The Kamloops Rattlers U-14 field lacrosse team won the Fall Faceoff tournament in Vernon on the weekend.

The Rattlers lost their first game, 8-5, to North Okanagan, then won three in a row to capture the gold medal.

Karsten Huth and Kaiden Merz, with two each, Brenden Bickert and Ryan Dergeusoff scored against North Okanagan.

Huth came back with four goals in a 5-4 victory over Edmonton. Matthew Blackstock also scored.

Kamloops then doubled Calgary, 4-2, on goals from Huth, Blackstock, Merz and Kordell Primus.

That put the Rattlers into the final, which was a rematch against Calgary. Kamloops won 5-4 on goals from Huth, Bickert, Brayden Jones, Derek Rockvam and Josh Kent.

Braden Nicklas played goal for the Rattlers through the entire tournament.

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The Kamloops Junior Riverdogs finished second at the Big League Experience Best of the West bantam tournament held at McArthur Island on the weekend.

White Rock won the tournament, scoring twice in the last inning to beat the Riverdogs 7-6 in Monday’s final.
The Riverdogs went 2-1 in the round-robin portion of the tournament, opening with a 9-3 victory over Pro Baseball Force of Calgary. Vincent Daley, the game MVP, tripled and was strong behind the plate. Lance Martin doubled and singled, Brendan Coulter singled twice, and Ben MacDonald, Blaise Brewer and Rhys McKenzie chipped in with hits. Bryant Jameus pitched four strong innings, striking out seven, and MacDonald and McCoy Pearce-Orr each tossed an inning.

In their second game, Martin, the game MVP, pitched four innings, and doubled and singled in an 18-1 victory over the Okotoks Baseball Academy 2. Samuel Avila added three hits, MacDonald doubled twice, Coulter tripled and singled, and Trey Chisholm and Brewer each singled twice. As well, Connor McKenzie doubled and Jameus singled, and Daley mopped up with a scoreless inning of relief.

Okotoks Baseball Academy 1 beat the Riverdogs 9-6 in the final round-robin game. Chisholm, the game MVP, threw three-plus innings in relief. Jameus singled twice, while Martin doubled and Avila and Coulter each added hits. Avila, Connor McKenzie and Daley also pitched.

The ’Dogs bounced back to beat Okotoks 1, 16-6, in a semifinal game. Coulter, the game MVP, struck out four in three shutout innings. He also doubled twice and drove in three runs. MacDonald and Connor McKenzie each doubled and singled, Martin singled twice and Riley Jepson added a hit, while Daley pitched the final two innings in a game shortened by the mercy rule.

Coulter took the hill again in the final, fanning seven over six innings before being pulled due to pitch count. Martin, Avila and MacDonald each had a pair of hits while Jepson, Chisholm and Connor McKenzie joined the hit parade.

Coulter was named Kamloops’ player of the tournament.

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The Sa-Hali Sabres senior girls volleyball team finished tied for 11th out of 40 teams at the UBC-Okanagan Heat tournament in Kelowna on Friday and Saturday.

Pool play was held Friday, and Sa-Hali went 1-2. The Sabres opened with a two-set (25-13, 25-17) loss to the Gibsons-Elphinstone Cougars, and were swept (25-20, 25-12) by the Kelowna-Immaculata Mustangs, before defeating the Penticton Lakers in three sets (16-25, 25-20, 15-8).

The Sabres lost their opening match of bracket play in three sets (25-20, 20-25, 15-12) to the North Vancouver-Handsworth Royals but bounced back to defeat the Prince George-Cedars Christian Eagles (25-20, 20-25, 15-12).

The victory put Sa-Hali into the ninth/11th match, where it lost in three sets (25-19, 20-25, 15-6) to the Vancouver-Crofton House Cubs.