A year of building big

Published 11:45 am Saturday, December 27, 2025

Dustin Worrall, president of Langley BMX, was delighted with the new pump track that officially opened on Nov. 20 in Yorkson Community Park.

“It’s huge, actually,” Worrall responded when asked how significant the facility is.

“What was there before was like a dirt jump kind of track, which was never used,” Worrall told the Langley Advance Times.

“I don’t know if you’ve seen how many kids are out at the pump track now, but especially for a growing area right there with all the condos going up, it’s huge. It’s heavily used. It’s good to have kids on bikes and outdoors rather than sitting behind video games.”

Pump track racing is a sport where riders traverse rollers, banked turns, and other features designed to be riden by “pumping” a bike with up and down body movements.

Like a lot of growing sports, it’s been struggling to find space.

Until the new Township track opened, there were two such facilities in the Langley area to accommodate pump track racers, one at Penzer park in Langley City, and a “very small one” at the Langley BMX track near George Preston Recreation Centre, Worall said.

A new pump track isn’t the only upgrade to Yorkson, which has also added a new spray park, washrooms, parking, a rugby field for Yorkson Middle School, 200 new trees, and what Mayor Eric Woodward describes as “the best playground the Township of Langley has ever built.”

Next year, more washrooms, picnic areas, Yorkson Creek Trail, and a half-kilometre walking track around the existing fields are in the works – depending on public consultation.

It’s just one of several ambitious projects in the Township, part of a sports building boom to provide more room for sports struggling to find space, especially those with younger athletes.

Woodward has noted Langley has the highest per capita youth population in Metro Vancouver, nearly triple that of Vancouver.

Kid need places to play, and the Township has been busy building those spaces.

Biggest is the $149-million expansion of the Langley Events Centre, set to open in September 2026, with three more ice sheets, two year-round dry floors, a 1,200-seat main arena, 380 underground stalls, a new restaurant, and outdoor plaza.

Local youth sports leagues are champing at the bit.

And there is the second phase of Smith Athletic Park in 2026, adding new soccer fields, including one indoors and a host of other improvements, on the way to becoming an education and youth soccer athletic campus.

Further down the road, a proposed new Willoughby Community Centre will include a 37.5-metre lap pool, which is expected to help reduce waits for kids swim lessons. 

ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) – Youth football teams competed for a $500 cash prize during the first-ever Cenla New Year’s Classic this weekend.

Event organizer Kelvin Franklin brought together 8-U, 10-U and 12-U football teams for the tournament at Peabody High School.

“This is truly a high competitive environment and it’s all what this area needs. It starts with the youth. It starts with the youth all the way,” Franklin said.

Franklin said the tournament addressed a need in Central Louisiana.

“I had to make it happen. I wanted to make it happen. We’ve never had a tournament here at all, ever,” Franklin said. “Places in Texas and Georgia, Florida, California, stuff like that, they get to do these type of things and it’s big. Why can’t we do it right here.”

Franklin said he used his platform in youth sports to create the showcase for local athletes.

“It kind of brings a tear to my eyes a little bit, you know, because the support of the city and the support of other people around me and my great crew, great staff, and also Peabody for letting me host this here,” Franklin said.

Local teams competed throughout the weekend, giving young athletes a chance to showcase their skills close to home. Franklin said youth sports teaches lessons beyond the scoreboard.

“It’s great to start them at a young age, you know, because you want to build,” Franklin said. “Football brings great welders, great teachers, great janitors, great everybody. Football just builds everybody even when you’re not playing in college or the NFL as well.”

Franklin plans to make the tournament an annual tradition.

“We’re going to do it every year and this year was the first year, and this next year is going to be way bigger,” said Franklin. ”It’s going to get bigger every year. We have national teams here right now, and there’s going to be some other guys from other places, from other states and stuff that’s going to be here as well.”

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Servite was led by Saiger Smith (right) and Tariq Johnson in the victory over Tustin. (PHOTOS: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).

Servite’s boys basketball team used a strong defensive effort and solid offensive contributions from two freshmen guards Saturday night against Tustin in a second round game of the Ringo Bossenmeyer Tustin Holiday Classic at Tustin.

The Friars took control in the first quarter and went on to defeat Tustin 54-35 likely sending them to the tournament finals Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. The Friars, 2-0 and the only undefeated team in their pool, play Hawaii Baptist (0-2) Monday.

Eight teams are in the tournament which was renamed in honor of former Tustin coach Ringo Bossenmeyer.

To see additional photos, click on the first picture:

Tustin players get ready for Saturday’s game with Servite.

Tariq Johnson of Servite brings the ball up against Tustin.

Servite coach Matt Kanne congratulates his players during a timeout.

Tustin and Servite players exchange handshakes after the game.

Servite is looking for its first tournament championship this season. The Friars went 3-1 in both the Sunny Hills and Western tournaments.

“We need to get this one, we’re looking to get a tournament championship here,” said Friars first year coach Matt Kanne.

Freshman guards Saiger Smith (18 points) and Tariq Johnson (13 points) led the way for Servite (13-3).

But it was the defensive effort overall of the team that impressed Kanne.

“I thought we brought great defensive intensity, it was our best defensive half of the season in the first half, I thought we really competed on the defensive end and rotated well, mixed defenses well, I thought offensively we didn’t finish well at the rim and missed a lot of easy ones, but at the same time, we played fast, got to our spots and I was really pleased overall especially in the first half with the looks that we got, we just didn’t convert,” Kanne said.

“I was pleased with the overall effort, that’s a good team, they compete hard, I felt like we asserted ourselves on defense and were aggressive and got after it and competed, we just need to convert on the offensive end.”

Servite led 29-16 at halftime and then extended its lead to 22 points going into the final stanza.

Tustin (9-9) was led by Dillon Walker with seven points and Taven Epps with six points. The Tillers are 1-1 in the tournament.

“They’re terrific, really talented, skilled, complete players who are extremely talented, especially on the offensive end,” Kanne said of his two freshmen. “Between Tariq’s shooting and Saiger’s playmaking and defense we have a nice freshman tandom that gives the program a lot to be excited about.”

Both players were excited to get the win.

“I thought it was a good win and we executed on defense,” Johnson said. “The defense allowed us to get going on offense.”

“I think we defended well,” Smith added. “We had a great defensive half in both halves, and I think we executed as a team. I could have done better, I got to be able to finish at the rim, but overall, I had a pretty good performance.”

Hugh Hannan had nine points and Carlos Galvan seven points for Servite and Jake Schutt was solid on defense and rebounding, the coach said.

“Jake Schutt, our senior leader and captain, brings us great energy on the defensive end and rebounds really well, really physical, strong player,” Kanne said.

—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com

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Academy double, World Cup heroics and international adventures

 Of course, Austria’s success at the U17 World Cup, in which nine of our Young Bulls played a part, was the headline achievement of 2025 at youth level. Numerous other highlights accompanied our youngsters’ development this year while we look forward to see playing at the Red Bull Arena in a few years. Let’s take a look back at the best moments.

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2025 began with a real statement! In February, the U16 Academy team prevailed at the inaugural Bull’s Cup, taking first place in the ten-team field in Brazil and defeating FC Santos in the final.

Championships are usually celebrated in May, but March was also wonderful: as our U20 girls capped off their remarkable season in the Women’s Future League, Austria’s top youth league, with the championship title. Captain Valentina Akrap, who has since played for our Bundesliga team, kicked off the celebrations with her decisive goal against LASK. The good times are continuing, and it’s no coincidence that Hiermann’s team is also sitting comfortably at the top of the table in the current campaign.

Another highlight: Our Young Bulls’ European journey in 2024/25 took them all the way to the Final Four in Nyon. In a dramatic semi-final, our previously undefeated U19 team was ultimately defeated 1-2 by Trabzonspor in Europe’s most important youth competition, the UEFA Youth League.

Academy double

Motivated by their success in the team competition at the Wings Cup hosted by RB Leipzig, the U16 academy players, as well as the U15 hopefuls, won titles in the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) Youth League – with both teams boasting the best attack and the most solid defence. The chances of the Red Bull Football Academy achieving a hat trick of U18, U16 and U15 championships next year, for the sixth time (!), are quite good: Only the youngest side are just one point behind leaders FK Austria Vienna, while the teams coached by Tobias Kern and Danny Galm are sitting pretty at the top of the table.

Speaking of Tobias Kern:  when it comes to international tournaments, we can’t forget the Next Generation Trophy, which has long since established itself as a career booster for players like Phil Foden and Konrad Laimer. Kern’s charges once again put in a remarkable display of talent, advancing to the quarter-finals of this prestigious U16 competition as group winners. The run ended only against Red Bull Bragantino, the eventual champions.

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2025 was rounded off with further milestones: first, our U15 youngsters claimed the Porsche Fußball Cup in Stuttgart, becoming the first club ever to do so for the second time. Then, our boys proved unbeatable at the AKA Futsal Convention. The 5-1 victory in the final against Austria Vienna in early December was a fitting end to a successful year for our young Bulls.

Photo: Porsche Fußball Cup, 2025, Porsche AG

A No Trespassing sign hangs on the fence of the Williamsburg Horse Show Club ring at the Williamsburg Farm Show complex.
Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski /
The Williamsburg Horse Show Club ring sits north of the Williamsburg Community varsity softball field which sits between the ring and the Williamsburg Farm Show building.

A Williamsburg club that aims to help youth learn to ride and compete has been disbanded, leading organizers, club leaders and youths wondering what their next steps should be.

According to Bobbi Gearheart, leader of the Williamsburg Horse Show Club, the move to end the club by its parent organization, the Williamsburg Community Farm Show, “was an absolute shock.”

The club, which has been in operation for more than 30 years, is a “place where kids can make mistakes and learn, and judges will talk to them and prepare them for 4-H shows,” said Julia Saintz, a horse show club volunteer.

News about the club’s end came in an email from the Farm Show president to club organizers, received at 7 a.m. on Dec. 18. The email stated that the horse committee “no longer exists nor will the area be available for horse shows in the future.”

“A group of board members presented a proposal to reimagine the area that is currently being used for the horse show,” Farm Show Board President Jeff Walason wrote in the email, apparently referencing a Dec. 12 Farm Show board meeting.

Multiple calls to Walason by the Mirror and by horse club members have not been returned.

Despite Walason urging recipients of the letter not to share the message on social media, horse club members created a Facebook page – Saving the Williamsburg Horse Activities! – which has garnered over 150 members and multiple posts urging the Farm Show to reconsider their decision.

“Williamsburg has long been one of my favorite venues to show at,” Stefanie Swindell Strayer commented on the page. “Having competed there for many years, it’s so disappointing to see an opportunity like this taken away from those who enjoy showing, especially the next generation of young riders.”

A post by Mark O’Neill notes that “everybody starts somewhere like Williamsburg. With fewer and fewer Williamsburgs, the future is not bright for the industry. The local show must be preserved.”

Another post takes aim at the Farm Show board.

“This is a very short-sighted decision by people that have ‘community’ in their name,” stated Norma Horton, who said she has been attending the shows for 20 years.

“People complain about kids getting in trouble, yet they want to take away a place that gives them something to enjoy and spend time,” she wrote.

A change.org petition received 500 signatures in less than 24 hours, and by Tuesday afternoon, more than 700 had signed onto the petition to Reinstate the Williamsburg Horse Show.

The board’s decision “not only impacts the long-standing tradition of our families but also denies future generations the chance to experience the extraordinary benefits that these shows provide,” the petition states.

“To me, Williamsburg has never been just a horse show,” Swindell Strayer told the Mirror. “It’s a community. … It’s where memories are made, families are supported, and generations of horsemen and women are given the chance to learn, grow and succeed together.”

“It’s very generational, and it’s sad to see 30 years dismissed without a word and a warning,” Saintz said.

Locked out

In the email, Walason said “all keys are expected to be returned to the buildings or a fee will be charged to the group for rekeying the main building should the key not be returned.”

According to Gearhart, the club has already been locked out, something she discovered when she went to collect club belongings.

Many “No Trespassing” signs were placed around the horse ring and nearby trees, she said.

As a “self-sufficient” club, their riding equipment, speakers, announcing equipment and jumps were fully funded by community fundraisers, Gearhart said, but the farm show believes otherwise.

“We worked really hard to buy that stuff,” she said.

Gearhart also found that the club’s Facebook profile disappeared after the farm show became a Facebook business page in early December, thus negating Gearhart’s Facebook administration rights.

Walason’s email stated that the club’s Facebook page “will remain until a determination is made concerning the banquet, at that point an announcement will be made and the page will be taken down.”

The page stored more than 20 years’ worth of memories from dedicated riders, Gearhart said.

“It’s a labor of love,” she said, “and to see it ripped out from under you is devastating.”

Future plans

According to Gearhart, the farm show plans on replacing the horse ring with a tractor pull area, which would allegedly bring in more money to help support the farm show. She said a tractor pull lane has already been built behind the softball field, which is between the farm show buildings and the horse ring. This year was the farm show’s second year using the tractor pull area, she said.

Gearhart said she is not against the farm show adding a larger tractor pull area, and believes there is room for both events on the farm show grounds, which are leased from Catharine Township.

“I would like for us to come to an agreement,” she said, hoping that the horse show club can continue while expanding on the original tractor pull area behind the softball field.

In the club’s defense, Gearhart said it is not “falling apart. … It’s growing and thriving.”

Other than spreading the word, Gearhart said club volunteers and members are participating in a lot of “ground stomping” by calling local politicians and encouraging the public to attend the farm show board meeting slated for 7 p.m. Jan 2 at the Williamsburg Farm Show building, 1019 Recreation Drive, Williamsburg.

Saintz wants people to support the horse show, as young riders learn work ethic, sportsmanship and stress management from the club and their competitions.

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414

With deep love and profound sorrow, we announce the unexpected passing of Michael Larson, age 51, of Spanish Fort, Alabama, on December 21, 2025.

Born and raised in Mobile, Michael graduated from Theodore High School and later earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of South Alabama. From an early age, Michael formed deep and lasting friendships that shaped his life. He was fiercely loyal, deeply present, and believed friendship was meant to be joyful and lasting.

Michael’s faith in God and devotion to the Catholic Church were the foundation of his life and a source of joy for his family. His faith brought him especially close to his father and siblings, and their time together was marked by laughter, shared faith, and genuine happiness simply being together.

For 25 years, Michael shared a loving and joyful marriage with his beloved wife, Valerie. He adored her deeply, and together they raised four sons, Powell, Will, Reid, and Max, whom Michael welcomed into every part of his life with pride and joy. Being a husband and father was his greatest happiness.

Michael lived his faith through service, especially in his involvement in youth sports for his boys, welcoming children and families into his life with generosity and enthusiasm.

Known for his huge smile, gift for storytelling, and warm presence, Michael stood 6’4”, was strikingly handsome, and was famously the best hugger.

Michael was preceded in death by his mother, Patricia Ray. He is survived by his wife, Valerie Powell Larson, his sons, Powell, Will, Reid, and Max, his father, Donald J. Larson, Sr., his mother-in-law, Charlotte Powell, his brother, Donald J. Larson, Jr. and wife Arlene, his sisters, Tammy Girod and husband Charlie, and Christie Larson Ford and husband Bill, countless nieces and nephews, and a large and devoted Larson family.

Though he is painfully missed, faith brings hope in the promise that Michael now rests in the loving presence of God, and that love endures beyond this life.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos Catholic Church in Spanish Fort, Alabama, on Monday, December 29, at 11:00 a.m. A celebration of Michael’s life will follow.

The family is deeply and humbly grateful for the prayers, kindness, and tireless support shown by family, friends, and the community. This love has carried them through their grief and will forever be held close to their hearts.

In lieu of flowers, and in gratitude for the faith community that has carried our family through this loss, donations in Michael’s memory may be made to In the Seelos Tradition at our parish. Checks may be payable to In the Seelos Tradition, 31122 US Hwy 31, Spanish Fort, AL 36527, or given online at francisxseelos.org.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Michael Larson, please visit our flower store.