LeBoldus in both 5A finals
The Campbell Tartans were delighted to be called for travelling.
After dealing with weather-induced uncertainty on Thursday and early Friday morning, members of the Tartans’ senior boys basketball team got the word that they were destined for Saskatoon and Hoopla — the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association championships.
The Tartans were supposed to be in Saskatoon for a quarterfinal on Thursday, but treacherous road conditions made it impossible for the Regina Intercollegiate Basketball League representatives in the 5A boys and 5A girls divisions to hit the highway as scheduled.
Campbell’s senior boys finally departed Friday at 11:30 a.m., arriving in Saskatoon 2 1/2 hours later — comfortably in advance of an 8 p.m. semifinal against the host Holy Cross Crusaders.
“It’s a big relief, because we didn’t know what the weather was going to do,’’ Campbell guard Connor Gorman said from Saskatoon shortly after the team arrived.
“We were hearing that we were going to get 10 to 15 centimetres of snow and we didn’t know if the highway was going to be closed. When I woke up, I was listening to the radio and they said the highway was closed in some parts going to Saskatoon. I was like, ‘Oh, that’s great.’ But when Mr. (Cory) Britton (Campbell’s vice-principal) came and found us in the hall and said we were going, it was definitely a relief.’’
The inclement weather forced the SHSAA to make scheduling adjustments. The third- and fourth-seeded Regina teams in the 5A boys and 5A girls divisions were scratched from the draw, leaving the RIBL’s top two seeds in each loop to make the trek to Saskatoon.
That decision led to mixed feelings at Campbell Collegiate, being that the Tartans’ 5A girls did not make the cut for Hoopla. The Balfour Redmen were deleted from the 5A boys and 5A girls draws. The Sheldon-Williams Spartans, in 5A boys, were the other Regina team to receive the bad news on Thursday.
“We’re pretty lucky to be up here,’’ said Gorman, sympathizing with the four teams that were unable to compete in Hoopla.
Gorman was Campbell’s leading scorer on Friday. He had 22 points in a 76-67 loss to Holy Cross. Steven Macera added 14 points for the Tartans. Mitchell Hillis had 31 points for Holy Cross.
The Crusaders are off to the 5A boys final against the LeBoldus Golden Suns, who defeated the Saskatoon Evan Hardy Souls 70-65 in Friday’s other 5A boys semifinal.
Daniel Probe paced LeBoldus with 19 points. Chan De Ciman added 17 for the Golden Suns. Razvan Anca paced Evan Hardy with 21.
LeBoldus celebrated a daily double on Friday, defeating Evan Hardy 76-47 in a 5A girls semifinal to advance to today’s final against Holy Cross.
Quinn Dornstauder led LeBoldus with 27 points. Sara Hubenig added 22 for the Golden Suns.
In the other 5A girls semifinal, Holy Cross defeated the Riffel Royals 66-52. Riffel’s Caitlin Zacharias had a game-high 25 points. Megan Lindquist led Holy Cross with 15.
The 5A gold-medal games are earmarked for St. Joseph High School at 5 p.m. (girls) and 7 p.m. (boys).