Sports | DrumhellerMail

Titans advance to provincial championship

    It was cold…
   But spirits were high as the Titans stepped off the bus for the South Final on Saturday.
   The Titans faced a challenging commute just to get to Claresholm to take on Willow Creek for a chance at the provincial final this week.

Gage Berdahl makes his move versus Willow Creek as the Titans went on to capture a spot in the provincial championship this Saturday in Calgary.

    Coach Ken Fournier said this may have been the worst conditions the team has played in but they were undaunted.
   Right off the kick off, Allan Lister stripped the ball and Joey Samoleski jumped on it for the first touchdown of the game.
   The Titans kept up the pressure. Aiden Enns was running right through the middle and chipped away 5 yards at a time. Spencer Fournier had in the area of 200 yards on the ground as he ran in three touchdowns, and Josh Weeteringen ran in the final touchdown for the team.
   Having sat most of the season with a broken leg, it was a boost for the team and Weeteringen’s confidence as the Titans went on to a 39-19 win, and a berth in the final this weekend.
   Coach Fournier said the team has never taken it for granted that they would wind up in the final, they earned it every step of the way.
   “These players in the last three years have had their ups and downs,” said Fournier. “They showed a lot of character to learn how to respond and that is why they are in the final on Saturday.”

Josh Weeteringen finds a hole in the Willow Creek defense as the Titans win 39-19 and earn a spot in the provincial championship this Saturday in Calgary.

    The team is prepared. With Weeteringen back in the line-up, as well a Ben Huculak, who has missed the bulk of the season with injuries, the Titans are looking to go all the way.
   They will be facing the Holy Rosary Raiders from Lloydmintser, who defeated the Cold Lake Royals 35-15.
   Fournier said he has had a look at the Raiders and says they have a strong passing game.
   “They can definitely move the ball through the air. We have to be sharp on defense and do the best we can,” said Fournier.
   For only the third time this season the Titans will be wearing their black home uniforms as they take on Holy Rosary at Shouldice Park in Calgary at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Junior A Saints end season on high

    The St. Anthony’s Saints junior A girls volleyball team have wrapped up a strong season.
   The team competed in Championship night on November 5 and finished third in their league.
   This comes on the heels of a strong showing at a tournament in Three Hills. There were 16 teams at the tournament and while they were not able to place, a two set win over DVSS was a moral victory for the team.
   “That was a really big deal for the girls,” said coach Kayla Davies.
   The team also won the Sportsmanship Award at the Christ the Redeemer Divisional tournament.
   It was an exciting year for the young team, which only has one grade 9 player. The rest of the squad are in Grade 8, meaning the future of the program looks bright.
   “Next year they will all be Grade 9, which is great, so hopefully they all learned a lot and we can do even better next year,” said Davies.
   “They improved tremendously, I am super proud of all of them.”

The Saints won the Sportsmanship Award at the Christ the Redeemer Divisional tournament. Members of the team are (l-r) Hannah Reed, Payton Zacharuk, Kayla Finkbiner, Olivia Brisebois, Ocean Bossert, Rachel Graf, Anna McGillivray, Samantha Ptashnik and Carmanah Olbrich. Missing is Lizzy Bomford.

Titans victory advances team to southern final

The Titans are one step closer on the road to the provincial championship after putting Canmore away in convincing fashion.
It has been almost exactly a year since the Titans and Canmore have faced each other on the field. And while the two teams are familiar with how each other plays, Coach Ken Fournier said Canmore had a few surprises.

The Titans’ swarming defense kept Canmore to just two touchdowns as they cruised to a 49-14 win. The Titans advance to the Southern Alberta final to take on Willow Creek School in Claresholm this Saturday.

    “They were a bit different than last year. They ran some good plays, but we took the game away after the first quarter,” said Fournier.
   In fact, Canmore came out strong and in the first quarter, the two teams were tied. By halftime however, the Titans were up 27-7. They went on to win 49-14.
   Fournier said offensively Gage Berdahl and Steven Robertson had great game and connected for nearly 200 yards in passing.
   “All of our offensive scoring came from different players,” said Fournier, he also pointed great games by Justin Schinnour and Joey Samoleski on defense.
   The post season for the Titans is becoming familiar territory, but nothing they take lightly. This Saturday they are heading to Claresholm to take on Willow Creek School. A win will clinch a spot in the Provincial final.
   Again, they are a familiar team and coach Fournier has been scouting. He doesn’t foresee many surprises.
   “They definitely have some guys who can make an impact on their offense… we are looking to control that,” said Fournier. “The next game will be a good one. If we can pass them, it will be a good game to prepare us for the final.”
   This same weekend, Holy Rosary of Lloydminster and Cold Lake will be in competition for the Northern Alberta spot in the final.

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