The 15th annual St. Albert Turkey Ring tournament, featuring a record 78 teams, starts Thursday at 6:30 p.m. with Fort Saskatchewan against Sherwood Park in U12 petite B at Mark Messier Arena.
The five-day, 143-game schedule wraps up Monday with the U19 belle AA final at 8:15 p.m. at Kinex Arena.
This is the tournament’s first year for AA teams in the U14 tween, U16 junior and belle divisions.
Games are also scheduled for the Northstar Hyundai, Troy Murray, Akinsdale, Canadian Athletic Club and River Qui Barre arenas.
The tournament includes 27 St. Albert Ringette Association teams.
Last year 71 teams in 11 divisions at the A, B and C levels played 128 games.
Visit www.stalbertringette.com for schedules and results.
Thursday’s winner between the St. Albert High Skyhawks (4-1) and Ardrossan Bisons (3-2) in the Miles conference would have a leg up in representing the metro Edmonton football league in the Tier III (450 to 749 students) provincial playoffs.
Second place and a first-round playoff bye in the Miles is also at stake. Six out of eight teams make the playoffs.
Kickoff is 5 p.m. at Riel Recreation Park and admission is $5.
In the Football Alberta rankings the Skyhawks are No. 6 and Ardrossan is No. 9.
The Skyhawks – last year’s Tier III provincial silver medallists and 2011 north finalists – are undefeated in three games after last week’s 14-9 decision against the O’Leary Spartans (2-3).
Ardrossan, Tier IV (449 or less students) silver medallists last year, are coming of a surprising 21-20 loss to the W.P. Wagner Warriors (2-3).
The juggernaut Paul Kane Blues – 5-0 in the Miles conference as the No. 2-ranked Tier II (750 to 1,249 students) team in Alberta – huddle up Friday against the O’Leary Spartans.
Kickoff is 5 p.m. at Clarke Park and admission is $5.
The Blues are averaging a metro Edmonton league-high 59.8 points scored and in last week’s 63-21 rout of the McNally Tigers racked up nine touchdowns – two short of a team’s high of 11 in the 78-14 pounding of the Skyhawks and 80-0 lambasting of the Strathcona Lords (1-4).
A Miles championship in only the third year of Paul Kane football would nail down the second Tier II provincial berth in metro. The Austin O’Brien Crusaders, ranked seventh as the only Tier II team in the metro league’s Carr conference at 2-3, is guaranteed a provincial spot.
