Calgary Dinos slotback Chris Dobko was voted to the Canada West all-star team for the third year in a row.
The high school football product of the St. Albert High Skyhawks wrapped up his fifth and final season with the Dinos as the team’s all-time receptions leader in the regular season with 155.
He was also the team’s leading receiver with 33 catches for 526 yards in six games and scored two touchdowns.
Dobko broke Don Blair’s all-time career record of 138 catches with nine receptions for 203 yards Sept. 20 in the 48-24 win against the Manitoba Bisons at McMahon Stadium.
Dobko’s 2,107 career receiving yards ranks fourth all-time on the Dinos, with Blair’s 2,611 leading the way.
Dobko’s 15 receiving TDs are the fifth highest in team history. Blair’s 26 TDs is the Dinos’ benchmark.
In the Canada West semifinals last weekend, Dobko grabbed a team-high eight passes for 78 yards in the 42-28 win over the UBC Thunderbirds in Calgary.
Last year the Canadian Interuniversity Sport second-team All Canadian hauled in 50 catches for 659 yards and five TDs in six games.
His 56 catches in 2011 equaled Blair’s totals in 1995 for second best in Dinos’ history. The team record of 59 was set by Josh Borger in 1983.
Last year the Paul Kane High School graduate broke the Dinos’ single-game receptions record with 13 in week 13 and 14 in week eight, both against the Manitoba Bisons, before roommate Jake Harty set the new record with 15 against the Regina Rams in the Hardy Cup.
The CIS record for receptions in a game is 19 by Andre Talbot of Wilfrid Laurier in 2000.
Dobko was among 11 players from the Dinos (9-0) selected by Canada West coaches for conference all-star honours.
The five-time reigning Canada West champions host Manitoba (6-3) in the 77th annual Hardy Cup today at 2 p.m. in Calgary. The Dinos are ranked No. 3 and Manitoba is No. 9 in Canada.
The winner hosts the Ontario champion in the Mitchell Bowl on Nov. 16 for the chance to advance to the 49th annual Vanier Cup on Nov. 23 at Laval Stadium in Quebec City.
Dobko, 23, is the only St. Albert player to appear in two Vanier Cups in 2009 and 2010.
The 74-player roster of Dinos includes linebacker Tanner Doll, defensive back Nathan Mitchell and receivers Brendan Thera-Plamondon and Spencer Duff of St. Albert. Doll was second in team tackles with 5.5 in the semifinals.
The St. Albert Fury kicks off their first bantam Tier 1 provincial game in team history today in Calgary.
The semifinal starts at 1 p.m. against the Calgary league champion Grey Cowboys at Stampeder Field in Shouldice Park.
The winner plays the Sherwood Park Rams or the Cardston Jr. Cougars for the Football Alberta championship Nov. 16 in Edmonton or Calgary.
The Rams and Cardston, the southern Alberta champions, huddle up today at 2:30 p.m. at Clarke Park.
The last St. Albert bantam team to win a provincial championship was the 49ers in Tier 2 in 2004.
Last weekend in the Capital District Minor Football Association final the Rams (9-0) flattened the Fury 55-34.
The Rams led 14-0 after the first quarter, 35-13 at halftime and 42-13 after three quarters.
The Rams also trampled the Fury 54-27 in league play.
It was the first trip to the Tier 1 final for Fury (6-2-1) after three semifinal appearances since the CDMFA formation in 1992.
Jacob Neuls, a two-way lineman for the Bellerose Bulldogs, was the senior football team’s nominee for the Haliburton Trophy as the most valuable player in the metro Edmonton league’s Carr conference.
Chad Hill, head coach of the No. 9-ranked Tier I Bulldogs (4-5), described the Grade 12 co-captain as an outstanding lineman.
“Jacob is the backbone of our offensive line, having played both left guard and left tackle this season. When the team needs a big run, Jacob is the lineman we run behind,” Hill said. “He is also the most dominant defensive lineman on our roster. He is amongst the team leaders in tackles from his interior position. He plays both the run and passing down equally well.
“Jacob is a very intelligent and instinctive football player who plays his hardest on every play.”
The five-foot-11, 260-pound Neuls was the 2012 recipient of the team’s Bob Brayman Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award.
Also nominated for MVP honours were Jacob Swartz of the Bev Facey Falcons, Jonathan Muamba of the Austin O’Brien Crusaders, Dallin McLean of the Jasper Place Rebels, Jacob Janke of the Harry Ainlay Titans, St. Albert minor football product Matt Quartel of the Ross Sheppard Thunderbirds, Jakob Butler of the Carr champion Salisbury Sabres and Quinn Polley, the Haliburton Trophy winner from the Spruce Grove Panthers.
