Sports | DrumhellerMail

Titans celebrate season

    Last Thursday night the Drumheller Titans were able to celebrate a most successful season with their annual awards night.
   And what a year to celebrate. The Senior Titans went all the way to the provincial championship. It has been a long road for the organization, which first fielded a team in 1996.
   Kellie and Merv Smith have been involved for eight years and have seen the program grow.
   “When we started we couldn’t always field a team. We would have parents dropping kids off like a baby sitting service, and they just didn’t want to help,” said Kellie. “It has just grown from there. Not only can we field a team we can field a couple lines. The bantams are wonderful coming up, and this isn’t the end.”
   Not many teams in recent years have caught the imagination of the valley like this year’s run for the championship. Stories have trickled back to the coaching staff that have made them stop in their tracks.
   “People in the IGA, during the last five minutes of the championship game, stopped and listened, holding their basket of groceries,” said member of the coaching staff Jason Rasmussen. “Players walking into Wal-Mart and everybody stopped and applauded them when they saw the jackets. It was amazing to hear these stories, to see the support we got from the community. For the coaching staff and the players to get that kind of support from the community where we live work and play is really important to us.”
   While the seniors are relishing in their provincial victory, the bantams also had a banner year.
   The bantams finished the season with a 3-3 record, the best record ever. They were competitive as they entered the playoffs.
   They really played like a team,” said coach Paul Redmond. “I am so proud of the boys, it is unbelievable.”

Sabres pull out second victory

    The St. Anthony’s senior boys Sabres basketball team chalked up their second victory of the season after travelling to Trochu on December 6 to take on the Blue Jays.
   The Sabres were sluggish out of the gate, not protecting the ball, and making careless turnovers. It took some time to settle down and get into the game.
   Veteran guard T.J Jones had a strong game with 18 points and six steals. Jordan Comstock had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Nathan Comstock had 21 as the Sabres went on to a 65-39 victory.
   The Sabres are 2-0 so far this season, but there is much room for improvement. The schedule only gets tougher for the young squad as the season progresses.
   On Tuesday, December 13, the Sabres took on Hanna (results not available at press time).
   This weekend they play in their first tournament at the Acme Redmen Co-ed Classic. Here they will face the Acme Junior Varsity team as well as Senator Gershaw from Bow Island and Holy Cross of Strathmore.

Football talent tested for post secondary consideration

    After the great showing of the Drumheller Titans in winning the provincial championship, the valley is building its reputation as a football hotbed.
   Last Friday, some of these players with aspirations of continuing with the game were given a unique opportunity to showcase their skills. Their audiences may be some of the top university and college programs in the country.
     Ron Laprise, who coached last season for the Titans, is also a part of All Star Football. He was joined by All Star Football founder and scouting director Ron Dias for the first Regional Combine in Drumheller.
   Combines are where the players are put through the paces with athletic and agility testing. These results give the players a snapshot of where they are in their own development. The information from the combines is also compiled and made available to colleges and universities to give them a look at up and coming players.
     Dias is based out of Waterloo, Ontario, and has been scouting for players for post secondary institutions for 24 years.
   “I run central scouting for all universities. I give universities an overview of high school football players based on the year they will enter university,” said Dias. “I give them an overview base on athletics and academics. It makes universities aware of kids they likely wouldn’t be aware of and secondly give kids an opportunity.”
   All Star Football was in Drumheller Friday night, and then in Edmonton on Saturday. On Sunday they are hosting the top 100 prospects in Red Deer.
   With the advent of the Badlands Community Facility, they have bigger plans for next season. Separate from a testing combine, they hope to host the top 100 players from rural Alberta in the valley for a camp. They have plans to also run a top city player camp.
   From these camps they would select the top 45 players from each and hold an urban versus rural all star game the next spring.
   About 15 players came out for Friday’s Combine including players from Hunting Hills School in Red Deer and Didsbury.
   “They are not all going to play football, this is not what it is all about. It is about educating them to understand there are opportunities out there, there is a place for you. You need education to have some opportunity in life,” said Dias. “Kids have to have some rocks in their pockets to weigh things their way.”

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