The Holy Rosary Raiders took care of business on the home front this month before the senior boys’ basketball team took a break to write high school exams.
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The host Raiders posted a 3-0 record to win their invitational tournament Jan. 10, topping the Camrose Trojans 80-69 in the final.
That performance pushed Holy Rosary’s overall record to 8-1 on the season. The Lloydminster school sat in fourth spot in the latest School Sport Alberta 3A boys’ provincial rankings, while Camrose was seeded seventh.
“All season, we have sought out the best competition we can play,” said Raiders coach Luke Kuypers. “We’re striving to evolve and grow, as a team and as individuals, to give us the best chance to beat the best Alberta has to offer.”
In their home tournament, the Raiders won a couple of lopsided games before facing a worthy Camrose club in the final, which saw Holy Rosary open a 21-18 lead in the first quarter.
“Our team showed a lot of resilience in the championship game, taking on a great Camrose program that is, year in and year out, at the top of the province,” said Kuypers, coaching the Raiders along with Henry Bui.
“Everyone really came together and championed their role, giving everything they could, sacrificing for the team and pulling together.”
Players from grades 10 through 12 contributed to the Raiders’ golden performance in their eight-team tournament.
Among the seniors, “Dom (Campeau) battled all game, demanding attention on defence and moving the ball to keep everyone involved,” Kuypers said.
“Nevan (Rohatyn) overcame sickness and gave a gutsy performance, with constant pressure on the rim and boards saving tough possessions. Ezra Nedelko brought grit and intensity on both ends, showing leadership with his toughness.
“Captain Carter (Hummelle) made plays, breaking down a tough Camrose defence and allowing the (Holy Rosary) team to make (the Trojans) pay with any pressure, while making their offence struggle for anything.”
The Raiders could also count on standout efforts from Grade 11 students Ezra Lwanga and Moyo Akinloye.
“Ezra Lwanga gave countless highlights on offence, but thrived defensively, maturing greatly in becoming a lock-down defender,” Kuypers said.
“Moyo gave a masterclass defensive performance that defines the identity we strive for,
with unselfish offensive sacrifice.”
The Grade 10 rookies from Holy Rosary showed the coaching staff that they can keep pace with the big boys at the senior high school level.
“Jeriel (Koukou), Matthew (Schmeltzer) and Jacob (Tirao) all gave huge shifts in key moments,” Kuypers said. “They show a lot of potential, while making a tough transition to go from playing junior basketball last year to competing with the top teams in a really competitive provincial level.”
After the Raiders finish their exams, they’ll resume action against some of those top teams from throughout Alberta. Holy Rosary will head to tournaments at Ardrossan and Lethbridge.
In the Holy Rosary senior girls’ tourney final, Camrose defeated Lloydminster Comprehensive. Read about those Barons in next week’s Source, as they host their home tournament Jan. 30 and 31.
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