Local Sports

At the Athabasca Cup Olympic weightlifting competition last Saturday, Athabasca’s sole representative, 17-year-old Jessica McKenna, set a personal best and qualified for provincials.

The Edwin Parr Composite High School Pacers football team won 38-0 in their playoff game against the Vegreville Vortex last Saturday. The Pacers struggled in the opening minutes of the game even though they were on home turf.

The Thunderbirds are headed to the Wheatland Football League Tier 2 championship game. Hosting the Vermilion Marauders on Oct. 19, the T-Birds cruised to a 42-14 win to book their spot in the championship against the Athabasca Pacers.

Due to lack of teams at their level, the Barrhead Midget A Steelers will not be playing in their regular 1660 league this season. Instead, the Steelers will play in the North Central Minor Hockey Association, which is based out of the Red Deer area.

The Edwin Parr Composite High School Pacers remain undefeated. The team won 42-0 last Thursday with a home advantage against the Westlock Thunderbirds. “Overall, we had pretty good performance,” coach Pete Burden said.

Gearing up for the Athabasca Cup weightlifting competition Oct. 19 is 17-year-old homegrown talent Jessica McKenna, an Edwin Parr Composite student. McKenna will be one of 20 weightlifters from around the province competing.

Barrhead’s hockey scene has burst into life again. Pre-season games have started, with teams like the Steelers and the Pirates gaining victories as they seek the most competitive tier. The Renegades were due to play last weekend.

As colder weather approaches, so do Canada’s beloved winter sports. Although many associate ice rinks with hockey or figure skating, there is another skating activity in the area.

During their first match-up with the Athabasca Pacers on Sept. 20, the Westlock Thunderbirds football team had a confident 34-21 lead over their northern rivals and was poised to avenge their 2012 Wheatland Football League playoff loss to the Pacers.

The Westlock Senior ‘AA’ Warriors’ inaugural pre-season started and ended on Saturday night with a 4-2 victory over the visiting Devon Barons at the Westlock Rotary Spirit Centre.