Football and karate coverage

Storm rising

The St. Albert Storm share second place with one game left in the Capital District Minor Football Association midget spring league.

The Storm are tied with the North Edmonton Seahawks at 4-1 after Sunday’s 42-18 victory over the Battle River Shock (1-4) at Millwoods Artificial Turf Field.

The Storm (148 PF/79 PA) and Seahawks (174 PF/101 PA) have one less win than the Lloydminster Red Dogs (5-0) in the 10-team standings.

The Storm’s lone loss was 38-16 to the Red Dogs (164 PF/96 PA).

The Storm struck fast and furious against the Shock as Nathan Brake opened the scoring with a 70-yard punt return touchdown.

Cole Precht’s interception led to Ewan Vanderheide‘s quarterback sneak for the second TD and the rout was on.

First-half TDs included Brake on a 10-yard slotback sweep, Addison Chaabane pounded the ball over the goal line from 11 yards out and Vanderheide scored two more on the ground, including an option play with a great read and cut for the 12-yard major.

Chaabane, an offensive lineman shifted to fullback, finished with 18 yards on two carries.

The second half was played with running team as the Storm emptied the bench.

Luke Eddy picked off a pass in each half, linebacker Bronson Wilke was the Storm’s top tackler and running back Brett Yost surpassed 200 combined days in limited action as the offensive leader.

The Storm wraps up the season Saturday against the Edmonton Mustangs (1-4, 64 PF/141 PA). Kickoff is 4:30 p.m. at Larry Olexiuk Field.

Okinawan karate

The 20^th annual Spirit of the North, hosted by the Desa School of Karate in St. Albert, is underway with training sessions this week at the dojo at 3 Rowland Crescent.

Guest instructors are Master Narihiro Shinjo, eighth dan, and Sensei Susumu Higa, fifth dan, from Okinawa and Sensei Sean Carter, fifth dan.

This weekend's tournament at Servus Credit Union Place starts 6 p.m. Friday with demonstrations, followed by white to green belt children kata/sparring and kubudo below black belt.

Saturday's competition begins at 9:30 a.m. and features brown belt and above children, teen/adult all rank and junior and senior back belt.

Admission is free both days.

U16 football

Jacob King is one of three quarterbacks selected to the 40-man Team Alberta U16 roster for the 2018 Football Canada Western Challenge.

King, a Grade 9 Lorne Akins School student, played for the 2017 St. Albert Palmer 49ers, the Capital District Minor Football Association Tier I bantam finalists.

The Western Challenge is July 4 to 7 at Foote Field and the first game for Alberta is against British Columbia.