All-stars take the court
For some it was the end of the road; for others, a hint of things to come.
Tuesday night’s Rattlers high school basketball all-star game saw the best players from four local schools have some fun on the court one last time together, though some will move on to wearing the college jerseys full-time this fall.
“I like playing with everyone, just for the fun of it,” said McCoy’s Katelyn Rozdeba, who’s committed to playing for the Rattlers. “In the end everyone just forgets about it, we all have fun in the end.”
Hat High’s Jordyn Kearley — named the city’s MVP — was the other future Rattler at the game, but she was sidelined with a rolled ankle. Instead, current Rattler Kennedy Werre took to the court with Team White.
Kearley gutted out the 4A provincials in Lethbridge over the weekend with the Kwahommies, but knows she needs to be healthy come the fall.
“I just had to push through because it was provincials and I know my team needed me,” she said. “Watching the rest of my team play in this and I’m not playing at all is a bit hard.”
The score didn’t really matter, though Rattlers coach and game organizer Clayton Nielsen was impressed with how hard the players went at it in front of a crowd of 150 or so.
“The compete level, they’re all trying, I don’t know if they got the memo that it’s an all-star game — you’re supposed to play no defence and shoot threes,” said Nielsen. “They’re competing, which is good for us.”
The Rattlers and the Medicine Hat News sponsored this year’s allcity team awards, which went to Rozdeba, fellow McCoy provincial champ Abby LaRochelle, Eagle Butte’s Jasmin Salmon, Crescent Heights’ Kate Ewascheko and Hat High’s Kearley and Kaela Milne.
Kearley was named the city’s MVP, leading the Kwahommies in scoring and hopefully filling a similar role at the next level. But Nielsen has warned her it’s no small task.
“We’re trying to let her know that the jump from high school to college is kind of a big one, even when you’re as talented as she is,” said Nielsen, who’s equally excited about having Rozdeba’s all-around game on the floor. “They’re both going to be tough. They both like to rebound, get in there, mix it up. We just have to work them in, see how they fit in to the group.”
Rozdeba is the fifth and final member of her family to join the Rattlers, following both her parents and two sisters. Two played volleyball, two basketball and now she’s picked hoops.
“They all did pretty good,” she said, noting she’ll have to hit the gym more this summer to be ready for the challenge. “I’m just really excited.”