Sports | DrumhellerMail

Top 100 high school footballers showcase skills

    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.

Raptors play in memory of friend in Charmont Memorial Tournament

    The stands were packed at the Drumheller and Morrin arenas when teams from all over the province came down to play in the Charmont Memorial Tournament this past weekend.
   Two teams from Drumheller, the Yavis and Encana atom Raptors, rose to the top of their respective pools in the tournament.
   The Encana Raptors, who played in the B pool ended the weekend as champions.
   “They won the B final 5-4 over Okotoks on Sunday. It was a back and forth tension filled game,” said Paul Richard, head coach of the Encana Raptors. “Both sides were really happy the teams were very competitive and it wasn’t a blow out either way. It came down to the last two minutes of the game. The kids tried really hard. The coaches are proud of their effort.”
   The Encana Raptors started off the tournament on the right foot, winning their first game. They ran into trouble and lost their next two, but managed to bounce back and earn a spot in the finals.
   The Yavis Raptors made it to the A finals, but were bested by a tough squad from Wetaskawin.
   “It went very well. We made it to the A finals, but lost a close game,” said Tony Pliva, head coach of the Yavis Raptors. “They are in a different association than we are. It’s sometimes difficult to get teams of the same caliber and they were a little better.”
   The Yavis Raptors opened the tournament with a big win, but lost their second game. They then battled back to make it to the finals.
   For the Yavis Raptors the weekend was a chance to bond.
   “It was a really good team bonding weekend. The kids played five games under 36 hours and spent a lot of time together. They really came together. It was the best thing that could happen,” said Pliva.
   The tournament was created in memory of Chris and his son John Charmont who were killed in an explosion at a resort hotel in Mexico in November 2010. Chris helped coach and manage minor hockey teams and John was an atom player when he passed away.
   Many of those who participated in the tournament knew Chris and John.
   “My son for one was in John’s class when the accident happened. We played hockey with him, I worked with Chris as an assistant coach when he was a manager,” said Pliva. “A lot of the kids were the same age as John.”
   Richard remembers coaching with the two.
   “I knew John and Chris quite well. I coached with Chris for a number of years and I coached John in hockey and lacrosse. This tournament touches me in a different way than maybe other people. I knew the kind of kid John was and why he played, so I wanted the kids to put in the effort John would. He was always smiling, but every shift he would give it his all,” said Richard. “I want the kids to have the same attitude when they go to the rink.”

Connor Wright (left) celebrates after scoring at goal for the Yavis atom Raptors at the Charmont Memorial Tournament this past weekend. The team earned a spot in the A pool finals, but were defeated by a team from Wetaskawin. The Encana atom team won 5-4 over Okotoks in the B finals. The tournament was created in memory of Chris Charmont and his son, John, who passed away in an explosion at a resort hotel in Mexico in November 2010.

Hoop season begins at DVSS

    Off the gridiron and into the cage, the valley is on the cusp of hoops season and DVSS is ready for another competitive season.
   Last year the senior boys Dynos earned silver at provincials and are looking forward to another competitive season.
   They have been practicing for about three weeks and have a strong contingent back in the fold.
   “We have eight returning players and four rookies this year, and all 12 players have shown a lot of enthusiasm and a strong will to learn and improve,” said head coach Jeff Messom. “Even though we have eight returning players, we are an inexperienced team this year, as we graduated all of our starters and some key bench players in last year's run to provincials.”
   The team has a busy schedule this season, playing in the Golden Hill League and in six tournaments including their own two home contests. They are also heading out of province to play at a tournament in Middle Lake, Saskatchewan.
   Messom is looking forward to a season of progression.
   “This is always an exciting time for me, because I get a chance to begin to mood the team into my vision,” he says. “However, the only thing I am sure of is what we look like at the beginning of the season will be different by the end of the season.”
   The junior high boys Dynos are already practicing for the upcoming season. They had an incredible turnout with 35 players participating in tryouts for the squad. Al Molzan is back coaching the Grade 8/9 team. The school is still looking for a fulltime coach for the Grade 7/8 squad. Until then, Messom and Molzan will be pitching in.
   The girls are also getting into the action. Messom says the senior high school girls are
in tryouts on November 19 and 20, and the junior high girls tryouts are November 20 and 21.

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