All-star contests wrap up campaign
So with provincials in the rearview mirror, you thought the high school basketball season was over. Not so fast! Tonight in fact, the Tony Roma’s Southern Alberta High School 4A Boys Basketball League and Southern Alberta High School Girls Basketball League All-Star Games hit the Catholic Central Campus West (make note, that’s Campus West) court and the Chinook League luminaries strut their stuff at Noble Central.
As well, Thursday evening Immanuel Christian plays host to the Deep South celestial body affairs. League individual awards are part of the Catholic Central event. I imagine they may be presented at the others, not sure.
All evening encounters tip with girls action at 6 p.m., followed by boys games. Since I am an organizer of the Catholic Central Campus West block party, I want all to know that we are not going to wait until 8 p.m. to start the boys action unless the girls game goes much, much longer than usual. Early is good. ••• On a personal note I am very happy to see the Tony Roma’s event at Catholic Central Campus West, because I truly believe it offers the most comfortable playing, officiating and coaching environment in the area. And, it’s not even close.
Of course, that may be personal pride showing through, since I played a much larger (unpaid) consulting role on that venue than any other gym in the area. But, hey, a big part of my Ohio U. Sports Administration master’s degree (first such program in the world; best program in the world — and you can look that up) is facility related and I’ve spent just a few hours in my life in gyms. Wisely for Catholic Central, I know
had a big say in the basketball preparedness of the gym.
Now, having said all that, there really isn’t nearly enough spectator seating in the venue for my liking. Of course, that may prove to be a positive in a sense tonight if the crowd fills the available pews and helps create atmosphere.
And yes, if any of you are planning a new or renovated gym, I’d be only too glad to provide some ideas. • • • Last week in this space I set the
Morgan Munroe
over/under on provincial basketball championships to be won by the South Zone at 3.5. I would have confidently bet the over. I would have lost, since the answer was two; Immanuel Christian (2A Girls) and Medicine Hat McCoy (3A Girls). Still punching double our weight since eight categories are contested by eight zones.
Overall, South Zone teams earned 10 medals, including Cardston (4A Boys silver), LCI (4A Girls bronze), W.R. Myers (3A Girls silver), Stirling (1A Girls silver), Bow Island Senator Gershaw (1A Boys silver) and Lundbreck Livingstone (1A Boys bronze).
WELLSIE’S WORLD
— In terms of predictions, I actually was a season ahead of schedule being right about the Lethbridge College capturing the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association women’s national basketball championship. I had them pegged as shoe-ins in 2015-16, when they fell short at the provincial level. Congratulations to Bradley Morris Karren and company on bouncing back with an undefeated masterpiece this season.
The most important person in my life occasionally used to impart the following historical Christian-based wisdom: “In the midst of life we are in death.”
That point has been driven home to me vividly time-and-again in recent months. Saturday came the passing of long-time local basketball referee
at 68. Bob was a graceful, hard-working official who improved exponentially over the decades. Much more importantly, he was a gracious human being. I am not sure I ever met a nicer person.
The high school basketball provincials concluded Saturday night. By Monday, the much more important hoop campaign in terms of player development and post-secondary recruitment (not sure how many parents realize this second point) was in high gear, with multiple club team tryouts hitting the courts around the area. Not much of an off-season, eh.
For the past 16 years Catholic Central has kindly provided me work space for my Southern Alberta Interscholastic Administrative Council activities coordinator duties. Seemingly every year a major school theatrical production overlaps with my hoop March Madness duties.
I am thus reminded just how closely related athletics and drama (music, too — heck all performing arts) really are. There are so many correlations, tryouts, practice, performance. Awards, too.
I was touched when I ventured through the Catholic Central Campus East cafeteria Sunday to see how moved kids were accepting congratulations at the end of the most recent production’s run. A very similar scene to kids receiving provincial championship basketball accolades less than a day before.
Yes, sometimes life is good.
Fettig, Bob