WESTLOCK — The R.F. Staples Thunderbirds senior girls’ basketball team dominated at the 3A North Central Zone Championship in Westlock on March 8-9, winning all three of their games to take home the zone banner.
The T-Birds opened the tournament on Friday morning with a victory over Devon, which put them into the semi-final against the Parkland Pacers from Edson.
Although Parkland had defeated Edwin Parr Composite from Athabasca in their first game of the tournament, the T-Birds won this match handily by a score of 79-24.
That pushed the T-Birds into the championship final against Morinville Central High School (MCHS), who had defeated Hilltop and Barrhead Composite High School in their first two games.
Once again, the T-Birds cruised to a decisive 67-30 victory over MCHS, earning them the zone banner.
Senior girls’ coach Wade Hicks said the T-Birds had a really good 2023-2024 season, finishing with a 20-7 record and placing in the top four within six of their nine tournaments, including a gold medal at their home tournament on Feb. 23-24.
“Winning zones was always the main goal for us and our season prepared us for that goal, as we played a lot of top ten teams in the province to get us ready,” said Hicks.
“This is a tremendous group of athletes and a real joy to coach. The work ethic they display on the court is a lot of fun to watch, as they really play the right way.”
The victory at zones now qualifies the T-Birds to move on the 3A Girls Provincials in Strathmore from March 14-16.
Hicks said the T-Birds will play their first game on Thursday morning, March 14, at 10 a.m. versus West Island College from the Calgary Zone.
