The Barrhead Senior Jags hosted a tournament over the weekend, where the boys successfully powered through their games to take a golden win.
Coming into the tournament, the boys had only played one game this season. Though some of the other teams had already played up to nine games, this didn’t discourage the Jaguars in spirit or their ability to play.
Barrhead’s first game had them up against Clyde. The team was off to a good start, playing well and conquering their opponents 37-11.
Competition was high during the next game, when the Jaguars faced their R.F. Staples rivals in the semi finals. The boys started off strong, giving up few turnovers and running the floor.
Coach Colin Erickson said the boys worked together and distributed the ball very well. At one point they were up 16-4 in the first quarter, and a victory seemed more than possible.
Westlock however wouldn’t go down without a fight. As the game progressed, Erickson said the boys weren’t executing their fast break, and R.F. Staples began to close the gap.
Fortunately the Jaguars prevailed, pulling off a victory 39-32.
In the final the Jaguars would have their biggest challenge yet, taking to the court against Mayerthorpe.
“Mayerthorpe always has a strong junior high boys program,” said Erickson. “They play a zone defense which we never see at the junior high level.”
Erickson said the boys had difficulty executing plays when all they play is man-to-man defense, which is mandatory in this league. This also slowed the pace of the game down, which was not to the Jaguar’s benefit.
Nevertheless, the Jaguars could leave the court with their heads held high. After a very close game Barrhead snagged their third win by a mere three points, the final score 26-23, to capture the gold.
Over the next couple of weeks the team’s biggest goal is to work on reducing turnovers and rebounding. The Jags have started off the season with four wins and no losses, playing their next game against Neerlandia Tuesday. The boys then head to Spruce Grove this weekend to compete against some strong city teams, which Erickson said should be an eye opener for the team.
This year the team consists of 10 Grade 9 boys and only two Grade 8 boys. Erickson said seven of those players have returned from last year. Though the team has a lot to learn, the coach has confidence in his players and the help he has from two older students.
“We have a pretty mature team in terms of speaking from a junior high stand point,” said Erickson. “I also have two highs school boys, Thijis DeWildt and Cole Knudsen, helping out with coaching. I appreciate their help.”
The junior girls also played in the tournament over the weekend, though their success did not go as far as their male peers. The girls also opened up against Clyde, playing the game fairly well en route to a win of 33-18.
Their first-game win put them in the semi finals against Gibbons. Their opponents were challenging and the Jaguars were off to a rather slow start, down 17-9 at half.
Though the girls game out strong in the second half, it was not enough to take the victory. Gibbons took the win 31-26 in a close game.
After losing their second game, Barrhead played in the bronze medal game against R.F Staples. Again the Jaguars were not off the successful start they needed and were down early. But, like the previous games, the girls bounced back in the second half and played excellently as a team both offensively and defensively.
Excitement was rising as the girls entered into overtime. Unfortunately Westlock prevailed, taking the bronze with a 34-32 win.
Despite the loss, coach Warren Warehime said he was happy with the performance of the girls. The first tournament of the year is a time where the girls come together to play as a team.
“Overall I was quite pleased with the girls play,” said Warehime. “We were able to play well as a team and implement some of the skills we have been working on in practice.”
