Local Sports

In their first tournament action of the season, the Barrhead Composite High School senior girl’s volleyball team took home a silver medal.

It was a good omen for the Westlock Thunderbirds football team as they kicked off the season with a 22-12 home-turf victory over the Athabasca Pacers last Friday night.

It was a good omen for the Westlock Thunderbirds football team as they kicked off their Wheatland Football League season with a 22-12 home-turf victory over the Athabasca Pacers last Friday night.

The Westlock Thunderbirds senior girls volleyball team put in a strong showing at Gryphon Invitational Volleyball Tournament in Barrhead last weekend after only a week and a half of school and a handful of practices.

A silver medal is an excellent finish for Dapp wrestler Haley Heffel, especially considering the 14-year-old faced older and more experience opponents.

For 16 years, past volleyball stars have returned to R.F. Staples to team up against the current roster as part of the school annual alumni tournament.

Neerlandia resident Alvin Nanninga earned top honours in his category at this year’s Canadian Horseshoe Championships in Blainville, Que. last month, beating out competitors from across the country.

Barrhead’s hockey fans were treated to a special sight Aug. 31 at the Agrena, as the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Spruce Grove Saints and Drayton Valley Thunder faced off in an exhibition game.

The third season wasn’t quite the charm for the Athabasca Aces. The team had a tough campaign last year in the North Central Hockey League, finishing seventh out of eight teams and losing to Slave Lake in the first round of the playoffs.

If all goes as planned, 2012 will see the return of senior men’s baseball to Athabasca. A handful of local ball players are seeking to organize a new team and enter play in a competitive baseball league, and Mike Merrigan is leading the charge.