Showing posts with label Jamel Lyles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jamel Lyles. Show all posts

Saturday, 20 October 2018

Huskies’ defence bashes Bisons – U of S playoff bound

Tristian Koronkiewicz (#90) celebrates his defensive touchdown.
    Tristian Koronkiewicz lived out a defensive lineman’s dream.
    On Saturday at Griffiths Stadium, Koronkiewicz’s University of Saskatchewan Huskies jumped out to a 20-4 second-half edge on the University of Manitoba Bisons after the two sides were locked in a 4-4 tie at halftime of their U Sports regular season clash.
    With the Huskies defense having knocked Bisons starting quarterback Des Catellier out of the contest with an injury, Bisons backup quarterback Jamie Ybarra fumbled the ball away late in the fourth quarter, while under pressure.
    Koronkiewicz, who plays defensive end, scooped up the loose ball and raced 39 yards for a touchdown to put the Huskies up 27-4 with 2:33 to play in the fourth quarter. That score held up as the final outcome to the delight of most of the 2,440 spectators in attendance.
Huskies LB Thomas Whiting nails Bisons RB Jamel Lyles.
    “During an interview earlier in the week, I said no words describe a sack,” said Koronkiewicz, who is in his fifth and final year of eligibility with the Huskies. “No words describe that feeling.
    “I saw the ball on the ground, picked it up and I just gave all I got to get to that end zone.”
    Koronkiewicz’s major score provided some amusement for Huskies head coach Scott Flory.
    “The first think he (Koronkiewicz) said to me was how about that ball security,” said Flory with a chuckle. “We work on that every day one.
    “I’m really proud of Tristan (Koronkiewicz) and the way he has responded this season. He absolutely deserves all the accolades he gets for what he has done for this football team without a doubt.”
    While Koronkiewicz’s touchdown capped a solid afternoon performance by the Huskies, the victory they earned was a key one.
The Bisons defence corrals Huskie RB Tyler Chow (#5) in the early going.
    Their win combined with the fact the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds downed the University of Alberta Golden Bears 30-11 in Vancouver, B.C., also on Saturday allowed the Huskies lock up a playoff berth. U of S returns to the post-season after a one-year absence.
    The Huskies and Thunderbirds have identical 4-3 records, but the Thunderbirds hold the Canada West Conference standings tiebreaker winning the lone regular season encounter between the two sides. UBC sits second in Canada West, while the Huskies are in third place.
    The Bisons fell to 3-4 to sit fourth in Canada West, but they clinched a playoff berth with the Golden Bears loss to the Thunderbirds. 
The Huskies celebrate a safety from LB Thomas Whiting.
    The Golden Bears fell to 2-5, but with one regular season game to play, they can’t catch the Bisons, who won both regular season clashes between the two squads to gain the standings tiebreaker.
    For Koronkiewicz, the chance to return to the post-season is special.
    “It is my last kick at the can, so I want to be able to prolong my career as much as I can,” said Koronkiewicz. “We seized that opportunity today.
    “Now, I have that for sure two more weeks of football, and we just have to keep it riding.”
QB Kyle Siemens completed 22-of-26 passes for 262 yards.
    Overall, the Huskies defence had a dominate performance on Saturday limiting the Bisons to 298 yards of total offence, while piling up four sacks. Koronkiewicz along with linebacker Thomas Whiting, defensive tackle Evan Machibroda and defensive end Riley Pickett all had one sack each.
    Catellier completed 12-of-18 passes for the Bisons for only 142 yards before being knocked out of the game on Machibroda’s sack in the fourth quarter. Bisons star running back Jamel Lyles carried the ball 10 times for just 26 yards.
    Bisons backup running back Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette managed to cause some headaches gaining 108 yards rushing on eight carries.
    Koronkiewicz collected three individual tackles to go with his sack and scoop and score.
    “We had a fantastic game plan coming in, and we need to contain Jamel Lyles,” said Koronkiewicz. “I think we did that early.
RB Tyler Chow dives into the end zone for a touchdown.
    “That made them try to pass the ball a little more, and then we got after the quarterback and contained him. Des (Catellier) is a great athlete.
    “He flies around. He extends plays with his legs. We kept him from doing that today, and I think that helped a lot for sure.”
    The Bisons did get on the board first, when kicker Brad Mikoluff nailed an 18-yard field goal to cap an 82-yard offensive drive with 4:16 to play in the first quarter.
    Before the first quarter ended, the Huskies forced Mikoluff to concede a safety due to bad field position to cut the Bisons lead to 3-2.
    Early in the second quarter, Mikoluff scored a rouge off an 84-yard punt with a strong wind to give the Bisons a 4-2 edge.
    With 1:59 to play in the second quarter, the Huskies tied things up at 4-4, when Whiting sacked Catellier in his own end zone for a safety.
The Huskies defence stops Bisons RB Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette.
    Flory wasn’t surprised neither side was able to break out in the first half.
    “That is a good football team,” said Flory referring to the Bisons. “In the first half obviously, it was tight.
    “There was a lot of good defensive effort on both sides. We have to find a way to put the ball in the end zone. I challenged the offence a little bit at halftime, and they responded as well as the defence.”
    The Huskies went ahead with 5:22 remaining in the third quarter, when fifth-year star running back Tyler Chow took a short eight-yard pass from fifth-year star quarterback Kyle Siemens into the end zone for a major score. The drive ending in Chow’s touchdown catch covered 107 yards in seven plays and gave the Huskies an 11-4 lead.
The Huskies faithful get into singing “Sweet Caroline.”
    Early in the fourth quarter, Huskies star kicker Sean Stenger missed a 30-yard field goal, but the hosts scored a rouge off that miss to go up 12-4.
    U of S proceeded to put together another long scoring drive that covered 97 yards in nine plays and was capped by a Chow touchdown run from three yards out to give the Huskies a 19-4 advantage.
    Chow ran the ball 17 times for 82 yards and caught three passes for 26 yards to go with his two major scores.
    “I couldn’t have done it without the O-line,” said Chow. “They’ve been playing stellar all year.
“I have to thank them. I wouldn’t be anywhere without them.”
    Stenger scored another rouge on the ensuing kickoff following Chow’s touchdown run to put the Huskies up 20-4.
Joseph Trumpy (#82) secures a catch for the Huskies.
    That set the stage for Koronkiewicz to cap the win with his defensive touchdown.
Siemens completed 22-of-26 passes for 262 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. He ran the ball six times for a team high 84 yards.
    Before Saturday’s game, the Huskies had lost their previous two games and Siemens was pulled in the squad’s last outing, which was a 20-10 setback to the Thunderbirds on Oct. 12 in Vancouver. 
    Siemens said it was big for the Huskies to end their two-game skid.
    “We have a great group of guys,” said Siemens. “Adversity has hit us a lot throughout this season.
Colton Klassen (#7) looks to turn upfield for the Huskies.
    “We’ve responded well every single time. I’m pretty proud of that and pretty proud of the guys.”
    The Huskies close the regular season this coming Friday, when they travel to Regina to face the University of Regina Rams (1-6) at 7 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium. 
    The Rams had to forfeit three wins this season due to using an ineligible player.
    U of S can finish second in Canada West and host a conference semifinal playoff game with a win over the Rams combined with a Thunderbirds loss to the Bisons, when those two teams meet this coming Saturday in Winnipeg, Man.
    Chow said his Huskies just have to worry about their next task at hand in playing the Rams.
The Huskies and Bisons shake hands after Saturday’s game.
    “We are not going to take them lightly,” said Chow. “The Rams are a great team, and we just have to stay focused.”

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.
-------
    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

Saturday, 12 November 2016

Hilltops keep finding a way, win 19th CJFL championship

Saskatoon claims sixth Canadian Bowl title in seven years


The Hilltops got to raise the Canadian Bowl once again.
  When the Saskatoon Hilltops fall down, it almost feels like they are never out.
    Playing in the Canadian Bowl in Langford, B.C., on Saturday, the Hilltops were not looking like themselves during the first 34 minutes of their Canadian Junior Football League championship clash with the host Westshore Rebels. They turned the ball over four times in the first half but were still able to hold a 16-12 lead at halftime at Westhills Stadium.
    With just under five minutes expired in the third quarter, Rebels quarterback Ashton Mackinnon scored a touchdown on a one-yard quarterback sneak to give his side a 19-16 edge on the Hilltops. The venerable CJFL club wasn’t down for long.
    On the ensuing kickoff, an X-factor came into play. Hilltops rookie running back Joshua Ewanchyna, who is a graduate of Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School, ran the Rebels kick back 105 yards for a touchdown for the visitors to give them a 23-19 edge. While Ewanchyna scored on a nine-yard run in the first half, his major off the kick return snapped the Hilltops back into form.
    With 66 seconds to play in the third quarter, Hilltops quarterback Jared Andreychuk hit running back Logan Fischer with a seven-yard scoring toss to increase Saskatoon’s edge to 30-19. That drive was kept alive by a too many men penalty against the Rebels on a Hilltops third down play.
    Andreychuk added the dagger with 3:46 to go in the fourth quarter hooking up with Jason Price on a 47-yard scoring toss to put the Toppers up 37-19. Despite a desperate rally attempted by the Rebels, the Hilltops came away with a 37-25 victory.
    The win allowed the Hilltops to claim a third straight Canadian Bowl victory, and they became the first team to win six CJFL titles over a seven year period. The Hilltops also took home their 19th CJFL championship team history. Saskatoon’s first national championship came way back in 1953.
Logan Fischer ran for 202 yards for the Hilltops.
    Since Tom Sargeant became the team’s head coach in 1998, he has guided the Hilltops to 10 victories in the Canadian Bowl. While each of those Saskatoon teams wrote its own individual championship story, each of those clubs has one similar characteristic. Any Hilltops club that has been overseen by a staff run by Sargeant has improved greatly as the season has gone on.
    The Hilltops at the end of the season are always a way different team than at the start of the campaign. At the start of 2016 season, a number of Hilltops veterans were adjusting to new roles and rookies had the opportunity to make bigger contributions than normal due to the graduation of 16 players in their final year of CJFL eligibility after the 2015 season.
    Andreychuk, who became the first Hilltops quarterback to win three straight CJFL titles as the starter, was throwing to a new group of regular receivers. A number of question marks hung over the team.
    In Week 3, the Hilltops dropped a 36-21 decision at Saskatoon Minor Football Field to the Calgary Colts. The Toppers were down 36-0 at one point in that contest, and one had to wonder if the championship run would end. The Hilltops also made a number of mistakes they don’t normally make in that game, and the coaches knew that paying just a little better attention to detail would change things around.
    Saskatoon never lost again winning nine straight to conclude the year with an 11-1 overall record. There were bumps in the road, but the Hilltops found a way to persevere.
    Against the Rebels on Saturday, the Hilltops scored a touchdown on their first offensive series on a 58-yard drive. The drive was capped by Andreychuk hitting Fischer on a nine-yard scoring toss to give the visitors a 7-0 lead.
    After that score, the adversity hit. With under a minute to play, an Andreychuk screen pass was intercepted by Rebels defensive lineman Byron Mackinnon, who returned the ball 66 yards for a touchdown to tie things up 7-7.
    Ewanchyna’s rushing touchdown early in the second quarter that gave the Hilltops a 14-7 edge didn’t restore order. Rebels kicker Kyle Clarke hit a 33-yard field goal to cut Saskatoon’s edge to 14-10. The two clubs traded conceded safety touches before halftime.
    In the first half, the Hilltops turned over the ball twice on interceptions, once via a fumble and once on downs due to a bad snap on a punt. Still, the Hilltops were up 16-12.
Joshua Ewanchyna returned a kick 105 yards for a TD.
    The Hilltops began to assert themselves in the second half, which included a big interception by defensive back Jared Giddings early in the fourth quarter.
    Leading 37-19, the Hilltops did get a little scare near the end of the fourth quarter. Rebels backup quarterback Devouon Hallums scored on a one-yard sneak to cut Saskatoon’s edge to 37-25.
    A short time later, Rebels receiver Brandon Ihanza dropped a ball in the end zone, which would have further cut Saskatoon’s edge. The Rebels, who fell to 10-2-1 overall, turned the ball over on downs to really get the Hilltops victory celebration started.
    Fischer proved key in helping the Hilltops grind down the game. He piled up 202 yards rushing on 28 carries and caught four passes for 43 yards and two majors in being named the offensive player of the game at the Canadian Bowl for a second straight year. Hilltops linebacker Cody Peters was the defensive player of the game recording nine solo tackles.
    Andreychuk completed 10-of-15 passes for 220 yards, three touchdowns and two inceptions.
    Ashton Mackinnon connected on 12-of-24 passes for 181 yards and one interception. Rebels star running back Jamel Lyles piled up 141 yards rushing on 16 carries.
    The Hilltops were able to enjoy a well-deserved victory celebration in the suburb of Victoria. They never fold and their accomplishments keep growing. Their story keeps getting more and more amazing.

Andreychuk accomplishes rare feat

Jared Andreychuk graduated as a four-time CJFL champ.
    Andreychuk joined select company when it came to winning three straight CJFL title games as a starting quarterback.
    It is believed only two other quarterbacks accomplished that same feat. Darryl Leason won three straight CJFL championships as the starting quarterback of the Regina Rams from 1993 to 1995. 
    Tony Rankel claimed three straight CJFL championships as the starting signal caller for the Edmonton Huskies from 1962-64.
    The Hilltops also won three straight titles from 2001-03 and 2010-12, but those runs had a mix of different starters.
    Andreychuk was a backup quarterback on the Hilltops 2012 CJFL title team, and he wraps up his junior career with a perfect 9-0 record as a starter in the CJFL post-season.
    Leason was 15-1 as a post-season starter. 
    Rankel played four years with the Huskies, and it is unknown if he experienced a post-season setback in his career.

“Sarge” passes McCrystal for total titles

Tom Sargeant, centre, gives instruction to Jared Andreychuk.
    Saturday’s Canadian Bowl victory was Sargeant’s 10th as the head coach of the Hilltops, and he also hit another milestone with the victory.
    The legendary veteran experienced his 13th CJFL championship win with the Hilltops, which moves him past former Regina Rams head coach Frank McCrystal for total CJFL championship victories.
    Besides being part of 10 CJFL championship teams as the Hilltops head coach, Sargeant was part of one CJFL championship winner as a Hilltops player and two as a Hilltops assistant coach.
    McCrystal experienced 12 CJFL championship wins with the Rams including three as a player, two as an assistant coach and seven as a head coach.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

Thursday, 10 November 2016

Hilltops leader on verge of last hurrah

Andreychuk would join select company with Canadian Bowl win

Jared Andreychuk fires a pass downfield for the Hilltops.
    With another Canadian Junior Football League championship win, Jared Andreychuk will join some select company.
    The fifth-year quarterback for the Saskatoon Hilltops has built a reputation of being the ultimate gamer and leader during his CJFL career. He was a rookie back-up, when the Hilltops took the 2012 Canadian Bowl in a 23-21 thriller against the host Langley Rams.
    The graduate from Saskatoon’s Centennial High School led the Hilltops to CJFL championship in each of the past two years as the starting signal caller.
    The Hilltops (10-1 overall) are going for a third straight Canadian Bowl victory on Saturday in Langford, B.C., which is a suburb of Victoria, facing the host Westshore Rebels (10-1-1 overall).
    If Andreychuk can quarterback the Hilltops to a win in that contest, he will become one of the few signal callers to guide his team to three straight CJFL championships as a starter. It is believed only two other quarterbacks have won three straight CJFL championships as the starting signal caller including Darryl Leason, who accomplished the three-peat with the Regina Rams from 1993 to 1995, and Tony Rankel, who performed that feat with the Edmonton Huskies from 1962 to 1964.
Jared Andreychuk stands at attention during the national anthem.
    “That would be unreal,” said Andreychuk, who stands 6-feet and weighs 175 pounds. “That is kind of an expectation coming into every year with the Hilltops, especially with the good teams we’ve had in the last few years.
    “We’re at another one. Now that we’ve got here, there is nothing else to do but win the ball game. That is what we are going to try to do.”
    Back in 2013, Andreychuk almost got the Hilltop into the Canadian Bowl as a second-year player. During that year’s Prairie Football Conference final at Griffiths Stadium, the Hilltops lost then starter Matt Karpinka in the first half to injury in a battle against their provincial rivals the Regina Thunder.
    The Hilltops were trailing the Thunder, when Andreychuk entered the game. By the end of the third quarter, Regina’s lead ballooned to 21-2.
    Andreychuk and the Hilltops offence made a pile of desperation plays in the fourth quarter scoring a pair of touchdowns, but the Thunder held on for a 21-16 win. Regina would take that year’s Canadian Bowl.
    The Hilltops haven’t lost a post-season contest since falling to the Thunder in 2013 winning eight straight contests. Andreychuk started all eight of those wins. His best days have come in the Canadian Bowl.
Jared Andreychuk escapes a Calgary Colts pass rusher.
    In 2014 in Langley, B.C., Andreychuk completed 17-of-27 passes for 343 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. The Hilltops bombed the host Rams 39-14.
    Last year at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, Andreychuk connected on 18-of-23 passes for 369 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. The Hilltops downed a game Kelowna, B.C., based Okanagan Sun team 38-24.
    This year, Andreychuk is enjoying what to this point has been his finest season with the Hilltops. He completed 124-of-200 passes in his team’s nine-game regular season for 2,008 yards, 23 touchdown passes and six interceptions.
    He put up those numbers after losing all but one of his group of regular season receivers due to graduation. Tyson Sawatzky was the only regular from last season’s pass catching group that was back this year.
    All-Canadian all-star Sam Mike, Jason Price, Ryan Turple and Sawatzky formed this season’s regular receiving group. Star running back Logan Fischer was also a dangerous pass catcher coming out of the backfield.
    “The guys stepped into spots for sure,” said Andreychuk. “At the start of the season regardless of how much you throw with those guys in the off-season, it is tough to build some in game chemistry. That took a couple of games to get into.
Jared Andreychuk calls signals from under centre for the Hilltops.
    “After we did, we really clicked. It has been a very successful passing season for us.”
    In this year’s playoffs, Andreychuk had to quarterback the Hilltops to victory in a couple of tight contests to reach the Canadian Bowl. They slipped past the Thunder 25-24 in the PFC semifinal and downed the Calgary Colts 43-31 in the PFC final.
    “Every year we kind of go over some bumps and stuff like that,” said Andreychuk. “I think that is good. You go through some resilience and you really kind of find your heart and find your identity.”
    If the Hilltops win on Saturday, Andreychuk will graduate the junior ranks with the distinction of never having lost a post-season start.
    Against the Rebels, the Hilltops defence will face a big challenge in running back Jamel Lyles, who was a standout with the University of Manitoba Bisons last season. Lyles topped the British Columbia Football Conference regular season in rushing piling up 1,604 yards on 187 carries, and he scored 15 touchdowns along the ground in 10 games.
Jared Andreychuk hopes to celebrate one more Canadian Bowl win.
    The Rebels tailback is arguably the fastest ball carrier in the CJFL and is extremely dangerous in the open field.
  When the final seconds of Saturday’s game tick away, Andreychuk will face the next phase of his life. He is keeping his options open to a possible chance to play in the Canadian university ranks.
    “I’m still a student,” said Andreychuk. “I have to finish up a degree. I’ve got that to worry about.
    “I am just going to enjoy my life, stay in shape and who knows what is left for me in my football career.”
    NOTES – Besides Mike, three other Hilltops have been named all-Canadians this week. Veteran offensive guard Drayke Unger made it on the offensive side of the ball, while defensive end Blake Hermann and middle linebacker Cameron Schnitzler made it on defence.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

Friday, 4 September 2015

Bisons "D" busts up Burko, Huskies

Huskies QB Drew Burko (#2) threw four picks in Friday's loss to the Bisons.
    Drew Burko will want to destroy the video of that contest.
    The fourth year starting quarterback for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team did not have his best day throwing four costly interceptions Friday night in a 34-28 loss to the University of Manitoba Bisons at Griffiths Stadium before 6,457 spectators. Burko threw two of his interceptions inside of the final two minutes of the CIS regular season opening contest for both squads. 
    Fifth-year veteran Zack Sandelescu made the first late pick for the Bisons with 1:21 to play, while fourth-year vet Cam Teschuk came up with the second pick that iced the game for the visitors with 31 seconds to play.
    On at least three of his interceptions, Burko was locked in on his intended receiver for a lengthy time, which allowed the Bisons defensive backs to zero in on the throw.
    While the picks late in the fourth quarter punctuated the loss, the veteran signal caller’s two second quarter interceptions were just as costly. Just before the halfway point of the second stanza with the Huskies up 20-14, Burko threw an interception at the goal-line to Bisons defensive back Tyler Fong.
    After the U of M went ahead 24-22 late in the second quarter, Burko drove the Huskies downfield only to get picked at the Bisons three by Eric Plett with 16 seconds remaining before halftime.
    Burko completed 24-of-46 passes for 318 yards, which included hitting Gilmer, Texas, product Tevin Godfrey for a 30-yard score that gave the hosts a 20-7 lead early in the second frame.
    Bisons quarterback Theo Deezar connected on 17-of-28 attempts for 268 yards, two touchdown passes and two interceptions. After the Huskies went ahead 20-7, Deezar immediately responded by engineering a quick five-play, 80-yard drive that was capped with an acrobatic 27-yard touchdown catch by receiver Alex Vitt to cut the Huskies edge to 20-14.
Rookie Jamel Lyles shreds the Huskies defence on a run.
    Early in the fourth quarter with the Huskies holding a 28-24 lead, Deezar connected with Lerenzo Ihanza on a 58-yard positive bounce touchdown pass to put the Bisons in front 31-28. Ihanza caught a deep pass that deflected off the hands of a Huskies defensive back and proceeded to run in for the winning score.
    The Huskies had other opportunities that slipped through their fingers. Leading 8-0 in the first quarter, they blocked a punt to start a drive 12 yards away from the Bisons end zone. The hosts were held to a field goal in going up 11-0.
    Up 11-7 after a three-yard TD run by Bisons running back Cameron Fox, the Huskies were stopped on a third-and-goal gamble from a yard out, when back-up quarterback Kyle Siemens couldn’t find his way to paydirt against a tough Bisons front. Siemens had the game’s first major on a one-yard sneak.
    The Dogs had to lament their missed chances, but the Bisons have to be given full credit for taking the game away from the host side.
    The visitors also held a huge edge along the ground piling up 246 yards rushing to the Huskies 116. Bisons rookie tailback Jamel Lyles led all ground gainers with 155 yards on 11 carries, which included a lightning fast 58-yard dash in the second quarter that cut a 22-14 Huskies edge to 22-21. Tyler Chow topped the Huskies in rushing with 109 yards on 17 carries.
Preston McIntyre recovers a Bisons fourth quarter fumble for the Huskies.
    Ryan Jones hit a 29-yard field goal to give Manitoba a 24-22 lead at halftime. Saskatchewan kicker Sean Stenger hit a 17-yard field goal early in the third quarter and 28-yard field goal on the first place of the fourth quarter to put his side up 28-24.
    After Ihanza’s touchdown catch, Jones nailed a 10-yard field goal to put the Bisons up 34-28.
    Saskatchewan appeared to be poised for some last minute heroics, when sophomore defensive lineman Preston McIntyre recovered a Bisons fumble at the Huskies 26 with 1:49 to play. Burko’s final two interceptions ended any hopes of a two-minute drill win.
    The Huskies return to action this coming Friday, when they travel to Edmonton to face the University of Alberta Golden Bears.

Farewell to Dom

    It was a result that can only be labeled as unfair.
    On Thursday, Dominic Rooney, who was less than a month and a half away from his third birthday, passed away after almost a two-year battle with acute myeloid leukemia. Dominic was the son of Sean and Trish Rooney of Medicine Hat, and Sean was my sports editor at the Medicine Hat News.
    During Dominic’s battle with cancer, Sean documented his family’s journey with a spectacular and heart-wrenching blog. After doctors said Dominic’s condition was terminal, he defied the odds by continuing to live for 36 weeks.
    Just hours after Dominic’s passing, Sean crafted one his best pieces ever to report his son’s final moments. That specific post can be found here.
    As the Rooney family went through their journey, they were warmly supported by the citizens of Medicine Hat through a variety of fundraisers. In his valiant fight, Dominic inspired many and brought out the best in the Gas City.

    If you want to pass along any comments about this blog post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.