The Calgary Dinos tackle the Laval Rouge et Or today in the 49th Vanier Cup with a handful St. Albert high school products on the roster.
Kickoff is 11 a.m. between the third-ranked Dinos (11-0) and the No. 2 Rouge et Or (11-0) at Laval Stadium and the game will be broadcast live on Sportsnet.
The 74-man Dinos’ roster features slotback Chris Dobko, linebacker Tanner Doll, defensive back Nathan Mitchell and receivers Brendan Thera-Plamondon and Spencer Duff. Mitchell split his high school football with the St. Albert High Skyhawks and Paul Kane Blues and the rest are Skyhawks’ alumni.
Dobko, a three-time Canada West all-star and 2012 Canadian Interuniversity Sport second-team All-Canadian, is making his third appearance in the Vanier Cup in five years and the first since losses of 33-31 to the Queen’s Gaels in 2009 and 29-2 to Laval in 2010.
Laval is competing in its CIS record fourth-straight Vanier Cup and the Dinos are chasing their first CIS banner since 1995.
In exhibition play Laval defeated the Dinos 32-3 Aug. 24 in Quebec City.
Last weekend in the Mitchell Bowl the Dinos beat the No. 1-ranked Western Ontario Mustangs 44-3 at McMahon Stadium.
Doll, a third-year Dino, recorded three tackles, six assists, one sack and returned an interception 18 yards against previously undefeated Western.
Dobko, the Dinos’ all-time receptions leader in the regular season with 155, hauled in five catches for 80 yards.
Dobko is the only player in Canada West history to be part of five conference Hardy Cup championships.
The 3A Edmonton zone women’s volleyball tournament wraps up today at the SkyDome.
The top three teams in pools A and B in Friday’s round robin qualified for the crossover playoffs.
The first-place teams earned byes into the 12:15 and 1:15 p.m. semifinals. The winners advance to provincials and the 3 p.m. final determines the No. 1 and No. 2 zone teams.
The Skyhawks (8-4 in metro Edmonton division one) are seeded first in the eight-team draw.
The Sturgeon Spirits (4-5 in division two) are seeded sixth.
Provincials start Thursday at the Saville Community Sports Centre.
The St. Albert Merchants close out their four-game homestand Sunday against the Spruce Grove Regals in the Capital Junior B Hockey League. Puck drop is 8 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
Friday the first-place Merchants (14-2-1) hosted the Beverly Warriors, but the score was unavailable at press time.
