Category Archives: Sports

Davidson, Hanley, Sports

Sabers rush ahead, despite Raiders’ strong opening

The Hanley Sabers' Tareq Halabi (21) winds up for a pass during a game against the Davidson Raiders on Thursday.
The Hanley Sabers’ Tareq Halabi (21) winds up for a pass during a game against the Davidson Raiders on Thursday.

By Joel van der Veen

HANLEY — In the words of Davidson coach Jason Low, it began with “the best half of football we’ve ever played” but ended in disappointment.

Though the Davidson Raiders were the underdogs leading into Thursday’s senior football game against the Hanley Sabers, they more than proved themselves in the game’s closely-fought first half.

Davidson led 36-34 at the game’s midway point, but Hanley slipped ahead in the third quarter, and before long the lead had passed beyond Davidson’s reach. The final score was 78-50 in the Sabers’ favour.

“It’s hard on the system,” said Low, acknowledging his frustration at the loss and noting that the Raiders had demonstrated their skills in what he called a “roller coaster of a game.”

“If we could have kept up the momentum from the first half, we could have won,” he said. “Everybody was clicking as a team.”

Davidson opened the night with a touchdown by Addison Ouellette. Hanley countered with scores by Tareq Halabi and Marshall Prosofsky, but a touchdown by Davidson quarterback Andrew Read and a successful convert by Morgan Manz gave the Raiders a slight lead at the end of the first quarter.

Both teams scored three touchdowns and two converts apiece during the second quarter, as the lead moved back and forth.

The Sabers surged ahead towards the end of the third quarter, when the score stood at 56-44; they continued to dominate through the end of the game.

Marshall Prosofsky scored a total of six touchdowns for Hanley; Tareq Halabi scored four, while Colten Olyniuk and Evan Ashdown contributed one each. Conor Prosofsky completed a total of six converts for the team.

Addison Ouellette scored four touchdowns for Davidson; Andrew Read scored two and Jacob Schilling scored one. Morgan Manz completed four converts.

For the full story, please see the Oct. 12 edition of The Davidson Leader.

Davidson, Hanley, Sports

Spirits up after seniors win over Viscount

Davidson's Jacob Schilling rushes down the field during Thursday's game against the Viscount Vikings.
Davidson’s Jacob Schilling rushes down the field during Thursday’s game against the Viscount Vikings.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Morale is high as the Davidson Raiders senior football team prepares for this week’s game against the Hanley Sabers.

A 62-28 win over the Viscount Vikings on Thursday boosted the team’s spirits, following a 46-12 loss to the LCBI Bisons at home the previous week.

“We were in control for the entire game,” coach Jason Low said following Thursday’s game, calling it a “good team win.”

He said the Raiders’ offence was “back on track” after struggling against LCBI, while the defence made some adjustments and enjoyed a solid second half.

Bisons 46 Raiders 12

As Davidson hosted LCBI on Sept. 25, the play contrasted sharply with their last confrontation, an exhibition game that ended in a 70-66 win for the Raiders.

This game began with an early touchdown for the Bisons. While they failed to score in the first quarter, the Raiders stayed hot on their guests’ heels, with the defence holding LCBI to a nine-point lead.

LCBI surged ahead in the next quarter, adding three touchdowns and extending their lead to 30-0.

Davidson made an impressive push on both sides in the third quarter. LCBI managed one touchdown, but Kieran Boehm and Dawson George both scored for the Raiders, bringing the score to 38-12.

A final touchdown for the Bisons in the fourth quarter brought the total to 48-12.

Defensive coach Greg McJannet said LCBI had clearly made some changes to its plays, to which Davidson struggled to adjust.

“As a team we didn’t click and do the things we needed to do,” he said, explaining that the team needed to focus on making a “full-team effort.”

“We win and lose as a team,” he said, acknowledging that the absence of several players due to injury or travel complicated matters.

Raiders 62 Vikings 28

McJannet said a win was expected against Viscount in Thursday’s game. Though some of the Vikings had played in another co-op program, this is their first season as a team.

“We’ve told the boys, that doesn’t matter,” said McJannet earlier in the week. “They’ll be hungry for a win.”

He said the defence had anticipated a traditional game in which they would face relatively simple plays, while the offence hoped to get back on track.

Happily for Davidson, they were able to dominate over the Vikings right out of the gate, with Jacob Schilling scoring back-to-back touchdowns in the first quarter. Addison Ouellette scored a third to give the Raiders a 22-0 lead.

Viscount was able to respond in the second quarter, but touchdowns by Clay Murfitt and Jacob Schilling gave Davidson a commanding 38-14 lead at the halfway point.

“We were able to get almost all of our rookies some playing time in this game,” noted Low, while Morgan Manz was able to score converts on all but one touchdown, contributing a total of 14 points over the game.

Ryan Skinner and Jacob Schilling scored touchdowns in the third quarter, while Addison Ouellette contributed the Raiders’ final touchdown towards the end to bring the score to 62-28.

Up next

The Raiders currently hold a 1-2 record; McJannet said the team has hopes of reaching the playoffs with a couple of additional wins. Of the six teams in the 1A division, the top four return to compete in playoffs.

As of press time, Hanley had a 2-0 record, having defeated Viscount 87-20 on Sept. 25. In other 1A football action, the Caronport Cougars defeated the Central Butte Bulldogs 34-14 on Sept. 24, also giving them a perfect record so far.

Hanley was scheduled to host Central Butte this past Friday and will take on Davidson on Oct. 8.

Craik, Davidson, Kenaston, Sports

Raiders aim to improve defence after loss to Cougars

Addison Ouellette of the Davidson Raiders tries to block an attack from the opposing Caronport Cougars during a senior football game on Sept. 18.
Addison Ouellette of the Davidson Raiders tries to block an attack from the opposing Caronport Cougars during a senior football game on Sept. 18.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Defence will be the focus for the Davidson Raiders following a close loss to the Caronport Cougars last weekend.

The Davidson senior football team was in contention for most of the Sept. 18 game — narrowing the gap to four points during the fourth quarter — but fell behind in the closing minutes, resulting in a 76-62 victory for their guests.

Defensive coach Greg McJannet said last week that he and the other coaches were pleased with the effort, adding that strengthening the Raiders’ defence will be the next piece in the puzzle.

“It was a little more wide open than we wanted it to be,” he said, noting that the team’s offence had played very effectively. “We need to make sure our defence is on the same page.”

The Sept. 18 game was the Raiders’ season opener, following a 70-66 win over the LCBI Bisons in an exhibition game at home on Sept. 10.

The Raiders struggled to keep up with the Cougars in the first half, lagging at 38-26 after the second quarter.

Davidson scored four touchdowns in the final quarter — including two conversions, adding a total of 28 points to their score — but Caronport rebounded in the last minutes, surging ahead to claim a secure victory.

McJannet acknowledged that the Raiders struggled in some areas, giving up too many points and failing to contain their opponents’ passes, for instance.

“It takes a lot of coaching to get good pass coverage,” he said, noting that Caronport had a strong aerial game.

McJannet said the team is aiming to give up fewer than 30 points at each game, in the belief that they will be able to overpower any competitor they face this season.

He had compliments for the O-line, including Andrew Read, Addison Ouellette and Dawson George, crediting them for “working as a unit.” He also said the defence was making progress and “doing lots of good things.”

McJannet noted the strong attendance at both games so far this year, observing that fans in Davidson and other communities were recognizing the team’s improved performance this fall.

For the full story, please see the Sept. 28 edition of The Davidson Leader.

Davidson, Loreburn, Sports

RaiTec comes out on top in home tournament

Madelyn Vollmer (6) of the Davidson/Loreburn RaiTec delivers a jump serve during the team’s home tournament, held Sept. 11 and 12 in Davidson.
Madelyn Vollmer (6) of the Davidson/Loreburn RaiTec delivers a jump serve during the team’s home tournament, held Sept. 11 and 12 in Davidson.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — A weekend of spikes, smashes and serves ended in victory for the Davidson/Loreburn RaiTec.

The local senior girls volleyball team hosted five opponents in a weekend tournament at Davidson School on Sept. 11 and 12, defeating Porcupine Plain in the final to claim first place overall.

Also taking part in the tournament were teams from Allan, Biggar, Beechy and Vonda. The teams faced off against each other one by one with the top two schools competing in the final on Saturday.

Coach Karen McConnell said the event was a success and noted that the girls are playing together well, even at this early point in the year. She predicted a “very exciting season” ahead.

“Our Grade 10 girls are fitting in perfectly,” she noted. “The girls are all super hard-working … I’m excited to see how much they grow over the season.”

The RaiTec visited Outlook High School on Wednesday to take on the senior girls there, winning in all five sets. In one set, Loreburn’s Karissa Rendall made 19 consecutive serves.

The team was scheduled to face a couple of recent opponents again over the weekend as the girls visited both Beechy and Porcupine Plain.

In other local volleyball action, Kenaston’s senior girls hosted Outlook’s Lutheran Collegiate Bible Institute on Wednesday. LCBI won three sets while the home team won the remaining two.

Craik, Davidson, Kenaston, Sports

White for the win: Raiders kick off year with win over LCBI

Pictured is the Raiders' Dawson George (25), carrying the ball to score one of the five touchdowns he completed on Thursday night.
Pictured is the Raiders’ Dawson George (25), carrying the ball to score one of the five touchdowns he completed on Thursday night.

By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — If Thursday’s game set the tone for the months to follow, Davidson Raiders football fans can look forward to a highly exciting season.

The senior Raiders enjoyed a 70-66 win in an exhibition game over the Lutheran Collegiate Bible Institute (LCBI) Bisons of Outlook, delighting a hometown crowd at the Kinsmen Field.

After a tight first half that saw the lead shift back and forth several times, the Raiders held the lead for virtually the entire second half, though the Bisons were never far behind.

It was a captivating game, and coach Jason Low said he was proud of the team and pleased to be able to return the support shown by the community with a win at home.

He credited the win to a combined effort by the entire team, along with strong performances on both offence and defence and the support of an expanded coaching staff.

“We won today because we played as a team,” Low said Thursday night. “They’ve been working hard . . . I’m excited and I’m proud of the guys.”

LCBI has proved a strong competitor in past years, routinely defeating the Raiders, and Thursday’s success was a hard-earned reversal of fortune.

Low said the team is working to view each game as a potential victory within their grasp, explaining, “Our approach this season was that we wanted to beat everybody.”

Dawson George of Kenaston scored the Raiders’ opening touchdown and would go on to score four more by the game’s end.

Among the other offensive highlights were a breakaway run by Dylan Payne and back-to-back touchdowns by quarterback Andrew Read. Jacob Schilling also completed two touchdowns.

A major factor in the team’s win was its success in kicking field goals. The Raiders managed to earn conversions on five out of 10 touchdowns, adding a total of 20 points to their score.

Davidson held a slim lead at the midway point with a score of 34-32, and maintained that lead for most of the second half, though the score was briefly tied at 46 points each.

Low noted he was impressed with defensive backs Cole Murfitt and James Morrison, saying they provided good coverage and fine tackling.

He also had praise for Reegan Taylor, saying he played with “a lot of heart, and left it all on the field.”

The coach acknowledged that the team had picked up its share of penalties through the course of the game, chalking some of that up to opening night jitters.

“A lot of that’s normal but, I think, preventable,” he said. “A lot of it will come with experience.”

Low said the expanded coaching staff had proven immensely helpful, allowing individual coaches to focus on particular areas and bringing considerable expertise to the team.

He said it was a major factor in the team’s victory, along with the junior football program, in which many of the younger players have taken part.

“The more kids we get out playing junior ball, the more football sense they have,” he said. “They’re just stepping into sports that much easier.”

The victory over LCBI was only the second win for the senior team since Davidson School revived its football program in the fall of 2011.

Loreburn, Sports

Rain results in big crowds for Loreburn RAVE tournament

Gracie Allan (7) of the Davidson/Loreburn RaiTec dives for the ball during a game in the RAVE tournament held at Loreburn last weekend.
Gracie Allan (7) of the Davidson/Loreburn RaiTec dives for the ball during a game in the RAVE tournament held at Loreburn last weekend.

By Joel van der Veen

LOREBURN — Few would have welcomed the prospect of a rainy Labour Day weekend, but it proved a boon for organizers of Loreburn’s annual senior girls volleyball tournament.

The rain may have put farmers behind schedule, but it also brought piles of spectators and volunteers to the Loreburn rink, said Brandy Losie.

“The place was packed all Friday night and all day Saturday,” said the village administrator. “The rain really helped.”

A total of 15 teams competed in the senior RAVE (Really Amazing Volleyball Event) tournament, held Sept. 4 and 5 and organized by the Loreburn Recreation Board and Loreburn Central School (LCS).

The North West Central School Wildcats from Plenty were the winners of the event, coming out on top in the championship pool that also included the Assiniboia Rockets, the Eston Mustangs and the Davidson/Loreburn RaiTec B.

Other competitors included the Hanley Sabers, the Kenaston Kodiaks, the LCBI Bisons, the Frontier Raiders, the Outlook Blues, the Dinsmore Wildcats, the Beechy/Lucky Lake Blazers, the Marengo/Westcliff High Warriors, the Eatonia Spartans and the St. Walburg Saints.

Losie said planning for the event hit a snag as the new gym floor at LCS wasn’t yet ready for use, forcing organizers to hold all the matches in the Loreburn rink.

However, two teams subsequently dropped out of the event, and with players from the Davidson/Loreburn RaiTec splitting into two teams, the tournament went ahead smoothly.

Losie said the weekend went well from an organizational standpoint. The school and recreation board have combined forces to run the tournament, with lots of help from students and others.

The teams were divided into three pools for round robin games on Friday night and Saturday morning. They were then split up again based on their performance, with the winner declared from the championship pool.

The Davidson/Loreburn B team won all eight of its matches in the round robin section, finishing first in the C pool, but ended up fourth in the championship pool with just one win out of six matches.

Kenaston won five matches and lost three in the round robin, coming second in the B pool, and then finished third in the X pool with three wins and three losses.

Hanley had four wins and four losses in the round robin section, coming third in pool C, but then won five out of six matches in the X pool to take first place there.

The Davidson/Loreburn A team won three and lost five in the round robin section, giving them fourth place in the A pool. They then finished in second place in the Y pool with three wins and three losses.

Loreburn’s junior volleyball tournament was scheduled for this past weekend, featuring a total of 16 entries, evenly divided between boys’ and girls’ teams.

Losie said the gym floor was ready to go as of last Tuesday, so both the school and the rink were expected to be busy over the weekend. Details will follow in an upcoming edition of the Leader.