Local Sports

It ain't over till it's over.

The season starts Saturday and, ready or not, the Prince George Spruce Kings will step into the spotlight at the B.C. Hockey League Showcase in Chilliwack to face the Cowichan Valley Capitals.

Prince George officially became home base of the Northern B.C. Centre for Skating on Tuesday.

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed restricted free agent D Brandon Manning to a one-year, two-way contract.

Jeremy Kral was mowing down batters like bowling pins, and one run was all the Queensway Auto Body Red Sox needed to draw first blood in the Prince George Senior Baseball Association championship final.

The Prince George Cougars have released 20-year-old goaltender Mac Engel. That means 18-year-old sophomore Brett Zarowny will be the team's starting goalie and 17-year-old rookie Ty Edmonds has made the team as Zarowny's backup.

He's competed internationally as a middle-distance runner but now Geoff Martinson is tackling a new challenge.

On and off the ice, the Cariboo Cougars will be a new-look outfit this season. The club's ultimate goal, however, remains the same -- to qualify for the Telus Cup national championship tournament. The Cougars, the northernmost team in the B.C.

Brandon Deschamps had his best CIS football game of his career Saturday, but his UBC Thunderbirds went able to ride on their running back's coattails, dropping a 41-31 decision to the defending Canada West champion Calgary Dinos.

Zach Pochiro spent just the first two years of his life in St. Louis but the city by the Mississippi feels like home to the 19-year-old Prince George Cougar.