Another one bites the dust.
    The Drumheller Midget Tier 3 Raptors have advanced to zone championships after utterly decimating the Canmore  Eagles in one game by a score of 11-1.
    Normally, provincial rounds are decided in two games.
    “We did really good. We automatically advanced to the next round,” said assistant coach Nick Schinnour. “I don’t think they (the Raptors) wanted to go to Canmore, because the Super Bowl was on, so they took it in one game.”
    The game started off locked in a stalemate, with a lot of end-to-end play. It wasn’t until late in the first period that Spencer Fournier gave the Raptors the lead with a two-on-one rush goal.
    From there, the Raptors dominated the game. Fournier would go on to score six more times before the game was done.
    “I was surprised we beat them by that much. I was expecting to win, but not by ten goals,” said Schinnour. “Sometimes teams just have bad games, but we had a really good one. The boys played great. It was probably the best I’ve seen them play all year.”
    One of the biggest factors to the Raptors success, explained Schinnour, was staying out of the penalty box.
    The Raptors continued the momentum on Saturday when they headed to Airdrie, where they won 6-4.
    The Raptors have a busy weekend ahead. Last night they hit the road to play their first game of zones against a tough Three Hills squad. Game 2 will be held at the Drumheller Memorial Arena on Wednesday, February 13.
    Last year, the Raptors ousted Three Hills from provincials.
    “They’re in a higher Tier than us. We faced them last year in zone playoffs too, so they’ll be out for redemption,” said Schinnour.
    They continue their league games on Friday versus Strathmore and Indus on Sunday. Friday’s game will be at home and starts at 7:15 p.m.

    The Drumheller Valley Secondary School (DVSS) senior girls basketball team is getting back on track.
    Two weeks ago, the Dynos were denied by the always tough Acme Redmen. The game opened with the Redmen gaining a small lead over the Dynos.
    However, both teams seemed evenly matched. Each basket the Redmen scored, the Dynos would reply with one of their own. For every turnover by the Dynos, the Redmen would return the favour.
    By the end of the first half, the Dynos were only down by  three points.
    Once play resumed, the Dynos were continually on the heels of the Redmen. Despite their efforts, the Dynos couldn’t overtake their opponent and lost by one point.
    The game was challenging and physical for the Dynos, but head coach Jennifer Raugust saw the team returning to their pre-holidays form.
    “It was an incredible game and so much fun. The girls played so well. I was very proud of them,” said Raugust. “We just need to do some conditioning and we’ll be even more threatening.”
    Last week, the Dynos had a break after their game against the Trochu Blue Jays was cancelled due to the inclement weather. The game gave them a chance to practice for their game on Monday versus Prairie Christian Academy.
    “Playing PCA was good practice for the girls. They’ve learned some new plays and had a chance to try to iron out the wrinkles,” said Raugust. “The only thing they need to work on is putting the ball in the net.”
    After battling with injuries and sickness, which left them with only seven players against the Redmen, the Dynos are now healthy again.
    The Dynos return to the court this weekend for a tournament and then again on Monday for round two of the Battle of Drumheller versus the St. Anthony’s Sabres. They then travel to Acme for a rematch against the Redmen.