Two at home, two on the road for provincials
Of the four Medicine Hat teams at high school basketball provincials starting today, two have had their seasons impacted heavily by injuries, while the other two are taking solace after surviving tough zone tournaments.
All four feel they’ve got a chance to be in the mix come Saturday’s finals.
“Things have really come together, we’re working hard,” said Hat High girls coach Jeff Harrold. “We know we’re in tough.”
McCoy’s boys and girls have the host spots at 3A championships, while Hat High’s teams had to share a ride when the boys’ van broke down on the way to Lethbridge Wednesday night. The girls circled back to pick them up.
Harrold’s team is perhaps the biggest underdog. Even though they won bronze at the 4A South Zone tournament Saturday, they’re still likely without top scorer Jordyn Kearley and now guard Brettonie Stenhouse due to injuries. But the Kwahommies’ depth has shown up big, and the No. 10-ranked side faces No. 7 St. Albert in the first round.
“Others have been able to build some confidence,” said Harrold. “You want to be healthy at this point in the season, but those girls now know they can beat teams without certain players.”
McCoy’s boys also got to provincials without their MVP. But coach BJ Melle has good news — Jace Anton was cleared to play this week despite a broken jaw. The cheer upon seeing him hit his first shot in practice, Melle says, was heartfelt.
“It’s a good emotional boost for us,” said Melle, whose No. 5-ranked Colts match up with No. 12 Morinville at noon at Crescent Heights today. “We’ve had to go through some adversity without him, but it brings more confidence to our team.”
Hat High’s boys played in arguably the toughest league in Alberta, going just 7-7 but turning it on in the post-season. Six-foot-three forward Matt Manas averaged better than 30 points per game as the Mohawks took third at zones, and now they’re seeded eighth in an opening-round matchup with No. 9 Jasper Place.
“We beat every team in the league, the league is just so tough,” said coach Chad Watson. “That kind of basketball prepares you for playoffs.”
Then there’s McCoy’s girls, who seem to always be among the best in 3A. Coach Janice Laing would love nothing more than to get a rematch against zone champion WR Myers, the only team seeded above the Colts. The Rebels won the zone final at McCoy at the last second Saturday, but that’s not to say either can look past their first matchups. The top four seeds each get first-round byes — Myers faces the winner of Bowness and Parkland, while McCoy gets either Strathmore or Strathcona at noon on Friday.
“I’ll be honest, I hate the first round bye,” said Laing, whose team will play twice Friday regardless of how the quarter-final goes. “That team has already played a game, they’ve gotten the jitterbugs out. And as a one through four seed, the target’s on your back.”
Katelyn Rozdeba is McCoy’s leading scorer, and is among five Grade 12’s on the roster — Emilee Jackson, Abby LaRochelle, Joelle Van Dam and Sierra Zukowski are the others.
All four teams aren’t exactly in home gyms, but should feel pretty comfortable nonetheless. Hat High is back in Lethbridge for the second weekend in a row, while McCoy has played lots at Crescent Heights and added some practices at the Family Leisure Centre, which will also host some games.
“We’ve really had to embrace being a road team all year,” said Harrold, whose team played just twice in its new gym. “With our construction and not having our gym, we haven’t had a home. So absolutely there’s a benefit to (provincials) being in the south.”
The 3A finals go at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Crescent Heights Saturday. The 4A finals are at the University of Lethbridge the same night.