The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

24 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2010 Youngster has added incentive to reach the end zone By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF and caused other side effects such as headaches, twitches and physical fatigue. "I was tired," he said. hen football season begins later Garrett played football before he had this spring, Garrett Holmes will his seizures and was eager to return when try to get as many touchdowns he got off his medications. as he can. "One of the first things out of his But those majors won't be just for him- mouth when he got off the medication self or his team. was that he wanted to play football," said Every time the 10-year-old Halton his father, Gerard. Cowboys quarterback runs into the end At first his parents were apprehensive zone or throws a touchdown about letting their son play pass to a teammate, two "I'm doing this tackle football, but the docchildren's charities -- the because I remember tors gave Garrett the green Children's Miracle Network going to the hospital light. or Free the Children -- will at Sick Kids and I He has been off the medscore as well. ications for a year. wanted to give back The young football player "I feel a lot more enerand his parents recently to the kids who can't getic and feel better. I'm not launched a unique fundrais- go outside and do tired. I can run a lot faster," ing effort -- Go Garrett Go whatever they want." Garrett said. -- that asks donors to Garrett plays on the pledge a set amount for each Garrett Holmes Cowboys atom team (for touchdown the quarterback children born in '99-'00) in scores or helps his team score in the the Ontario Minor Football League. His upcoming spring season of the Ontario parents said the entire team is involved Minor Football League. and Garrett's teammates want to help Why is Garrett doing this? out. "I'm doing this because I remember The schedule is not yet finalized, but going to the hospital at Sick Kids and I the team will play seven or eight reguwanted to give back to the kids who can't lar-season games, plus one to three playgo outside and do whatever they want," he off games, depending on how the team said. fares. On Christmas Day in 2006, Garrett suf"I hope to get 10 to 15 touchdowns," fered a seizure. He was first taken to Garrett said, optimistic that he can score Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital even more than that. where he was unresponsive for four Garrett has also received support from hours. He was then moved to the Hospital the Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tigerfor Sick Children where he was stabilized. Cats, NFL Canada, the CFL Alumni He had several more seizures shortly Association, Warrior Sports U.S.A., the afterwards. North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Doctors said a one-time virus caused Committee and others. Prizes have been the seizures and Garrett was placed on donated to Garrett that will be raffled off anti-seizure medicine for two years. to people who make pledges, including The medication fatigued the little boy tickets to CFL games, an autographed jer- W GO GARRETT GO: Ten-year-old Halton Cowboys quarterback Garrett Holmes can't wait for the upcoming Ontario Minor Football League season to start. The local resident and his parents recently launched a fundraising effort, titled Go Garrett Go, that asks donors to pledge a set amount for each touchdown the QB runs or passes for this season. Money raised will go towards two children's charities. PETER FIGUARA / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER sey by Jason Witten of the Dallas Cowboys, Warrior Sports hockey sticks and many other prizes. There will be early bird prizes for people who pledge before April 15. People who pledge get to choose which charity receives the donation. The Miracle Network includes hospitals across North America, including the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Donors get to decide which hospital in the network receives the donation. Money that goes to Free the Children will be spent on Haiti relief efforts. Garrett also has two sisters, one older, Lauren, and one younger, Taylor. For more information or to pledge to his cause, visit www.gogarrettgo.com. McNicoll's marker qualifies Canada for U17 World Cup By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Playing in the biggest game of her soccer career, Kinley McNicoll could not believe what was unfolding in front of her. Teammate Nour Ghoneim sent a pass toward the Mexican net and McNicoll outraced two Mexican defenders. Keeper Cecila Santiago charged toward her but McNicoll beat her to the ball at the top of the penalty box. "I saw the keeper coming and when the ball bounced it was the perfect time to get a foot on it," McNicoll said. She chipped the ball past the keeper's outstretched arm and as it bounded toward the open net, McNicoll turned and raised her arm in celebration. Then the ball hit the post. "My heart stopped," McNicoll said. She quickly turned back toward the net but could only watch as the ball agonizingly bounced twice on the line. A Mexican defender rushed to clear the ball but a split second before she arrived, the ball spun and rolled across the line as McNicoll and her teammates celebrated for a second time. The goal would stand up for the next 82 minutes as Canada held off its opponents -- despite being down a player for most of the second half -- for a 1-0 victory in the final of the CONCACAF women's under-17 championship in Costa Rica. The win qualifies the Canadian squad for the Under-17 Women's World Cup, which will be held in Trinidad and Tobago in September. "It's a dream come true. Playing for my country, I can't even describe it," said the Grade 10 student at White Oaks. "I've been playing soccer since I could walk. I honestly played for about a See McNicoll's page 28