fresh Start For Weyburn