SUNDRE – The Sundre High School Scorpions junior varsity basketball team is shaping up to become a contender over the coming years, the team’s coach said.
They hosted on Feb. 14-15 three visiting teams from Didsbury, Acme and Carstairs during an invitational tournament at the high school – the first of its kind hosted by any Sundre Scorpions in approximately 10 years, said Annalise Fricker.
Acme finished first with Didsbury placing second while Sundre ended up in third with Carstairs in fourth, said Fricker.
It was a “great tournament showcasing some excellence in women’s sport,” she said.
The Scorpions have over the course of the past season played in seven tournaments throughout the province, along the way coming across wonderfully athletic teams. With a total of only seven Grade 9 players, the Scorpions have been in a building year, the coach said.
“But each one of them dig deep and play the game better and better each practice and game. They have really become cohesive, and I honestly cannot wait to coach them all through high school,” she said.
“They will be a major zone/provincial contender in the next couple years.”
Expressing pride in everyone on the team, Fricker said the Scorpions have pulled through some challenging times including instances when they were left scrambling with very few players.
“They’ve also had to learn to adapt and change their way of play when I’ve had to pull up Grade 7 and Grade 8 girls so that we have a big enough team to play in tournaments or some of the league games this year,” she said, adding they’ve still got some practices and league games lined up as well as some clinics in March.
Fricker went onto express appreciation for not only the businesses who supported the tournament but also the volunteers who got involved and gave their time.
“We had so many wonderful parents do baking from rice crispy squares to basketball decorated cookies to fresh cinnamon buns, chips and pop,” she said, adding the community’s cumulative contributions made for a wonderful tournament.
“I am honoured to coach these girls and work alongside these parents. They are phenomenal.”
