Titans Slay Gladiators Ex-Canuck Dead at 27

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Titans Slay Gladiators Ex-Canuck Dead at 27 TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2011 | WWW.PGCITIZEN.CA 9 Sports CITIZEN SPORTS 250.562.2441 Ext. 2401/2402 | DIRECT SPORTS LINE: 250.960.2764 | EMAIL: [email protected] FOOTBALL Lions headed to Prince George Free instruction from B.C. team rolls to gold professional players? Now there’s an offer no kid Ted CLARKE Citizen staff with an interest in football could [email protected] refuse. The B.C. Lions’ Play with the Years from now, when they Pros instruction camp is coming look back on their time playing for to Prince George this Sunday, B.C. at the 2011 State Wars roller from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at hockey championships in Cin- Lac du Bois school (formerly cinnati, Ohio, Jordan Carstairs, Lakewood junior secondary Tyson Young and Regan Young school). won’t be thinking about how they Lions slotback Shawn Gore started the tournament. and second-year safety Cauchy But they will remember how it Muamba will make the trip to ended. Prince George. The three Prince George boys Coaches from the Prince started from scratch after an 0-3 George Minor Football Associa- beginning and ended up winning tion will assist the pros in con- their last three games to capture ducting drills for the young play- gold in the double-A division for ers at the fourth annual camp. 1993-born players. “It’s always a great event when “We started off so bad,” said you’ve got the Lions in town and Rob Carstairs, Jordan’s dad and it’s special for the kids to get to coach of Team B.C. “Everything interact with some guys who are was so out of control and there playing professional football,” was no structure to our game.” said PGMFA president Ryan Rob Carstairs said it was when Bellamy. he saw Team Canada men’s play- The free camp, open to kids er Kirk French hanging around aged six to 15, will feature in- the hotel lobby and asked him troductory sessions on pass- to step behind the bench that the SUBMITTED ing, catching, rushing, kick- boys’ play turned around. Team Canada’s Kirk French, back row with cap, joined the Team B.C. roller hockey squad at the ing, offensive line, defensive “He kind of jumped on the State Wars championship in Cincinnati, Ohio from Aug. 3 to 14 and helped lead them to the line, defensive secondary, and bench and all the kids looked up gold medal Sunday. Prince George was represented by coach Rob Carstairs and players Jordan linebacker play. to him,” said Carstairs. “He’s the Carstairs and Regan and Tyson Young. Other players on the team were: Aaron Hutchison, Brandon There is no pre-registration Wayne Gretzky of roller hockey. Tam, Colton Popowich, Phil Gosse, Dan Gooda and coach Rob Gooda. required. “He just said the same stuff I Kids should come to the did,” the coach added. “When with an $800 pair of roller blades, Consecutive losses in the triple- their mark on the medal podium field one hour before the camp Kirk said it they all paid attention, while Tyson Young was picked as A division to Texas (3-1), Ohio in three other age divisions at begins. but when I said it they’re looking the tournament’s most valuable (6-2) and Southern California State Wars, all at the triple-A Each player should come around, talking and laughing at defenceman. (7-2) convinced the B.C. squad level. Gregory Williams, Darren equipped with athletic shoes or me.” Team B.C. defeated Southern to drop down a notch into the 11- Hards and Ryan Watson won cleats, shorts and a water bottle. Jordan Carstairs, 18, scored California 2-1 in a semifinal play- team double-A division. The B.C. silver in the 1998-born tourna- For more information call Dy- two goals and Regan Young, 16, off Friday night. They earned team had just seven skaters (one ment; Mitchell Truefitt and Chris chelle Williams, 250-961-5595 fired a single to lift B.C. to a 4-3 their first win Thursday, a 6-2 tri- less than the maximum allowed) Metcalfe captured bronze in the or go to www.PGMFA.com. win over New York in the champi- umph over Missouri. and one goaltender and had sev- 1997-born bracket; and Garrett ■ With the season starting onship game Saturday morning. The elder Carstairs said all but eral 1994-born players in the line- Hill, Justin Hards, Kirk Hards Aug. 27, registration in the Carstairs was selected most two of the 11 teams at the cham- up against teams of mostly 1993- and goalie Kris Joyce nailed down PGMFA now stands at about 100 valuable player in the champi- pionship had a decent shot at the born players. bronze in the 1995 age division. players. League registrar Amber onship game and was rewarded title. Prince George players also left — With files from Sheri Lamb Spence says there has been a rush of new players at the atom level (six- to nine-year-olds), many of whom took advantage of the league’s offer on no-fee Titans slay Gladiators football for the first 25 atoms Ex-Canuck who signed up. Sheri LAMB Citizen staff The Titans managed 11 hits off Gladia- “We already have 33 atoms, so [email protected] tors’ pitcher Ryan Yorston. Roberts had a we already have enough for two shutout until a two-run single by Gladi- atom teams,” said Spence. adors’ first baseman Conor Whitely in the dead at 27 The league also has 23 pee- It didn’t take long Monday for the Dis- bottom of the sixth inning put the home wees, 31 junior bantams and 15 trict Clothing TQ Titans to get Cookin’. team on the board. The Canadian Press bantam-aged players. Jay Cook, batting lead off, belted a sin- “It’s easy to pitch when you’ve got a League fees are $50 for atoms gle in his first at-bat of the night at Citi- lead,” said Roberts. “The last couple times TORONTO — Winnipeg Jets forward Rick and $195 for peewees (10-11 zen Field in the third game of the Prince I was out, [they] didn’t get that many runs Rypien has been found dead in his Alberta home. year olds), junior bantams (12- George Senior men’s Baseball League for me, but they were hitting the ball to- The Jets confirmed the 27-year-old forward’s 13) and bantams (14-16). best-of-three quarterfinal series against night.” death in a statement Monday night. Teams started practices on the Barry Yip Shooters Gladiators, to get In the bottom of seven, the Gladiators “We are deeply saddened to confirm Rick’s July 19. Games will be played on things rolling in his team’s 5-2 win. made it interesting when they were able passing,” the statement read. Saturdays until late October. “I’ve been feeling good since, I guess, to get two men on base with one out, but “As many people are aware, he had strong provincials,” said Cook about his three- Roberts struck out Bob Weightmen be- ties to True North Sports & Entertainment, the SWIMMING for-three night with a walk and two runs fore Dalton Jones hit a comebacker to the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club, the former Mani- scored. “We’ve worked hard all summer mound. toba Moose Hockey Club and the Vancouver and it’s just been going well and I’ve been “I was starting to get a little tired there Canucks. We would like to express our sincere King sterling getting lucky breaks.” at the end, but I got the ball there – a nice, sympathies to the Rypien family as well as Rick’s It was the first of three hits for the Ti- easy ground ball – easy play at the end and friends.” in Kamloops tans in the first inning as they opened up we shut her down and we’re moving on,” The RCMP in Crowsnest Pass, Alta., said they Sterling King returned from a 3-0 lead for right-handed pitcher Joey said Roberts, 25. received a call at 12:30 p.m. MT concerning a Kamloops with a new collection Roberts. The Titans added a pair of runs Yorston pitched the full seven innings “sudden and non-suspicious” death. of precious medals. in the fourth inning to give Roberts a five- for the Gladiators with five strikeouts, two Fans created a Facebook tribute page shortly The Prince George Barracu- run advantage. walks and giving up four earned runs on after the reports of the 27-year-old’s death sur- das Swim Club member brought “It helps everybody because it takes the 105 pitches, faced, and former and current teammates post- home three gold and two bronze pressure off,” said Cook about putting Weightmen was 2-for-4 for the Gladia- ed condolences on Twitter. medals from the 2011 Western runs up early. “You can make a mistake tors, scoring a run, but struck out twice. “Sad to hear about Rick Rypien,” posted Jets Canada Summer Games. and you don’t have to play such tight, Jordan Roy scored the only other run for captain Andrew Ladd. “I was looking forward In addition to gold in the 4 X stressful defence.” the Gladiators. to playing with him in Winnipeg. Thoughts are 200 metre freestyle relay, King Roberts struck out nine Gladiators on The semifinals begin tonight at Citizen with his family and friends.” was a part of the gold-medal win- 127 pitches, while giving up three walks Field as the regular season champion Rypien is the second active NHL player found ning 4 X 100m freestyle relay and as the Titans won their second straight to Queensway Auto World Red Sox host dead in the off-season.
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