WESTLOCK - Although they failed to earn a win at the 1A Alberta Schools' Athletic Association 1A Boys Basketball Championship, St. Mary School's senior boys coach Darcy Romanuik says his team should be holding their heads high following a season that included the school’s first zone banner in a generation.
The 10th-ranked Sharks opened the 10-team championship March 17 at Matthew Halton High School in Pincher Creek by dropping a 68-43 decision to the province’s seventh-ranked team, the Consort Cobras. Game 2, played 24 hours later, saw the Sharks fall 65-50 to the province’s third-ranked team, the Clear Water Academy Crusaders. Although the boys saved their best for last and had a lead heading into the fourth quarter of their March 19 tilt versus the eighth-ranked Worsley Central High Wildcats, they still couldn’t crack the win column falling 68-63.
“I really wanted to win that game, but it just didn’t happen,” said Romanuik, who got back into town with the boys Saturday night.
Romanuik said the teams they faced and watched this past weekend were far and away the best they saw all year. The Coaldale Titans went on to claim the provincial title, downing the Olds Royals 67-55 in the Saturday-night final — traditionally at the 1A level, the province’s best basketball teams hail from the southern part of the province.
“Because of the current (COVID) situation, we didn’t have the traditional opening ceremonies and banquet, so it wasn’t quite the same. But that said, when you get to take part in a tournament against the best 1A teams in the province, it’s an eye opener,” said Romanuik.
“Over the years coaching basketball either you have height or you don’t — it’s the one thing you can’t teach. Physically we were probably the smallest team there and that was a bit of a disadvantage. And some of the skills that were on display were jaw dropping. Instead of having one guy who could consistently shoot, they’d have five. By no means did we get outworked this weekend, we were just outskilled. We faced teams that could go 14 to 15 players deep.”
Despite the 0-3 weekend, the 2021-2022 season can only be categorized as a success. The Sharks won their home tournament, the W.J. Kallal Memorial, for the first time since 2004, and claimed the 1A North Central Zone banner for time since 1996 and third overall since Romanuik has been in charge of the program. The future for the boys also looks extremely bright as they only had two Grade 12s on the roster.
“Absolutely it was a great year,” said Romanuik. “We had a lot of positives this season and to be honest just getting to provincials was one of them. Of course we would have liked more success there, but you have to be realistic and the cards just didn’t fall our way.
“This experience will last the boys a lifetime. How many kids even get to go to provincials? I’m really, really proud of this group.”
