SHERWOOD PARK — The Lindsay Thurber Raiders battled adversity as well as the Sturgeon Spirits of Namao in the Tier 1 senior boys bronze-medal match of the provincial high school rugby championship on Saturday.
With the contest tied 5-5 in the second half, the Raiders had three tries disallowed, but still rallied to defeat the Spirits 24-5.
“The calls that went against us regarding the three tries were mysterious to the coaching staff, and everyone was starting to wonder if it would slip away despite the fact we were dominating,” said Raiders manager Norm McDougall.
Instead, Graydon Bowd scored a try with 10 minutes remaining in the game, Karl Hoehne barged through a stream of tacklers and scored under the posts, and Taylor Frentz capped the triumph with a try into the corner. Bowd added two converts.
Strathcona, which downed the Raiders 24-0 Friday, defeated Lethbridge Collegiate Institute 19-0 in the Tier 1 boys gold-medal match.
“We measured up well against the top teams in the province,” said McDougall. “The guys played hard and did a great job.”
The Notre Dame Cougars finished fifth in the senior girls Tier 1 division, while the Rimbey Spartans claimed bronze in the senior girls Tier 2 category. Further details were unavailable.