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Sports Extra

Miners at senior B lacrosse nationals, plus football updates on Sturgeon and Skyhawks
2808 Bulldogs vert-1
TURNOVER – Simon Wray-Jantz of the Bellerose Bulldogs knocks the ball away from Spencer Stank of the LCI Rams of Lethbridge in Saturday's exhibition at Larry Olexiuk Field. The Rams won 30-12. Caleb Akerley caught a touchdown pass from Tristan Olenick and Jordan Howe was on the receiving end of a scoring strike from Jayden Randall. Friday at 6 p.m. the Bulldogs host the Notre Dame Cougars of Red Deer in the last tune-up before the division one Carr conference season opener Sept. 6 against the defending champion Harry Ainlay Titans. JOHN LUCAS/St. Albert Gazette

President’s Cup

The St. Albert Miners suffered their first loss after 22 wins this year in Monday’s match at the President’s Cup at Kahnawake, Que.

The 8-6 setback to the Capital Region Axemen (Quebec Senior Lacrosse League) left the three-time defending champions with a record of 1-1 at the Canadian Lacrosse Association senior B tournament.

Tuesday’s score against the Six Nations Rivermen (Ontario Lacrosse Association) was unavailable at press time.

The eight-team round robin continues today with the Miners playing Team Nova Scotia, followed by the Ladner Pioneers (West Coast Senior Lacrosse Association) Thursday, Snake Island Muskies (Three Nations Senior Lacrosse League) Friday and the host Kahnawake Mohawks (Quebec league) Saturday.

The medal finals are Sunday.

Visit presidentscup.pointstreaksites.com for updates.

The fifth nationals in six years and the seventh since 2010 for the Miners started with Sunday’s 13-10 victory against the Akwesasne Bucks (Can-Am Lacrosse League).

Period scores were 7-4 and 10-7 for the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse provincial champions.

Graedon Cornfield led the way with five goals and seven points, Richard Lachlan notched three goals and three assists and Jordan Getz, a pickup from Calgary, added five assists and seven points.

The third period against the Axemen was the Miners’ downfall with the match tied at five after 40 minutes. After the Miners regained the lead on Carson Barton's goal 29 seconds into the frame, the Axemen struck three times in a four-minute span, including a power-play tally to make it 7-6.

Aaron Bold, last year’s MVP at nationals, was in net for both games.

The Miners were 22-2 on the season after Monday’s loss and 109-6-2 overall since losing the 2015 provincial final.

High school football

The second annual Sturgeon high school football jamboree kicks off Saturday at Taurus Field in Fort Saskatchewan.

The Sturgeon Spirits host the St. Albert High Skyhawks, Whitecourt Cats and Father Mercredi Trappers of Fort McMurray.

Games are 45 minutes of run time with the field split in two.

Start times are 1 p.m. (Sturgeon vs. Trappers and Skyhawks vs. Cats), 2 p.m. (Sturgeon vs. Skyhawks and Trappers vs. Cats) and 3 p.m. (Sturgeon vs. Cats and Skyhawks vs. Trappers).

Sturgeon and the Skyhawks made their season debuts in exhibition action last week. Scores were 60-18 for Sturgeon against the West Central Rebels and the 47-8 loss for the Skyhawks against the Aliso Niguel Wolverines, a Tier 9 team with a high school student population of 3,000 in Aliso Viejo, located about 25 miles outside of Anaheim.

In the first half, Matt Swecera returned a fumble 40 yards to the house.

The Skyhawks shut down the running game of the Wolverines, but the lineup of talented athletes, plus the heat and large home-field crowd were too much for last year’s finalists in the division two Miles conference in the metro Edmonton league and Tier III north provincials to withstand.

Strong leadership by two-way players Evan Selzler and Jackson Ganton kept the Skyhawks in the thick of things. It was 23-8 at halftime before the Wolverines pulled away late in the game.

Jared Granoski and Ewan Vanderheide were also recognized by the Wolverines’ coaching staff for their outstanding performances.

At Rocky Mountain House, Sturgeon rolled up 37 unanswered points in the first half against the Rebels.

Sturgeon led 16-0 after the first quarter as quarterback Zach Froese rushed for two TDs.

The next quarter featured a Reece Reaville interception that led to the next TD, as Dylan Young crossed the goal line from the one after setting up the score with a 25-yard catch.

Froese also hit Kyle Phillips with a TD pass and rookie Rylan Seawalt broke loose for a major.

Sturgeon emptied the bench in the second half as all 37 players contributed to the win.

Froese, the 2018 division three Gilfillan conference MVP for the metro league finalists in the team’s inaugural season, connected for TD strikes of 40 yards to William Campbell and 50 yards to Marc LeBlanc. Froese was also the team’s kicker.

Kolby Phillips led the defence in tackles and also pulled off a pick-six.

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