Local Sports
Basketball And Volleyball Sweeps For Kings And Queens
It was a successful and exciting weekend for the Red Deer College teams. Both RDC Volleyball squads defeated the Briercrest College Clippers in a pair of home matches. The Queens and Kings Basketball teams defeated the Ambrose University Lions in a homeand-home series and the RDC Kings Hockey club picked up 3-of-4 points against the University of Alberta (Augustana) Vikings.
Here is a summary of what happened this past week in RDC Athletics.
Queens Volleyball | Friday, Feb. 17 | RDC
The Red Deer College Queens swept the Briercrest College Clippers in straight sets (25-19, 25-22 and 25-23). Miranda Dawe led the Queens with 11 kills. The Kinesiology and Sport Studies student added 1 assist, 2 service aces, 1 stuff block and 5 digs.
Kings Volleyball | Friday, Feb. 17 | RDC
The RDC Kings defeated the Briercrest College Clippers in 3 sets (25-13, 25-21 and 25-13). Brian Grenier led the Kings with 8 kills. The Kinesiology and Sport Studies student added 5 service aces.
Queens Basketball | Friday, Feb. 17 | Ambrose University
In Calgary, the RDC Queens defeated the Ambrose University Lions 76-57. Emily White led the Queens with 20 points. The Management Certificate student added 2 blocks, 4 steals, 2 assists and 16 rebounds for RDC. Dedra Janvier scored 19 points and Brooke Kirkpatrick chipped in with 10 points for the Queens.
Kings Basketball | Friday, Feb. 17 | Ambrose University
The Red Deer College Kings defeated the Ambrose University Lions 99-86. Ian Tevis stacked up 24 points, 2 blocks, 2 steals, 1 assist and 13 rebounds for RDC.
Kings Hockey | Friday, Feb. 17 | U of A (Augustana campus)
The Augustana Vikings edged the RDC Kings 3-2 in overtime. In Camrose, Blair Mulder and Tyler Berkholtz scored for the Kings. The RDC Kings picked up 1 point in the standings.
Queens Volleyball | Saturday, Feb. 18 | RDC
The RDC Main Gym was electric throughout this afternoon match. The Queens defeated the Clippers in 5 sets (19-25, 25-19, 25-16, 19-25 and 15-7). Ashley Fehr finished with 49 assists, 2 stuff blocks and 8 digs for RDC.
“It was a test of resilience today,” said Queens Volleyball Head Coach Chris Wandler. “It was important to pull out a meaningful game, build confidence and move forward.” With the victory, the RDC Queens (21-3) capture 1st place in the ACAC Women’s Volleyball South Division with 42 points and extend their winning streak to 16 straight matches. The regular season is complete and the Queens prepare for the ACAC Women’s Volleyball Championship Feb. 23-25. Lakeland College will be hosting the event.
Kings Volleyball | Saturday, Feb. 18 | RDC
On their home court, the Kings swept the Clippers (25-10, 25-20 and 25-16) in their final regular season match. Regan Fathers accumulated 19 kills, 1 assist, 5 service aces, 1 stuff block and 8 digs for the Kings.
“It was kind of what we wanted heading into the playoffs. Our blocking was better today. Our transition game was really good,” said Kings Volleyball Head Coach Aaron Schulha. “We made some quality digs, were able to run some speed to the outside and get our middles involved. Transition is something that we pride ourselves on. It really showed today.” With the victory, the RDC Kings (19-5) improve to 38 points in the ACAC Men’s Volleyball South Division. The Medicine Hat College Rattlers also have 38 points at the top of the division. Red Deer College will host the ACAC Men’s Volleyball Championship Feb. 23-25 at the RDC Main Gym.
Queens Basketball | Saturday, Feb. 18 | RDC
At RDC, the Queens won 80-62 over the Lions. In her final regular season game in a Queens’ uniform, Dedra Janvier accumulated 24 points, 4 steals, 3 assists and 1 rebound. The Bachelor of Education student finished her ACAC Basketball career as the RDC Queens all-time leading scorer.
“Dedra went out exactly the way that she deserved, breaking the Queens’ scoring record and that’s awesome for her,” said Queens Basketball Head Coach Ken King. “She deserved it.” The RDC Queens (10-11) sit in 4th place, currently occupy the final playoff spot and have 20 points in the ACAC Women’s Basketball South Division. The Medicine Hat College Rattlers sit in 5th spot with 18 points and have 2 games remaining so they can climb the standings next weekend and grab the final playoff spot. The RDC Queens will follow the Rattlers’ results to see which team will qualify for the postseason.
Kings Basketball | Saturday, Feb. 18 | RDC
The Kings defeated the Lions 104-92 in their final regular season game. Matt Matear picked up 29 points, 4 assists and 16 rebounds for the Kings. With the win, the RDC Kings (15-6) sit in 2nd place and have 30 points in the ACAC Men’s Basketball South Division. The Rattlers, Trojans and Kodiaks have 2 regular season games remaining so the positioning of the 4 teams may change. The RDC Kings will compete in the ACAC Men’s Basketball Championship March 2-4 in Medicine Hat.
Kings Hockey | Saturday, Feb. 18 | Penhold Multiplex
In the 2nd half of the home-and-home series, the RDC Kings defeated the U of A Augustana Vikings 2-1. Scott Ferguson and Riley Simpson scored on the power play for RDC. Mike Salmon earned the win in net and turned aside 22-of-23 shots. With the victory, the Kings improve to 26 points and remain in 5th spot in ACAC Men’s Hockey. The top 6 teams qualify for the playoffs and the RDC Kings have already sealed a spot.
“I was happy with the effort and we played a playoff brand of hockey,” said Kings Hockey Head Coach Trevor Keeper. “The players are paying attention to the details of the game and what we are doing in practice is paying off in the games. There’s a good vibe in the dressing room.” Next weekend, only a pair of regular season games remain against the Concordia University Thunder.
Community
The Raptors (Ridgefield Raptors that is) are coming to Edmonton next summer
At first word that the Raptors will be spending a few days in Edmonton next summer, sports fans might be excused for jumping up and down at the thought of a high-profile NBA event.
But the Raptors under discussion play another game — baseball — and they’re based not in Toronto but in Ridgefield, Wash., a small centre near the Washington-Oregon border which claims fewer than 10,000 residents in its Wikipedia profile. Edmonton — officially labeled the Riverhawks — is now a partner in the West Coast League, which develops college players and has seen several top prospects selected in recent Major League Baseball drafts.
Also joining this week are teams based in Kamloops and Nanaimo, bringing the British Columbia contingent to four teams. Victoria and Kelowna were already members of what now is a 15-team organization.
Teams currently occupy Yakima, Wenatchee, Walla Walla and Port Angeles in Washington, as well as Bend, Corvallis and other communities in Oregon.
The city of Edmonton confirmed months ago that the Edmonton Prospects of the Western Canadian Baseball League would not be returning to Re/Max Field. Several years of association with Pat Cassidy and the Prospects had led to difficult feelings on both sides.
The Prospects are developing a new facility in Stony Plain. It will be ready for competition in 2022. Cassidy has said his team will find another place to play in 2021. All comments on next year and beyond are based, of course, on the progress of local, provincial and national fights against COVID.
Randy Gregg, the former Edmonton Oilers defenceman who led the new group’s campaign to function in Re/Max Field, unveiled his new organization at a well-attended news conference and said several options concerning the WCBL were considered but “there were continuing roadblocks.”
During months of negotiation, Gregg and his supporters did not communicate with the public. Neither did city council. “When you sign a non-disclosure agreement, you have to abide by it. Your signature has to mean something,” he said.
Gregg insisted the Riverhawks organization has no ill feelings about the WCBL. “It might have worked well,” he said. A few casual remarks were made about the potential value to this entire region if both the WCBL and the WCL are profitable.
The Edmonton approach includes sharing in travel costs for existing West Coast League teams. Similar situations made it difficult for a pair of so-called “independent” teams to operate in the years after the Edmonton Trappers were sold and Edmonton had no significant baseball.
Gregg is convinced the new load of travel costs will not be insurmountable. The Riverhawks are a collection of 28 contributors. He also pointed out that at least a couple of Edmonton’s new partners are owned or controlled by owners with major-league connections.’
“We’ve got a big job ahead of us,” he said. “We know that a lot of baseball fans have never seen a game at Re/Max Field.”
As things were unfolding between the Prospects and city officials, there were regular suggestions that no lease would have been granted for the WCBL in 2021. “Can you imagine what it would feel like to have no baseball for maybe three or four years in this great sports city?”
Last week our nation ran into a spree of high-profile miracles
Edmonton
Hockey, basketball and volleyball gone from the U of A’s fall and winter to-do lists
At almost any time in memory, Wednesday’s decision to remove hockey, basketball and volleyball from the University of Alberta’s fall and winter to-do lists would be considered a major surprise.
This year, I suspect fans and athletes should have been at least partially prepared for it. Blame the pandemic. That’s easy.
Explain that sponsorship money has dried up and every available penny must be saved to keep professors employed and students involved. That’s easy, too. Some are sure to suggest that there are deep political motives in this move to move beyond the Bears and Pandas for one year. Maybe. Maybe not. Rightly or wrongly, political movements are seen in every action these days.
If additional explanations are required, Alberta’s UCP government is sure to be singled out as cause number three; they inherited an entity in severe financial difficulty, ensuring that some budget cuts would be made as soon as possible after the NDP lost political control of the province.
This, of course, occurred well before the coronavirus crisis created overwhelming proof that sport, certainly in Canada, is something of an after-thought at all levels of society. As this is written, every professional sport is being exposed on a daily basis as a means for millionaires and billionaires to fatten their bankrolls. If timely political statements are necessary, fine; they’ll be made, but no rational soul would dare to suggest that sport has actual relevance in this time of incoherent arguments and twisted responses.
In one old scribbler’s opinion, good news ultimately will develop, almost as a result of the disappearance of the Bears and Pandas for at least one season. A move so dramatic at a level so vital is sure to create deep thought.
Which is where university sport fits in the puzzle. These organizations are the home of undoubted brilliance. In many ways, they create the model for all amateurs and low-profile professionals to follow. One day, perhaps soon, this world-wide rash of social, physical and emotional misery will be behind us. Then, cohorts of tough and committed leaders across the entire spectrum of athletics will have to step up. They will be obligated to contribute time and effort in a search for the best possible ways to ensure excellence in scholastics, citizenship and competition.
Now, looking back for even a few years, it’s essential to remember that amateur sports were being painfully slammed by financial necessities before COVID-19’s destructive arrival.
Athletic directors at U of A and MacEwan University have spoken of rising costs in tones that sometimes sounded almost desperate. I’m sure the same applies to the University of Calgary.
Similar words have been heard commonly in discussion with coaches and athletic directors at Alberta colleges. NAIT and Concordia leaders know the topic extremely well. So do alumni members working to keep hockey alive in the storied atmosphere of Camrose’s Augustana campus of the U of A.
In a lifetime of hearing old adages, one has stuck out since childhood:
“It’s Always Darkest Before the Dawn.”
This corner hopes the dawn comes quickly.
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