Calgary Dinos slotback Chris Dobko was named to the Canada West all-star team for the second year in a row.
The high school football product of the St. Albert High Skyhawks was one of 12 Dinos named to the all-star team.
The Paul Kane High School graduate led the Dinos with 50 catches for 659 yards and five receiving touchdowns in six games.
His performance tied Kit Hillis of the Saskatchewan Huskies for the second-most catches in a game in conference history.
Hillis, a unanimous all-star selection, was the top receiver in the conference with 57 catches for 797 yards and eight TDs.
Dobko, 22, also broke his team record for most receptions in a game with 14 in the 78-54 scorefest against the Manitoba Bisons in the last game before the playoffs.
The fourth-year Dino is 51 catches away from the all-time conference receiving record of 173 by Chad Goldie, from 2004 to 2008 with the Regina Rams.
Dobko's career regular season totals are 122 receptions for 1,581 yards and 13 TDs.
Last weekend in the conference semifinal, Dobko grabbed four passes for 55 yards, highlighted by a 26-yard TD in the second quarter in the 57-18 win over Manitoba (4-5) at McMahon Stadium.
The Dinos (8-1), ranked third in the nation, can make conference history today against No. 7-ranked Regina (7-2) with a record fifth-straight Hardy Cup championship. TSN is broadcasting the 76th annual Hardy Cup from Calgary at 1 p.m.
The winner heads east to face the Ontario champion for the Mitchell Bowl for a berth in the Vanier Cup.
Sunday at 6:45 p.m. the St. Albert Merchants face-off against the rival Morinville Jets at the Ray McDonald Sports Centre.
The pre-game ceremony on Remembrance Day will honour the sacrifices of Canadian soldiers and the memory of Jets’ captain Nick McRae, who died Sept. 3 in an ATV crash south of Edson. McRae’s No. 11 jersey will be retired during the ceremony. The players on the Jets have worn McRae’s number on their jerseys this season.
Friday the Merchants (6-5-2) hosted the Spruce Grove Regals (13-1) and the Jets (10-4) visited the Beaumont Chiefs (6-6) in the Capital Junior B Hockey League, but scores were unavailable at press time.
Going into the weekend the Jets had won three in a row and the Merchants were winless in three games after racking up five consecutive victories.
The last game for the Merchants was Wednesday’s 6-4 loss to the Edmonton Mustangs (8-6-1) at Bill Hunter Arena. The Mustangs outscored the Merchants 5-2 in the third period. Alex Hawirko, Akeem Samuel, Brayden Switner and captain Brady Reid scored in the loss.
Three-time defending champion Mike Hutchings headlines next week’s 30-team draw in the St. Albert OK Tire Men’s Bonspiel.
The bonspiel starts Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and the finals go Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Prize money money is $5,000, paid per win.
The Hutchings foursome consists of third Brian McPherson, second Chris King and lead Derek Skarban. King replaces Bryan Connell, who threw third rocks last year but is sidelined with a knee injury.
Last year Hutchings stole the game-winning point in the eighth end to edge Doug McLennan’s 50-plus senior rink 3-2. The winners of the 32-rink competition pocketed $1,055.
The Bellerose Composite High School teacher iced a different line-up that beat Russ LeMessurier of Spruce Grove 5-4 with last shot in the 2009 final and Don Palmer of Sherwood Park 5-3 for the 2008 title.
There was no men’s bonspiel in 2010 because of renovations to the front part of the St. Albert Curling Club.
Fans of Olympic gold medallist Marc Kennedy can vote online to send the St. Albert curling product to the Dominion All-Star Curling Skins Game.
The new qualifying format determines which Canadian male curlers will compete for $100,000 in prize money, Jan. 19 to 20 at Casino Rama in Ontario.
Fans can vote at tsn.ca/curlingskins for their favorite skip, third, second and lead. Voting ends Dec. 10.
The all-star ballot consists of players from the top teams, as ranked by the Canadian Team Ranking System for the 2011/12 season. Kennedy’s teammates – skip Kevin Martin, third John Morris and lead Ben Hebert – are on the ballot.
The top four players with the most votes in each position qualify. Each player will then be selected by position via a random draw to create four all-star teams. The draw will be televised by TSN on Jan. 17.
Kennedy, 30, a four-time Brier first team all-star, was one of the six inaugural inductees into the St. Albert Curling Club’s wall of fame in 2011.
His impressive resume includes two men’s club championships, three U20 provincial junior championships, the 2011 Inland Cement Tournament of Champions on a junior rink, gold medals at the Canada Winter Games and World University Games, plus three provincial men’s championships, two Brier championships, one world championship and Olympic gold in 2010 with the Martin rink.
The Paul Kane High School alumnus was also the World Curling Tour men’s most valuable player in 2007/08.
