Sports | DrumhellerMail

Yavis Raptors win Charmont Memorial Tournament

charmont

The Yavis Atom Raptors took home the championship at the Charmont Memorial Tournament.

The tournament named in memory of Chris and John Charmont who lost their lives tragically in 2010, was played out at the Drumheller Memorial Arena over the weekend. The Raptors invited seven other teams in the round robin tournament.

Raptors toppled Chestermere in their first game 10-0 on Friday night, November 9. They continued to win topping Blackfalds 9-1 and then Indus 4-0.

This put them in the championship game Sunday afternoon, November 11 versus Cochrane. They won 4-1.

The Raptors have been playing well and coach Ryan Bitz is proud of his team.

“They passed really well, they skate with their heads up and are looking for their teammates,” said Bitz. “And that is not just for this tournament, but the last five games, so it has been really good.”

Last weekend was a break for league realignment, and the Yavis Raptors are going to be playing at tier 3 this season.

‘We were in tier 4 but the boys have played pretty good, and Corbin Mouton is an outstanding little goalie for us, he sure helps out,” said Bitz. “My coaching staff is really top notch, they do a great job too.”

The season schedule is getting made-up and play resumes this coming week.

Time clock issues end Titans’ season

titans LIGHTENED

The senior Titans’ season ended on a sour note after time clock issues contributed to a loss to Taber on Saturday in the provincial semi-finals.

After a season which saw the squad play “ironman” football with a limited roster, the Titans returned home on November 10 with a 16-13 loss to Taber after they scored in the last two minutes of play. Coach Ken Fournier and spectators reported the time clock was not running at points in the game, giving Taber extra time to get ahead of Drumheller in the last moments of the game.

“This is my 35th season of football and I’ve never seen something like it,” says Fournier, who adds the referees dismissed the team’s concern and would not listen to the coaches or team captain. A complaint has been filed with Football Alberta.

“To have your guys go down there and play a fantastic game – both teams played fantastic – it was hokey and I was not impressed. The stakes are pretty high so it’s disappointing to go in and lose a game in that manner.”

The Titans faced adversity all season, beginning with a small roster which had players filling both offensive and defensive roles as well as special teams. The team finishes with a 6-4 record including playoffs but only had one loss heading into the end of the season.

“Season wise we were limited by what we could do. These guys played ironman football all year, they played very well to come out like they did. It takes an entire solid team effort to get to where they were,” Fournier says. “That’s what being a part of the Titans means.”

The team is hoping their roster grows next year. Six senior Titans will be graduating this year but the success of the bantam Titans and the Terrapins this year means the organization will have some talent coming up in future seasons.

Senior Titans off to provincials to face top seed

The Titans are still heading to provincials this weekend, but lost home-field advantage after a 0-10 loss to the Canmore Wolverines in the snow on Friday, November 2. The boys will be playing the top seed W.R. Myers Revels in the regional semi-finals. Game time is at 1 p.m. in Taber on Saturday, November 10.

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