Fifth-seeded Laker boys off to the 1A final

The fifth-seeded Stirling Lakers boys basketball team will go for gold tonight.

The Lakers downed topranked St. Mary’s 78-59 during the 1A boys semifinal Friday afternoon at the 1A/2A Boys and Girls Southern Alberta zone high school basketball tournament at Lethbridge College Val Matteotti Gymnasium.

With the win, the Lakers will face J.T. Foster — who beat Foremost 64-61 in the other semfinal — in the championship game tonight at 8 p.m. at the Val Matteotti Gymnasium.

On Friday, Orin Smith and Ryder Nelson led Stirling with 23 and 20 points, respectively, while Ty Mazutinec hit for 13.

Carl Rodrigo led St. Mary’s with 16 points and Cobe Cobarrubias and Joey Giesbrecht each scored 12.

In the other boys 1A semfinal, Brandon Mosher had a 31-point game for third-ranked J.T. Foster and John Solatorio added 21.

For seventh-seeded Foremost, Reece Hollingsworth led the way with 30-points and Nathan Orich had 14.

The bronze medal game between St. Marys and Foremost will also go at 8 p.m. tonight.

The 2A girls gold medal game was solidified and it’s the top-two seeds that will go for the South title as the top-ranked Immanuel Christian will face secondseeded Kainai at 4 p.m.

Immanuel Christian defeated Kate Andrews 5834 Friday night and Kainai topped Picture Butte 85-78 in the other semifinal.

Britney Vande Munt led Immanuel Christian with 24 points and Raegan Abrey replied with 18 points for Kate Andrews.

In Kainai’s win, Chase Wells-Creighton led the way with 27 points and Jordan Weasel Head drained 18.

Jurnee Eagle Plume scored 13 points for Kainai and August Eagle Plume had 10.

For Picture Butte, Tasha Reiter had a 43-point night and Nicole Elaschuk had 15.

Laryette Kellett scored 11 points for Picture Butte.

In the 8:30 p.m. draw Friday night, another oneversus-two championship was set up as the Claresholm Willow Creek and Immanuel Christian 2A boys advance to the gold medal game today at 6 p.m.

Willow Creek downed Kate Andrews 73-39 and Immanuel Christian topped Kainai 78-67.

Nic Harder led Willow Creek in their win over Kate Andrews with 26 points, while Ross VanRootselaar had 14.

For Kate Andrews, Parker Kasko and Dalton Wiersma each had 10 points.

In Immanuel Christian’s win, Landon Veluw put up 24 points and teammate Ryan Degner was one behind wtih 23.

Jet Day Chief had 20 points for Kainai and Kogen Wells and Tazzmaine Good Dagger each added 15.

Winston Churchill's Osamah Al-sumi (right) wrestles with Kade Mathers of Parkland Composite High School during the Alberta Schools Athletics Association provincial wrestling championships on Friday at Medicine Hat High School. Al-sumi won 24-21.