Sports | DrumhellerMail

Cardston provides Titans with reality check

    The Titans were humbled Saturday going in to one of the toughest stadiums in the province.
   The Titans travelled to Cardston on Saturday to play the Cougars. The Cougars are in the Top 10 of Tier 3 teams and plays in a perennially tough league in Southern Alberta.
   Despite this, head coach Ken Fournier wasn’t that impressed.
   “They were not a lot better than Canmore,” said Fournier, of the team that handed the Titans a 52-7 defeat.
   He said his team, from coaches on down to players, may not have been properly prepared for such a team, and overconfidence may have crept into the team’s psyche.
   “They are a very well coached team, every player was playing their heart out,” said Fournier.
   Spencer Fournier, who already has 10 touchdowns this season, went down on his ankle in his first drive of the game. This was a blow for the team on the field and in the coming days as they are hopeful he will be back in a few weeks.
   “If you want to make a run, part of being a championship team is overcoming obstacles and defining the character in yourself, and that is what it takes. No one will tell you that it is easy, it just takes getting out there and giving everything you’ve got.”
   The loss dropped the Titans in ranking from number one to three in the Tier 4 schools in the province.
   For Fournier the loss was a learning experience the team needed, as well as a reality check.
   “They showed us literally every mistake we made and that is what we need. In order to execute at a higher level we need to know where the mistakes are happening, everything from missed blocks to missed tackles,” said Fournier.
   The loss doesn’t deter the Titans from facing tough competition and they are preparing to host Bowness School of Calgary this Saturday at home. Game time is 4 p.m.
   “The guys have to show up. There was a lot of lack of focus at practices, not putting 100 per cent … were not challenging ourselves at practice.”

Bantam Titans overcome Springbank

    The Bantam Titans chalked up their first win of the season, and it came against a worthy foe.
   The Bantam Titans were the second half of a double header at home Saturday against Springbank.
   Their first drive down the field yielded a touchdown, and it didn’t stop after that as the Titans went on to a 36-20 win. Aden Enns and Nick Kakuk led the offense and a strong defense effort contributed to the win.
   “They made it interesting in the fourth quarter,” said head coach Paul Redmond. “The defense played well as the offense started clicking.”
   The Bantam Titans had never defeated Springbank leading up to Saturday afternoon’s game. Redmond was confident his team would be in the hunt.
   “I saw how they played last weekend, and it made for a good match,” said Redmond.
   He says it appears there is parity in the league as most teams are strong.
   This week they are on the road to play Lindsay Thurber of Red Deer. Often the large urban school fields a strong team.
   “They played Hunting Hills of Red Deer and Lacombe and they were both vey close games, so I am thinking they are not the powerhouse they were last year,” said Redmond, adding that Lindsay Thurber was a tier two finalist last season. “I think we will do very well.”

DVSS senior girls volleyball season underway

    The Drumheller Valley Secondary School (DVSS) senior Dynos girls volleyball team is setting up for a big season this year and are hoping to serve up some big wins.
   The season started Wednesday evening in the DVSS gym against Trochu.
   The Dynos dominated against Trochu, winning two games straight. The Dynos serves were spot on, they dug for the ball, they spiked the ball where the Trochu squad didn’t expect, and they were a like a brick wall at the net.
   In the first game the Dynos won 25-17 and in the second, 25-18.
   The Dynos have been hard at work since the beginning of the school year. Inevitably the team roster changes year to year, owing to players graduating from high school. Last year, a few members of the team moved on. This year, a few new players have joined the team.
   “A few girls graduated last year, so it’s definitely a building team. There are some newbies on the team and there are five grade 12’s this year, out of 13 players. They’re looking pretty good so far,” said Sullivan.
   The volleyball season consists of eight games of round robin play and playoffs. The DVSS senior girls have also signed up for six tournaments this year. The team is already heading off to a tournament this weekend in Calgary.
   The girls will be up against 15 other teams this weekend at a tournament being hosted by the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT).
   “There will for sure be some city teams. It’ll give us a good understanding about where we fit in with 2A and 3A teams in terms of possibilities for the season, but it’s still pretty early to know for sure,” said Sullivan.
   Sullivan went on to add the SAIT tournament will be a good opportunity for the girls to show their skills for the coaches of the SAIT volleyball team.
   The season is barely underway and its already shaping up to be busy for the girls. The team is optimistic about the upcoming year.

The DVSS senior girls volleyball team is gearing up for a great season.
The team won its first home game on Wednesday against Trochu
in the DVSS gym and will be heading to Calgary this weekend for a tournament.
The team includes (back, l-r) Brigitte Doolittle, Brenna Grieve,
Raine McDougald, Bonnie Courtenay, Becky Gough,
Allyson Campbell, Kendra Schmidt, Madison Colberg,
Mikayla Britton, Shae-Lynn Skytt, (front) Shae Mirbach,
coach Dawn Sullivan, Leah Neuman, and (missing) Zaynah Chomos.

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