The DVSS senior girls Dynos basketball team started off their season on the right foot on Monday for their season/home opener.
    The Dynos hosted the Trochu Blue Jays and came away with a 59-26 win.
    In the first quarter, both teams struggled to generate any offence, but the Dynos came out on top with a 13-8 lead by the end of the quarter.
    However, the Dynos started to gel halfway through the second quarter. By the end of the half, the Dynos were in control with a 31-15 lead.
    The Dynos continued to pour on the offence after halftime and their defence was difficult for the Blue Jays to crack.
    In their first game of the season, the Dynos shined in several areas, despite only having several practices under their belts.
    “I’m very happy with the girls. They’ve improved so much over two practices. Their defence has really improved and they work as a team so well,” said Jennifer Raugust, head coach for the senior girls Dynos. “We were missing quite a few girls last practice, so we didn’t have a chance to run over any plays. The girls made it work though.”
    The girls were solid in their own end. They were on top of any rebounds and managed to get quite a few steals and interceptions.
    Despite the win, the team knows there is room for improvement. Early in the game they struggled with a few turnovers. Raugust also noted other areas they will work on in practice.
    “They need to work on finishing, making their shots, getting open, and communicating,” said Raugust.
    The team will be back on the court this weekend when they host their first tournament at DVSS. First game for the Dynos starts at 2:30 p.m. The tournament comes after the team has only played one league game and practiced only a handful of times.
    “It’s good to see what all the teams are going to be like and what areas we need to improve in,” said Jennifer Raugust, head coach for the Dynos.
    Seven teams, hailing from Beiseker, Clearwater, Hanna, Olds, Three Hills, and Trochu will be attending the tournament. Many of the teams they will be facing in the regular season.
    Despite the short notice, Raugust is confident they have what it takes to be a contender.
    “We had practices each day this week. I want to help the girls improve as much as they possibly can so they have a successful season,” said Raugust. “Things will only go up from here.”
    The first game for the Dynos starts at 2:30 p.m. today in the DVSS gym. The final game of the tournament is schedule for 7 p.m. on Saturday. Everyone is welcome to come and cheer on the Dynos.

Kali Fournier (left) forces her way past a Trochu Blue Jay at the senior girls Dynos season/home opener on Monday evening. The girls dominated the game, winning 59-26. Their next game is 2:30 p.m. on Friday, when they host a tournament at DVSS this weekend.

    This Sunday the best of the best in high school football will be at the Badlands Community Facility for the Alberta Top 100 combines.
    The reputation of Drumheller as a strong football community was cemented last weekend as the Titans won their second Tier IV provincial title in as many years.
    This is also the second year All Star Football has been in Drumheller to host a combine. Last year the program was regional. This year the top 100 players from throughout the province will be coming to Drumheller.
    “We have kids coming from all over Alberta,” said Ron Laprise of All Star Football.
    Ron Dias of All Star Football  is doing combines in Calgary, Edmonton and Southern Alberta looking at players. The top players from these combines will be referred by their coaches to Drumheller for this Sunday.
    Laprise says he expects about a dozen Drumheller Titan players to be at the camp.
    A combine is where a football player is put through the paces assessing their skills, fitness and agility, and compiling this data. This provides a snapshot of a player’s development.
    This information is compiled and All Star Football makes it available to scouts at the post secondary level in Canada and beyond. All Star Football hosts combines in most major areas in Canada and maintains www.allcanadagridiron.info that tracks amateur football nationally.
    The combine is also expecting representation from a number of post secondary institutions and junior programs to scout some of the prospects.
    This year they are also including the top 50 Bantam players in their own combine.  This will provide the players with a benchmark of their abilities, giving them a reference point for their development.
    “We decided we are going to turn it into the Rising Stars,” said Laprise.
    All-Star Football is planning to make Drumheller the permanent host for the Top 100 Combine.
    “This is a building year to get the message out because this is going to continuously grow and get even better,” he said, adding that Drumheller’s reputation for football is also going to continue to grow.
    “This is going to be a breeding ground for good football, winning two provincial titles like this,” he said.
    The combine goes at 11 a.m. on Sunday at the Badlands Community Facility.