Sports

BY SCOTT HADDOW The Sudbury Spartans surprised many by making the playoffs and now they want to continue surprising people by advancing deep into the post season.

BY SCOTT HADDOW Sudbury Spartans running back Dave St. Amour could never be called a quitter. The 38-year-old player came out of retirement this year to play another season of football in the unforgiving Northern Football Conference (NFC).

BY SCOTT HADDOW The games will go on. It's full speed ahead for the 15th annual Caruso Club International Soccer Tournament this upcoming weekend, despite a major loss to the organizing committee.

Lo-Ellen Park student Rebecca Johnston poured on the heat at the recent Canadian Junior Track and Field Championships in Quebec, winning a bronze medal in the girls' 400-metre event. Johnston, 16, has five provincial high school medals to her credit.

With a 24-17 win over the North Bay Bulldogs, the Sudbury Spartans have clinched the final playoff spot and are only three consecutive victories away from being crowned Northern Football Conference Champions.

BY JASON THOMPSON With a little more than a week before the biggest bodybuilding competition of his life, Mario Foucault is training harder than ever with his personal trainer Rick McCutcheon.

BY JASON THOMPSON With geographical bragging rights and a playoff berth on the line, the Sudbury Spartans are facing a must-win game Saturday when the North Bay Bulldogs invade Queen's Athletic Field.

BY KEITH LACEY It was indeed a special occasion for three local athletes who turned in outstanding performances last weekend at the Special Olympics national track and field championships in Brandon, Man.

When Italy's Fabio Grosso lined up his historic penalty kick, a record four million Canadians were watching in anticipation. When his Cup-winning goal lifted Italy into the history books, it capped the most watched World Cup game ever in Canada.

BY SCOTT HADDOW Local amateur boxer Terry Witzu doesn't like coming in second place. The 56-year-old pugilist is off to the 2006 Ringside World Boxing Championships in Kansas City, Missouri from Aug. 1 to 5.