The Hafford Central School boys basketball team with their bronze medals from the provincial championship. (Hafford Central School/Facebook)

By Derek Craddock

BACK FROM HOOPLA

Northwest teams reflect on unique experience at one-day HOOPLA

Mar 27, 2024 | 6:00 AM

It may not have been the major basketball event from previous years but some northwest students still had much to celebrate at the one-day HOOPLA tournament.

The 2024 edition of the High School basketball championships was cancelled last week due to the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) withdrawing extracurricular activities that weekend.

The sanctions were implemented due to the ongoing contract dispute between the province and the teachers’ union.

While the weekend HOOPLA event couldn’t go ahead, the Saskatchewan High School Athletics Association (SHSAA) held a one-day tournament in Moose Jaw for the teams that qualified.

Two of those teams were the Hafford Central School boys, who claimed bronze, and the McLurg High School Girls, who won gold.

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For Hafford coach Jill Barnstable, the bronze medal was an achievement but they had high hopes of getting more than that this season.

“When we started the season, our goal was to make it to HOOPLA and even though it wasn’t the entire event, it still gave them a little bit of taste that they had accomplished what they had started to do,” she said. “I think we could have competed in the final but who knows.”

For Mark McLane, the coach of the McLurg team, winning gold was the best way to cap off a strong season.

“We predominantly played four and five-A schools throughout the season and we won a lot of those games so, I think it increased our chances when we played our own level,” he said.

While the McLurg girls’ team has been to HOOPLA for the last three years, this was the first in a while for the Hafford team. Barnstable said they haven’t been able to field a team since before the COVID-19 pandemic started, which made this year’s team special.

“We had to rebuild so we are a brand new team this year so it was a lot of growing and growing together and finding our roles, our strengths, and how they all contribute and mix together and growing as individual players,” she said. “I’d say overall it was amazing that they were even able to make it to HOOPLA in being so young and with not a lot of experience.”

The Hafford team only had three graduating players compared to the five from Mclurg. Mclane said it will be tough to lose those players but their success has motivated the rest of the team heading into next year.

“I think they kind of know the know the routine and what it takes to get there and I expect our program to be pretty solid again next year,” he said.

McLane and Barnstable said they are proud not only of the team but also the support they received from the school and the community at large.

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com