The Barrhead gold rush continues.
On Saturday, the senior boys and girls Gryphons struck gold in zone tournaments with displays rich in spirit and promise.
They hope to take the same form into the provincials where the competition will be even more intense.
To compete at such a level is a huge honour for Barrhead Composite High School, which prides itself on its volleyball programs.
The glorious weekend comes just two weeks after the junior boys and girls Gryphons plundered double gold in the North Central Varsity Volleyball Zone Championship.
The senior teams took very different paths to glory over Friday and Saturday.
While the boys swept all before them in Spruce Grove, the girls stuttered and spluttered before kicking into high gear in the latter stages of the tournament at BCHS gyms and toppling Athabasca’s Edwin Parr in the final 25-15, 25-18.
Earlier they had finally found their rhythm with a morale-boosting 26-24, 20-25, 15-12 victory over the T-Birds of Westlock’s RF Staples.
It proved the truth of the old adage that sporting success is all about peaking at the right time.
After the Gryphons had finished parading their medals and banner for the cameras, captain Hanna Schmidt tried to describe her golden moment.
“It feels awesome,” she said. “We’ve worked so hard for this. Our goal for the whole season is to win these matches. I thought today we played really well as a team.
“We are now looking forward to the provincials, so we’ve still got work to do, although we will definitely be celebrating later today.”
Schmidt said the victory was reward for months of practice, refining techniques and bonding as a team.
How confident was she going into the final after some less than convincing displays?
“I was always confident we could do it,” the 17-year-old said. “I have a lot of trust in all the players around me. There is tremendous communication between us.”
Schmidt was full of praise for coach Kyle Becker, who kept his faith in the team throughout the tournament.
She said Becker never lost his cool, even during the toughest moments when the Gryphons brushed perilously close to defeat.
“He is one of the chillest coaches around,” she said.
Becker was modest after the medals ceremony, saying he preferred to let the girls do the talking, since it was their victory.
“I am very proud of what they achieved today,” he said. “They’ve put in so much hard work.”
Becker admitted the Gryphons fell short of their highest standards in the early games. But they proved themselves when it mattered most.
In the round robin matches, Barrhead came second in their pool after beating Morinville 25-14, 25-9, Hilltop 25-20, 25-23 and Onoway 25-20, 25-17. Their one defeat came against Edwin Parr, 25-17, 22-25 and 14-16, but it was a potentially costly one, making their route to the final much more difficult.
In the quarterfinals they faced Frank Maddock, a match-up that on paper seemed to pose little danger.
What transpired took most people by surprise. Frank Maddock blew the Gryphons away 25-9 in the opening set, before losing 21-25 in the second.
The final set was a cliffhanger. There must have been few dry palms in the gym when the Gryphons finally won 22-20 to take a semi-final place against Westlock.
Even then the T-Birds seemed to be the in-form team, having won their pool to grab a semi-final spot. While the smart money may have been on Westlock, the Gryphons raised their game. They tore at their opponents from the start, winning the first eight points.
It was a clear statement of intent and one that they continued to make until the final winning point.
Meanwhile, the boys were on the rampage in the North Central Zone playoffs in Spruce Grove.
They came through the round robin matches unscathed, beating Athabasca 25-21, 25-11; Drayton Valley 25-16, 25-17; Onoway 25-15, 25-18; and Morinville 25-15, 25-21.
In the semi-finals they eased past STA 25-12, 25-20 to face Edson in the final.
It was a competitive match, but the Gryphons could answer whatever questions their opponents asked.
Coach Rod Callihoo found just cause for pride.
“We played well as a team and we are proud to win the zone banner and compete against the rest of the province at the provincials.
“We will again play many of the teams we have seen throughout our season at provincials.”
Callihoo said the provincials take place this weekend in Medicine Hat, Alberta.
