Dauphin’s Ray Baker skipped his Manitoba team to a gold medal at the 2022 Canada Senior Games, in Kamloops, Aug. 23 to 26.

Joined by Dwight Bottrell, Bob Scales and Keith Pottle, the Dauphin foursome went 5-1 in the round-robin, before winning their semifinal game and beating the host team, 8-1 in the final.

Baker said it was a long week for the team, playing eight games in a round-robin format.

“We were actually down a player for all of the week, because one of our players got injured early on. So we were playing with three,” he added. “It was a one-game-at-a-time thing and we made it through it all.”

The final, Baker said, was a great game and was closer than the score would indicate.

“Really, it was a question of whoever was fortunate enough to get the first deuce in the game. An opportunity came up and we decided to go and we went around a corner guard. We were fortunate to generate a deuce and after that, they were chasing us and we were able to capitalize on it,” he said.

Being a national champion is a good feeling, Baker said, remembering the games four years ago, when they went undefeated in the round-robin only to lose in the final and settle for silver.

“So it was pretty awesome to be able to get back there and play again and actually win both of the playoff games and get the gold. Yeah, it was cool,” he said.

Baker knew they would be contenders going into the competition.

“And we were playing well. We had a good team. But you never know. It was August. We haven’t thrown a lot of curling rocks for a while. And it took us a little while to settle in,” he said. “Once the week went on, we got stronger and stronger and we were probably a little more positive, as well, as we got closer to the end,” he said, adding he enjoyed his time in Kamloops, noting the ice conditions were fantastic.

“Probably the fastest curling ice I’ve ever played on.”

The Dauphin Mavericks rugby team learned a valuable lesson, Saturday, when they faced the league-leading Winnipeg Wombats.

Winnipeg entered the contest with an 8-1-1 record, compared to Dauphin’s 4-4 mark and the Wombats played a style of game the Mavericks have not seen much of this season, resulting in a 48-10 Winnipeg win.

Nick Searle and Codi Harrigan had Dauphin’s tries, both of which came in the second half.

Despite the lopsided result, Harrigan was pleased with the Mavericks’ play.

“I told these boys, ‘let’s keep our heads up. That was an amazing game.’ We came short of numbers, they came with two full lines. They’re 8-1-1 for a reason. They’re a good team. They played great,” he said.

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Training camp is over and done with and now the players trying to impress the Dauphin Kings coaching staff will have four opportunities to show what they can do in game situations this week.

Camp ended with Team White scoring a 4-3 win over Team navy in the annual JoFo Cup intrasquad game, Sunday afternoon.

Madden Murray scored twice to lead Team White to the victory. Tyson Pauze and Anthony Tudino had the other goals, while Keaton Woolsey and Kristjan Johnson combined to make 39 saves in goal.

Nolan Wickham, Ethan Williment and Aiden Brook had the goals for Team Navy. Cole Sheffield and Nathan Braun teamed up to make 18 saves in goal.

Kings head coach and general manager Doug Hedley liked what he saw throughout the weekend.

“The guys that we brought in, we knew they were good. I think we’ve got some decent speed. Our backend is mobile,” he said.

The Kings will embark on a busy week with four preseason games in six days, beginning tonight in Swan Valley against the Stampeders at 7 p.m.

On Wednesday, Dauphin plays its only home game of the preseason when they host the Superior International Junior Hockey League’s Wisconsin Lumberjacks at 7:30 p.m.

The Kings will then head west for a pair of tilts against Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League opponents in Melville, first against the Melville Millionaires on Saturday at 6 p.m., followed by a Sunday contest against the Yorkton Terriers at 2:30 p.m. These four games, Hedley said, will be key for a lot of players, noting there is competition for every spot on the roster.

“It’s going to be a good battle. I’m looking forward to some good intensity, good compete in practice and games this week,” he said.

Hedley felt each of the three teams had a really good work ethic and compete level in their practices.

“The speed that they had and the compete in the drills was very good. I think there have been times in the games where they got a little bit tired. But at the same time, overall, I think the compete and the speed and the intensity has been okay,” he said.

Hedley hopes to see a willingness to battle in the preseason games and play within a structure.

“We’re going to do some teaching this week and, hopefully, we can get guys buying in. The sooner we do that, the better we’re going to be,” he said.

Last season, the Kings relied on scoring by committee and this season will be no different.

“There are guys here that we think have potential to be some top end guys as far as scoring. But until we get the combinations together and get the right guys in the right places, it’s probably going to be scoring by committee,” Hedley said.

Like last year, Hedley expects the blueline to lead the way when it comes to producing offence.

“I think our backend is going to be one of our major driving forces again, with guys like (Nicholas) Hatton and (Anthony) Bax that can jump in the play. And (Rhys) Maksimow, (Ryan) Kieber and those kinds of kids that can jump in the play and create some until we get our feet under us up front and try to spread out,” he said. “But I think the biggest thing is probably our depth. The fact that we can throw speed out on every line. We might not be top scorers, but we’ve got guys that work by committee and hopefully, will score the same way.”

Dauphin opens the season, Sept. 16, when they host the Neepawa Titans at 7:30 p.m.

Charles McKay of the Wayway A’s was out on this play as Dirt Devils first baseman Dean Zimmer stretches to make the putout in the final of the Dauphin Men’s Fastball League, last Wednesday.

The A’s had the last laugh as they scored a 9-3 victory to win the league championship.

Wayway’s Curtis Cote was named the Cubby Barker league MVP.

Sully Fox leaps to knock down a pass right before the quarterback is sacked as the Dauphin Clippers beat the Winnipeg Falcons, 33-20, in an exhibition game, Friday.

The Falcons and St. Vital Mustangs are playing a series of exhibition games against teams in the Rural Manitoba Football League as a means of gauging their competitiveness before joining the league next season at the earliest.

The Clippers open the regular season, Thursday, when they host the defending RMFL champion Swan Valley Tigers in a rematch of last year’s final. Game time is 4:30 p.m.

The Girl Guides Travel Club hosted a fund-raising barbecue, Friday, at the Dauphin Consumers Co-op Food Store.

The group had planned a trip to Churchill, but it was cancelled due to the pandemic, so they are raising funds to, hopefully, make the trip north.

The local Girls Guides will host a camp for girls from across Canada ages 10 to 17, Aug. 20 to 26, 2023.

From left, Rick Horn, Scott McCallum, Ryan Horn and Elvis Nepinak watch as Cash McCallum sinks a putt on no. 1 at the West Region Tribal Council’s four-person scramble, Sunday, at the Dauphin Lake Golf Club.

Results of the tournament were not available at press time.

Meanwhile, the Dauphin Lake Golf Club hosted the Pine Creek First Nation four-person scramble golf tournament, Aug. 21, the fourth day in a row the local golf course hosted a tournament.

The highlight of the tournament came when Ivan Roulette recorded a hole-in-one on no. 9, winning the closest-to-the-hole contest.

The team of Merv Spence, Brian Spence, Gregg Starr and Waylon J Eastman topped the 22-team field, finishing with a 56.

Ron Missyabit, Tim Edwards, Arnold Mitchell and Dustin Klegg won the first flight, shooting a 57. Shaq Houle, Kion Houle, Bradley Roulette and Wayne Catcheway were second on a countback over Faron Genaille, Stacey Genaille, Peter Genaille and Tristan Kershane. Both teams finished with a 58.

A countback put the team of Brady Roulette, Josh Beaulieu, Paul Richard and Claude Roulette first place in the second flight with a 59. Russell Starr, Russell Starr Jr., Droke Starr and Steven Starr were second on a countback after they tied with the team of Larry Nepinak, Conrad McKay, Kevin McKay and Doug H., with a 61.

Rey Cook, Sean Cook, Rayne Cook and A.J. Cook won the third flight carding a 64. Wayne Desjarlais, Tobi Desjarlais, Andy Desjarlais and Robert Malcolm were awarded second on a countback ahead of Michael Prince, Jennifer Prince, Robert Mousseau and Dustin Mousseau after both teams shot a 65.

Closest-to-the-hole winners were Dustin Mousseau on no. 2, Elvis Nepinak on no. 6, Roger Roulette on no. 9 and Peter Genaille on no. 14.

Ivan Roulette and Brady Racette won the skins.

The Dauphin Kings took the first step towards defending their Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) championship when the reigning Turnbull Cup titlists hosted a rookie camp, this past weekend.

About 50 players hit the ice at Credit Union Place, hoping to impress the coaching staff enough to earn and invitation to this weekend’s main camp.

According to Kings head coach and general manager Doug Hedley, the team limited the number of players at the camp to include their list players and draft picks, as well as mostly local players.

Hedley like what he saw on the ice.

“I liked the work ethic, I liked the compete, I liked the speed. They’re working hard,” he said, adding Carter Zalischuk had a great camp and some of the local players such as Cohen Smigelsky and Sam Swanton also had good camps. “We’ve got a good cycle of good talent coming up through the ranks in the Parkland and we’re hoping these guys can end up wearing our crest sooner or later,” Hedley said.

About 16 players will join the team’s main camp, which will be held, Sept. 2 to 4, culminating with the JoFo Cup intrasquad game. Hedley said there will be similar numbers at the main camp, enough for three teams.

“It should be some great competition and should make for some great speed and some good entertainment next weekend,” he added.

Some players, such as local products Kyan Grouette and Zalischuk, will be notably absent from the main camp because they will be attending Western Hockey League camps.

“It’s going to be interesting, because main camp could be totally different two or three weeks down the road depending on who returns and who doesn’t,” Hedley said. “But I know we have some good talent coming in. Some good imports coming in and some good kids from Manitoba, so it should make for some good entertainment next weekend.”

A lot of focus will be on the Kings as defending MJHL champions. With the bar set at a high level, Hedley wants it to stay there.

“People look around and say we’re going to be in tough this year. But at the same time, we thought that last year. We lost some real good players the year before with (Grady) Hobbs and (Kolby) Morrisseau. And our top six guys were all gone,” he pointed out. “And the guys came in and filled in and did a great job.”

Hedley feels the defence will be a strength like it was last year, led by Owen Wareham, who turns 20 in October. After the experience of playing at last season’s Centennial Cup, Dauphin’s coaching staff saw what it takes to compete at that level.

“Speed is your key ingredient. You have to be able to skate, you have to move the puck. Playing fast. So we want that in our main camp,” Hedley said. “We’re going to talk to our guys before we start. The compete level and the speed and just the ability to move the puck as fast as you can and to get to hard places as fast as you can is going to be key. And that’s what we’re going to focus on in main camp.”

The Kings will play four preseason games this year, the first coming, Sept. 6, in Swan River against the Stampeders at 7 p.m., followed by a game, Sept. 7, when the Kings host the Superior International Junior Hockey League’s Wisconsin Lumberjacks at 7:30 p.m.

Dauphin will then travel west to face the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Melville Millionaires, Sept. 10, and the Yorkton Terriers, Sept. 11, with both games in Melville.

Lindsay Sanderson, program co-ordinator at Under One Roof, accepts a cheque for $2,845 from Jojo Ferman of Westman Communications Group (WCG).

WCG hosted a fund-raising barbecue in July and matched the money raised.