Basketball season nears the midway mark
There are a raft of high school basketball league games this week, before a break next week for exams.
Additional Alberta Schools Athletic Association sports are revving into high gear. Thanks very much to Taber St. Mary’s athletic director A.J. Bergen-Henengouwen
and Immanuel Christian AD
Matthew Bekkering I have tournament and league info to pass along.
Taber St. Mary’s presents its Celtics Invitational Basketball Tournament Friday and Saturday. It’s an eight-team varsity affair with St. Mary’s hosting Nobleford, Stirling, Coaldale Kate Andrews, Fort Macleod F.P. Walshe, Crowsnest Consolidated, Pincher Creek St. Mike’s and Picture Butte.
The Immanuel Christian Eagles Junior Varsity Classic invades the Eagle Dome Friday and Saturday. Girls entrants include Immanuel, Vauxhall, Calgary William Aberhart and Picture Butte. The Immanuel boys entertain Winston Churchill, Taber W.R. Myers and Chinook.
Just a reminder: I’m always willing to provide advance info on any tourney here as long as the draws are emailed to
wellsd@holyspirit.ab.ca by the Monday afternoon of the week in question. As for league info, A.J. and Matt forwarded Immanuel Christian is once again a member of Deep South, with St. Mary’s remaining in River Ridge.
Deep South contains varsity and junior varsity divisions, while River Ridge is a varsity-only loop.
Deep South is comprised this season of Immanuel, Picture Butte, Stirling, Kate Andrews, Claresholm Willow Creek and Walshe. It’s a home-and-home format. Walshe has varsity teams only and Picture Butte does not have JV Boys.
River Ridge’s 2017-18 active membership includes St. Mary’s, Milk River Erle Rivers, Bow Island Senator Gershaw, Vauxhall and Foremost. River Ridge’s active website has a www.riverridgebasketball.weebly.com
cyber home. As for the associated Southern Alberta High School 4A Boys and Girls Basketball League (www.SouthHoops.ca) there are 25 games this week. All are important to those emotionally involved.
If I was to predict where the largest crowds would gather, I’d say Raymond at Cardston boys Friday evening, Cardston at Catholic Central (Campus West) Saturday afternoon and a LCI at Raymond quad (two girls and two boys games) Saturday. With the deadlines for ASAA basketball teams to register and declare their classifications having passed, I would expect the first official rankings of the season in the next week. The ASAA registration deadline for curling, cheerleading and wrestling is next Monday, Jan. 22. It wouldn’t hurt to remind your school administrators of this date.
WELLSIE’S WORLD Congratulations to LCI grad Zac
Overwater on breaking the University of Lethbridge men’s basketball single-game scoring record, netting 49 points in a crucial 106-101 overtime triumph over the UBC Thunderbirds Saturday night on 1st Choice Savings Centre hardwood. Personally, it doesn't quite make up for his dad Chris hitting a buzzer-beating put-back for SAIT in a win over a Lethbridge College team I was an assistant coach for back in 1983-84, but it’s a solid down payment.
Chris was a truly powerful, formidable inside force at let’s guess six-foot-seven back in the day. Zac, who certainly looks like a legit six-foot-eight, has a wide array of skills. His game somewhat reminds me of a former LCI/U of L star Jerome Ell.
The UBC-vanquishing crowd was by far the liveliest local post-secondary throng I’ve witnessed this season. I’m expecting a bigger and even more pumped-up gathering next Thursday, Jan. 25, when University of Calgary comes calling for women’s and men’s hoop action.
You see, there are no high school games that night and I’m doubtful many junior high tilts either. Perhaps residence will be well represented, too.
Should be a heck of a show, on and off the court. I wouldn’t count out an epic showcase for Canada’s highest level of post-secondary basketball, actually. All four teams are above .600. They don’t really have great fondness for their foes either, if you get my gist.
As for Lethbridge College action, there is a wide array for locals to enjoy this weekend. The basketball teams entertain Olds College Friday night and Saturday afternoon with the volleyball Big Bears hosting Medicine Hat College Saturday evening.
It’s really nice to see both college volleyball teams with 9-5 regular-season marks. I see a promising future for the programs.