R.F. Staples School’s senior girls’ basketball team returned to Westlock with a silver medal around their necks following a Jan. 7-8 tournament in Whitecourt.
The tournament featured only seven teams, as one team failed to make the trip, said coach Rod Carlyon.
The T-Birds opened the tournament with two wins, giving them a berth in the final against Parkland Composite from Edson. The T-Birds played their opponents tough in the first two quarters, only trailing 31-21 at the half.
“We had them worried,” said Carlyon, adding it was good to see his team stay close to Parkland, which he considers probably the best team in the zone.
However, the second half would prove to be Staples’ undoing. By the end of the third, Parkland had taken a commanding 52-27 lead on their way to a 75-33 victory and the gold medal.
Despite the disappointment of not winning the tournament, Carlyon said the season is not made or broken by the results of the season’s third tournament.
“We’re improving,” he said. “We’re competitive. We plan to peak at the end of the year. We’re not where we want to be, but we are on track to get there.”
In the lead up to the final, the girls played both local schools.
The first game of the tournament saw the T-Birds matched up against Whitecourt’s St. Joseph School. It proved to be an easy match-up, however, as the girls won the game going away, 51-22. Worth noting, said Carlyon, is that this was the first game all season where every player hit the score sheet.
Their second game was a different animal. Taking on the host Hilltop High School team, the T-Birds had to play harder, as their opponents provided a stiffer challenge than had St. Joseph. Nonetheless, Staples was not to be denied, prevailing 46-33.
With diploma exams right around the corner, the team will be off the court until Jan. 25, when they return to practice. The girls next play at a tournament in Leduc on Jan. 28-29.
