“We came from last place to first place, this was so unexpected, I’m so pumped for it.”

That was running back Kayde Shymko reaction after the Moose Jaw Raiders completed their improbable run to the Moose Jaw Minor Football League’s Bantam Division Championship.

The Raiders entered the playoffs as the bantam division’s fourth seed after posting a 1-5 record during the regular season.  They would string together three straight wins, finishing it off with a 20-12 win over the second place Weyburn Falcons on Thursday night at Elks Field.

“It feels awesome,” said Shymko.  “We just wanted it more. They’re all bigger than us, they’re all stronger than us, but we just wanted it more in our hearts.”

The Raiders took the long road to the championship, beating the fifth place Estevan Oilers, 40-6, in the quarterfinals last Tuesday.  They then knocked off the undefeated Moose Jaw Razorbacks, 17-14 in overtime, in the semifinals last Friday to secure their spot in the title game.

The Falcons were 4-2 in the regular season and entered the finals after rolling to a 43-0 win over the third place Swift Current Steelers in the semifinals.

“The kids came together right at the playoffs and just realized that they could do it,” said Raiders head coach Jamie Passmore.  “These kids played their hearts out, they left it all out on the field and I couldn’t be more proud.”

Raiders running back Kayde Shymko powers through a couple of Falcons' defenders on his way to 125 yards rushing in the win. (Photo: Marc Smith)

Ten unanswered points in the second half helped propel the Raiders to the win after they trailed 12-10 at halftime.

Shymko was named the Final's Most Valuable Player after he rushed for 125 yards to power the Raiders to the win along the ground, while quarterback Jace Fraser punched in two rushing touchdowns.

“We just kept pushing, none of us dropped our heads and we just kept pushing through everything,” said Shymko.

The Falcons jumped out to an early 6-3 lead in the first quarter and extended that lead to 12-3 before the Raiders scored late in the second quarter on 23-yard run by Fraser to pull within two heading into halftime.

A long drive by the Raiders to open the second half took almost the full quarter and was finished off by a three-yard touchdown run by Fraser that gave Moose Jaw their first lead of the game.

Kaleb Schanoski, who rushed for 89 yards in the win, nailed a 37-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, his second of the game, to give the Raiders some breathing room and helped them lock up the win.

“Just unbelievable the heart and passion,” said Passmore, who had a lucky pack of gum in his pocket throughout the playoffs.  “I just can’t believe everything that this team has done.  We just kept going and the kids bought in and it all clicked.”

Weyburn’s Clay Gust finished 141 rushing yards and a touchdown in the loss.

The Peewee Division Championship Game will be held on Sunday in Weyburn and feature an all-Weyburn showdown between the Eagles and Ravens.