Sports | DrumhellerMail

Morrin Mustangs qualify for zones

The Morrin Mustangs won silver at Regionals and are bound for Zones after a strong showing at a weekend tournament.
The regional tournament played out on November 10 and 11 at St. Anthony’s School. Teams included Delia School, South Central School in Oyen, Bassano, Rosemary, Duchess and Morrin School, which has picked up a couple of players from St. Anthony’s.
The Mustangs won their pool undefeated and crossed over to play Rosemary. With that win, they went to the final versus a tough Bassano team and fell in two games.
Coach Amanda Batty said the team has been having a great season. In fact, the program over the last three years has met with some great successes.
“We have gone to provincials the last two years, and now we are having another run of success. Not that provincials would be our expectation. Our zone is really strong this year,” she said.
With this second-place finish, the Mustangs qualify for zones this coming weekend in Rosemary. There will be eight teams at zones. The top two teams will qualify for provincials in Falher.
“We try not to focus that, one game at a time, said Batty,
The team has been racking up wins all year. Their defeat to Bassano at Regionals was a good experience for the team.
“I tell the girls all the time that usually you learn more about yourself when you lose than when you win. We have been talking a lot about how you react when things aren’t going your way. That can either bring you together as a team or split you apart.”
She says the team has a positive approach.
“The last few years, we have had really positive, really coachable groups of girls who haven’t been bringing a lot of drama, just been wanting to focus on their skills and build each other up and really be there when someone is not having best game,” said Batty. “We have some new members from St. Anthony’s this year, and they just gelled right in.”

Tough road trip for Dragons

Dragons name only 1

The Drumheller Dragons had a tough week on the road, falling in two games straight.
On Friday, November 10 the Dragons were in Sherwood Park to take on the North-leading Crusaders.
Sherwood Park scored first, but Tate Yule tied it up for the Dragons less than two minutes later. The Crusaders didn’t stop the onslaught and scored three more to end the first period up 4-1. The two team matches goals in the second period with Vann Yuhas and Jacob Goudreau scoring. Connor Poffenroth scored for the Dragons in the third period, but the Crusaders topped it off with an empty netter with 1:20 left to win 7-4.
The Dragons hoped to regroup the next evening in Olds when they took on the Grizzlys, on Saturday, November 11. The Grizzlys scored first but Poffenroth and Nolan Viesner each found the net to lead 2-1 after one. Olds scored two unanswered goals in the second to end the period up 3-2 and added one more in the third period to take firm control. Poffenroth scored his second of the game and ninth of the season with 2:18 left in the game, but it was too little too late and the Grizzlys went on to a 4-3 win.
This Tuesday, November 14 the Dragons were back on home ice to take on the Camrose Kodiaks. On Thursday they return the favour and head to Camrose. On Friday, November 17, they host the Olds Grizzlys.

Don Robertson Field dedicated to Titans founder

For nearly three decades, the name Don Robertson has been synonymous with Titans football in the valley, and on Saturday the field located at DVSS was renamed in his honour.
A ceremony was held on Saturday, November 11 before the Titans took to the Don Robertson Field in the South semi-finals versus Willow Creek of Clarsholm, where they beat the Willow Creek Cobras 27-22.
Literally, thousands of local kids have put on black and gold helmets in the valley thanks to his hard work.
He passed away in 2022.
Jason Blanke was a student at DCHS when he queried about starting a football team. He spoke to then-vice principal Tom Zariski who put him on to Robertson.
“Don was the visionary,” said Zariski. “There are lots of people like Jason and I that got on board and helped him, but it was always Don. He was the one who came up with all the ideas. There were so many people who were involved, and Don would be the first today that…but it was his dream and his absolute dream came true.”
Blanke was never able to put on a jersey as a student.
The Drumheller Community Football Association was formed in the fall of 1994, and the first games were played in 1995.
“We met and began to plan on how we would be able to get the program underway, and I believe without that meeting the Drumheller Community Football Associaton would not have come to fruition,” said Blanke. “Don stayed involved for years, always taking over ordering the bomber jackets for the senior team. He was also instrumental in creating the Strathmore Spartans football program as well as the Big Sky Football Conference.”
He saw generations pass through the program, including three grandchildren, who were on provincial winning teams. He was a booster in the community.
He spent time coaching, mentoring and teaching the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship. His enthusiasm never wavered.
At the dedication were members of Robertson’s family who were very supportive of the dedication.
“He had a passion for it, a passion for football, a passion for his community and he brought all of those things together and it is still going,” said Don’s son, John. “It is really special, I am really happy to see all of this. It's so good for all of these young players.”

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