The Paul Kane football team left Grande Prairie singing the Blues after the season ended sooner than expected Saturday.
The No. 1-ranked St. Joseph’s Celtics (14-0) defeated the No. 2-ranked Blues 33-9 in the Tier II (school population 750 to 1,249) provincial north semifinal.
It was the 29th consecutive victory for the 2014 Alberta Bowl winners and two-time reigning Mighty Peace league champions after losing the 2013 north semifinal 45-28 to the Blues in Grande Prairie.
The Celtics knocked off the Blues 22-1 last year in the north semifinal at Foote Field.
The loss was the second in a row for the Blues (8-3) and only the fifth in 31 games for the senior team during a three-year span highlighted by back-to-back undefeated Miles division two championships and a berth in the Carr division one final.
Mike Webb’s touchdown reception and Rosario Cammarata’s field goal accounted for the team’s scoring.
Head coach Rob Strecker described the loss as the team’s worst performance of the year. He said the offence was out of synch and Grade 12 quarterback Brendan Guy, the top Carr passer in the metro Edmonton league, had no time to throw as the Celtics brought tons of heat.
Ty Beck, a Grade 12 starter at running back and defensive back, also dislocated his shoulder in the first quarter.
Keaton Zaychkowsky, a Grade 11 playmaker who ranked second in the Carr in rushing yards and TDs, wasn’t ready to play against the Celtics after suffering a concussion in the last game before the Carr playoffs.
Strecker also noted the third game in nine days was a major disadvantage for the Blues, especially after two physical Carr playoff matches in five days: 38-22 semifinal win over the Harry Ainlay Titans and 45-6 loss to the Bev Facey Falcons in the final.
The St. Albert Physical Education Council hosts its Tier 1 city volleyball championships Thursday at Bellerose Composite High School.
The girls’ final between the Vincent J. Maloney Marauders (9-0) and Lorne Akins Gators (7-2) starts at 6 p.m., followed by the boys’ final between the Morinville Wolves (9-0) and the defending champions from Lorne Akins (7-2).
An undefeated season for the Sturgeon Spirits in metro Edmonton women’s volleyball ended in Friday’s division two final.
The Spirits (11-1, 35 GW/5 GL) lost 25-23, 25-19, 16-25, 17-25, 8-15 to the Strathcona Christian Academy Eagles (12-0, 36 GW/4 GL) at Strathcona Composite High School.
In the semifinals, the pool B Spirits defeated the pool A Leduc Tigers (9-2) in four sets and the pool A Eagles also needed four sets to eliminate the pool B Paul Kane Blues (9-2).
The last metro banner for the Sturgeon senior women’s volleyball team was the 2000 city conference/division one championship.
Meanwhile, there is no 3A zone tournament this year in women’s volleyball. The St. Albert Skyhawks qualified for the division one championship and according to league rules/policy they will be the only 3A women’s team to represent the zone at the Nov. 26 to 28 provincials in Bonnyville.
The Eagles beat the Spirits in the 3A zone semifinals with a provincial berth on the line last year.
The first loss in league play for the junior Paul Kane Blues was the metro Edmonton division two men’s volleyball final.
The Blues (14-1, 43 GW/12 GL) dropped a four-set decision to the Strathcona Christian Academy Eagles (14-0, 42 GW/9 GL) Friday at Strathcona Composite High School.
The Blues won the third set in the match.
In the semifinals, the pool B Blues beat the pool A Holy Trinity Trojans (11-2) in five sets and the pool A Eagles downed the pool B St. Peter The Apostle Spartans (12-2) in four sets.
The Blues also played in three tournaments and went deep in the playoffs in every one.
Braden Kelly, Jonathan Farr and Patrick McGlashen were the returning Blues from last year’s team (12-1, 37 GW/12 GL) that bowed out in the division two semifinals.
The last metro banner for the junior Blues was the 2008 city conference/division two championship.
